#Editing excellence for substack newsletters | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

dreaminginthedeepsouth · 4 months ago

Text

Ted Littleford

* * * *

Trump goes full dictator

January 28, 2025

Robert B. Hubbell

Trump has broken faith with the Constitution. He is no longer operating within the pale of the law. On Monday, January 27, Trump dropped all pretense of being a “president” within the meaning of Article II of the US Constitution and began wielding power for his own benefit and without regard for constitutional restrictions.

In two lawless actions on Monday, the acting US Attorney for DC announced an internal investigation into DOJ prosecutors who investigated and indicted January 6 insurrectionists. And the Acting Attorney General fired more than a dozen prosecutors who worked on the investigations and indictments of Donald Trump.

It is clear that Trump has ordered the Department of Justice to seek vengeance against career prosecutors who acted with integrity and professionalism in prosecuting Trump and those who assaulted the Capitol on January 6.

The notion of any president directing the DOJ to make prosecutorial judgments has been unthinkable under post-Watergate legal norms. However, the notion of a president directing prosecutorial decisions of the DOJ to further his own political interest is antithetical to core principles of the Constitution. The president’s swears an oath to “faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States”—no part of which involves elevating his personal interests above those of the nation.

In a separate action taken late Monday evening, Trump ordered a freeze on all federal grants and loans (by way of a memo from the acting head of the OMB). See WSJ, White House Orders Pause of Federal Financial Assistance Programs. (Per the WSJ, the order directs all agencies to “temporarily pause all activities related to obligation or disbursement of all Federal financial assistance, and other relevant agency activities that may be implicated by the executive orders, including, but not limited to, financial assistance for foreign aid, nongovernmental organizations, DEI, woke gender ideology, and the green new deal.”)

Trump's order from the OMB violates the Impoundment Control Act of 1974. Trump doesn’t care. Neither do congressional Republicans. And the ruse that the pauses are “temporary” does nothing to diminish the fact that impoundments are illegal and unconstitutional.

The impoundment of appropriated funds is a constitutional crisis on a fast track to the Supreme Court. For an excellent discussion, see Steve Vladeck, One First (Substack), The Impoundment Crisis of 2025. (I will return to this topic in later editions of this newsletter, but Vladeck covers the subject in detail.)

While some presidents have secretly used the FBI, IRS, and DOJ to investigate their political foes, no president in the history of our nation has publicly ordered the DOJ to investigate his perceived political enemies, much less fire them.

It is time for the institutions fighting for democracy to drop the niceties and begin calling Trump for what he is: a dictator. Many institutions are still treating Trump as though he is a “normal” president, albeit one subject to making impulsive, ignorant statements. Criticizing his actions is not enough. The story of his first week is not that “Trump has shaken things up,” or that he is “flooding the zone.” It is that Trump has begun to ignore the law at whim.

It is also time for the legal profession to speak out. The members of the bar who are facilitating lawless actions must be subject to public condemnation and formal reproval. The leaders of the bar have a special obligation to speak out. They must serve notice on attorneys everywhere that there will be reputational, professional, and licensing repercussions for taking positions that violate the Constitution or deliberately flout the law. The revolving door at Big Law must be closed to attorneys who enable dictatorial actions antithetical to the Constitution and the rule of law.

Trump is unable to act like a dictator unilaterally. He needs the consent, acquiescence, and apathy of enough people to frustrate the normal operation of constitutional and legal checks and balances.

We must not grant that assistance to Trump. We must resist. We must say in plain language that he is acting like a dictator who holds himself above the law. Whether he gets away with the audacious gambit is up to the people from whom all constitutional power flows. Let’s make our voices heard!

Trump's firing of career prosecutors is illegal.

On Monday, the termination of a dozen federal prosecutors also broke the law—because the long-term staffers were part of the federal civil service. As such, they can only be fired for cause. But the statement from the Acting Attorney General said that they were being fired because the AG “did not trust them to implement the president’s agenda.” See CNN, Toobin: Some Trump DOJ firings may be illegal.

If you watch the CNN link above, one of the CNN commentators (Alyssa Farah Griffin) suggests that the firings “won’t raise a lot of eyebrows among Republicans because he did say he was going to do this.”

To be clear, Trump saying on the campaign trail he was going to do something that is illegal does not make it any less illegal. And Republicans should “raise their eyebrows” when the president acts in an illegal manner. But Alyssa Farah Griffin has apparently left her sense of outrage at the studio door—which is why CNN (a.k.a. Fox Lite) may be the next legacy media outlet to go out of business.

Trump's asserted reason for mass deportations is false

Trump claims that 10 million immigrants must be deported because they are violent criminals who continue to commit crimes while in the US awaiting deportation. Predictably, the sweeps have caught up a significant number of immigrants who have not committed crimes. See NBC News, ICE agents search for those with criminal histories but say 'collateral arrests' are possible.

Per NBC,

However, just 613 of the 1,179 people arrested Sunday — nearly 52% — were considered “criminal arrests,” a senior Trump administration official said. The rest appear to be nonviolent offenders or people who have not committed any criminal offense.

The fact that 48% of those arrested on Sunday did not have criminal records for violence demonstrates the ICE agents are making indiscriminate arrests to play to the television cameras. Indeed, the Trump administration advised ICE agents to make themselves “presentable” to be filmed on television. See CNN, Federal agents in immigration operations told to be camera-ready as hundreds arrested.

As I wrote yesterday, Trump has moved beyond “Cruelty is the point” to “Cruelty is entertainment for Trump's base.”

Trump's mass deportation policies are spreading fear throughout immigrant communities—including those gathering in places of worship. A group of Quaker affiliated plaintiffs filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration for allowing raids to take place in sensitive places, including “houses of worship.” See MSN, Quakers challenge Trump order allowing immigration raids at religious sites.

Trump signs order clearing path to banning transgender people in the military

As expected, Trump has signed an order requiring the Pentagon to explain why transgender people advance the military’s stated objective of being “ready for deployment” in thirty days. See CBS News, Trump signs executive orders on military DEI, trans service members, COVID.

Per the CBS article,

The president also signed an executive order directing the Pentagon to determine a policy for transgender service members based on readiness within 30 days. The action does not immediately ban transgender service members, however, it does state that the Defense Department's policy for troop readiness is "inconsistent with the medical, surgical, and mental health constraints on individuals with gender dysphoria."

The executive order is a ruse designed to give the Pentagon a reason to reverse its current policy of allowing transgender people to serve in the military. One estimate places the number of transgender people in the military at 15,000.

The policy is not only depraved, but it will also weaken the military’s preparedness. The US military has been in a recruiting crisis for years because most recruits fail to meet the physical or educational standards required for enlistment. Per Military.com,

[T]he Army's struggles have mostly been attributed to young Americans not qualifying for service, either failing to meet body fat or academic standards.

To meet the recruiting crisis, the Army has instituted “preparedness boot camps” that work with recruits to get them into physical shape and to help them pass the Army’s SAT-style entrance exam. Again, per Military.com,

The idea is to meet young Americans where they are, getting them into shape or providing them critical tutoring for the SAT-style entrance exam as test scores in schools have been falling for years, particularly for boys.

Against the recruiting crisis backdrop, forcing transgender people out of the military who have already met the military’s physical and educational requirements is just plain stupid—in addition to being illegal and morally wrong.

And then there is the hypocrisy. The executive order asserted that being a transgender person is inherently at odds with “a soldier’s commitment to an honorable, truthful, and disciplined lifestyle, even in one’s personal life.” See Erin in the Morning (Substack), Trump Military Ban Says Being Trans Conflicts With "Honorable, Truthful, Disciplined Lifestyle".

As noted by Erin in the Morning, the impending transgender ban will be implemented by Pete Hegseth, who has a demonstrated history of sexual assault, serial infidelity, alcohol abuse, misogyny, and Islamophobia. And let’s not forget about the Commander-in-Chief, who paid off a porn star with whom he had a sexual encounter while the current First Lady was at home with the infant Trump, and who lost a civil defamation case in which the jury found Trump had sexually abused E. Jean Carroll.

List of companies rolling back DEI initiatives

Axios has published a list of companies that have rolled back DEI initiatives. Axios also identifies companies that have recently re-affirmed their commitment to diversity and inclusion. See Axios, Which companies are rolling back DEI and which are standing firm

The companies that took the first opportunity to ditch their commitment to diversity and inclusiveness in the workplace include the following:

Amazon

Boeing

Caterpillar

Ford

Harley-Davidson

John Deere

Lowe’s

Coors

McDonald’s

Meta

Nissan

Stanley Black & Decker

Target

Tractor Supply

Toyota

Walmart

Companies that have publicly defended the existing commitment to DEI include:

American Airlines

Southwest Airlines

United Airlines

Delta Airlines

Apple

Cisco

Costco

Salesforce

Now you know. While it is impossible to boycott all of the companies that have turned their backs on DEI, strategic communications can make a difference. And don’t forget to thank the companies that are honoring diversity and inclusion in the workplace.

Concluding Thoughts

Trump's order freezing all federal grants and loans raises an existential question for our constitutional republic. Under Trump's theory of the case, Congress appropriates funds, and then Trump can spend the money however he pleases without regard to the painstaking budgeting process undertaken by Congress.

In the enumeration of congressional powers in Article I, the Constitution states:

No Money shall be drawn from the Treasury, but in Consequence of Appropriations made by Law

The Constitution thus grants Congress the power to appropriate money. Trump wants to arrogate that power unto himself by declaring that he can withhold money appropriated by Congress and—this is implied—use that money for some other purpose.

If the Supreme Court were to accept Trump's theory, it would amount to a wholesale restructuring of the Constitution and of our republic.

Here’s my point: Trump's claim that he has the power to override congressional appropriations is like his claim that he can abolish birthright citizenship: It is specious, risible, ridiculous, fatuous, and ignorant. If the Supreme Court were to uphold Trump's claim, the Court would effectively guarantee that it would be neutered at the first opportunity—either by enlargement, term limits, or limitation of its appellate jurisdiction.

For the second time in a week, Trump has overreached so badly that he has essentially ensured that he will lose in the Supreme Court. So, as we endure the chaos that will be created by his nearly incomprehensible order, we should be confident that Trump has gone too far, even for this compromised, corrupt, ethically challenged Supreme Court.

[Robert B. Hubbell Newsletter]

#Robert B. Hubbell #Robert B. Hubbell Newsletter #DEI #executive orders #the US Constitution #congress #money appropriated by Congress #SCOTUS #authoritarianism #totalitarian #liberty #tyranny

22 notes · View notes

ear-worthy · 1 year ago

Text

Check Out These Substack Podcast Newsletters For Podcasters & Listeners

As the podcasting industry has grown in popularity, so have the resources dedicated to keeping listeners and superfans informed.

Substack has been a key resource for podcast information, news, industry updates, reviews, and trends. Indeed, there are several "go-to" resources for those interested in podcasting or podcast listening.

If you are interested in becoming a podcaster, or a better podcaster, Substack has a host of resources for you. And, if you are a passionate listener of podcasts and are always on the hunt for a new show, Substack has you covered with some excellent newsletters on podcast reviews and recommendations.

Check out these Substack podcast resources.

**********************************************

Samantha Hodder's Substack newsletter Bingeworthy is the mother ship for narrative podcast opinion, review, trends, and analysis. Hodder began the newsletter in September 2022 and has already amassed an impressive following. You can subscribe to Bingeworthyhere.Bingeworthy is a listener-supported newsletter.

Samantha is an award-winning audio producer and writer. She has been making media across multiple formats for over two decades. She publishes regularly on Mediumand on Substack. Her narrative storytelling podcast This is Our Time launched in 2017.

Here's how Hodder explained Bingeworthy: "Everyone knows that pickleball is not tennis, and it’s not badminton. Even if you’ve never played pickleball, you know not to bring a badminton racquet to that game. That’s because you know pickleball is its own sport, with its own rules…ones that are both similar and different to its neighboring sports.

"I want the same thing for podcasts. But I want Bingeworthy to help us see narrative podcasts as their own thing. Not chatcasts. Not celeb gossip. Not short news segments. Narrative podcasts, or narrative audio, or narrative storytelling…whatever you want to call it…is its own thing."

****************************************************

Joe Casabona is a podcast systems coach who helps busy solopreneurs take back their time. Some even say he perfectly blends content creation and technology like it’s the best cup of coffee you’ve ever had (he says that). Joe is also the host of the Podcast Workflows podcast. Podcasting has many masters, but few true gurus. Joe is one of them.

His podcast, Podcast Workflows, is recommended listening for any aspirational podcaster.

Joe says: "I started this Substack to provide insights into how to improve your podcast systems and workflows — allowing you to create and grow a high quality podcast by showing you how to best spend your limited time.

Joe shares: "Recently, I was asked how I can run my business, produce 3+ podcasts, and raise 3 kids (we welcomed our 3rd in December 2021). It’s all thanks to my workflows. I save 12 hours per week because of how much I took off my plate. Of-course, I know that what I did then may not work now. That's why I started Podcast Workflows. So I can see what works now."

You'll get deep dives into how popular podcasters create their shows, industry news, experiments, and tutorials about automations, tools, and productivity.

Recently, Joe has renamed his Substack and created an exciting new logo. Stay tuned.

********************************************

If you're looking to be a better podcaster, but you don't have time to go through hours and hours of advice, Be a Better Podcaster is for you. As a complementary publication to the popular One Minute Podcast Tips podcast, this newsletter brings you tips you can use on your podcast, with advice on improving your recording, editing, publishing, sharing, growing, networking, and more.

This includes what hardware and software you should use, and how they'll help you and your show, no matter where you are in your podcasting journey. And if you want more specific tips just for you and your podcast, check out the Magic Mic Membership on the Substack site.

One Minute Podcast Tips is designed for people who want to be better podcasters. Considering that millions are either podcasting now or have tried their hand at podcasting, that's a potentially large and motivated audience.

Host Danny Brown makes good on his promise to help people "be a better podcaster in just a minute a week."

Brown is the Head of Podcaster Support and Experience at Captivate.fm, "the world's only growth-oriented podcast hosting, distribution, analytics, and monetization platform for the serious indie podcaster."

Check out One Minute Podcast Tips for expert help with your podcast.

Danny Brown is one of the most knowledgeable people in the field. Plus, he's from Canada, where podcasting is booming.

*****************************************************

If you're interested in podcasting in Canada, be sure to check out the Pod The North Substack newsletter by Kattie Laur.

Pod the North is a free, biweekly newsletter aimed at uplifting the Canadian podcast ecosystem and fostering community. In each issue, you’ll find ecosystem commentary (to keep you in the loop), podcast recommendations, opportunities for your podcast ($$$ and notoriety!), and digestible interviews with Canadian podcasters who you need to know about.

Kattie Laur is an Award-Winning Freelance Podcast Producer, Consultant, and Writer based in the Greater Toronto Area. Last October, Kattie hosted a live anniversary celebration of Pod the North in Toronto. I'm sure there'll be more live events to come.

You can reach Kattie: @Podkatt (Twitter, Spotify, and Goodpods) | @ PodtheNorth (Bluesky)

****************************************************

Podcast Marketing Magic is your podcast marketing concierge. The folks at Tink Media "make podcast marketing relatable, digestible, and accessible for podcasters at any stage of creation. Oh, and for making it super fun, too!"

This newsletter was started by Tink Media founder Lauren Passell and has grown to include the voices of Shreya Sharma, writer of

Audio Currents and Shreya’s Audio Affairs, and Devin Andrade, writer of Podstack. Shreya and Devin are podcast marketers at Tink Media and support the editorial production of Podcast Marketing Magic.

One of the most esteemed podcast journalists is also part of the team, and that's Wil Williams.

***********************************************

Into The Podverse by Tony Doe is "your gateway to the dynamic world of podcasts with a uniquely African perspective." Formerly known as "Podcast Related: This Week In The Podverse," they have rebranded to create a unified brand that encapsulates the essence of who we are and what we bring to your podcasting experience.

Into The Podverse delves into the latest releases, industry news, and emerging trends, offering a comprehensive view that reflects the richness of the podcasting world from a Nigerian and African standpoint. Its mission is to be your go-to destination for podcasting insights. Whether you're a podcaster looking to stay ahead of trends, an industry professional seeking valuable perspective, or someone simply curious about the diverse and exciting African podcast landscape, Into The Podverse with Tony Doe has you covered.

Tony Doe is a Radio and Podcast Consultant with international experience and extensive media knowledge.

You can subscribe here.

*******************************************************

BlkPodNews is the official newsletter of the Black Podcasters Association. Its mission is to provide informative news and resources to Black podcast creatives and professionals, connecting them to industry-related news, events, educational resources, and more - all from a Black perspective.

Their goal is to become the go-to source for the latest information and insights from the Black creatives and professionals within the podcast industry.

The Black Podcasters Association ensures that its members are prepared to capitalize on the early growth and momentum of the podcasting industry as it continues to evolve.

They are looking for contributors and content submissions to our newsletter. Contact them at [email protected] to apply.

*******************************************************

The Podcast Critic Newsletter -- Great Pods by Captain Ron is billed, quite accurately, as "the Rotten Tomatoes for podcasts." With Captain Ron at the helm, you'll get weekly podcast recommendations from professional critic reviews.

Captain Ron says: "Finding podcast recommendations can be difficult. Great Pods is making it easier with one Critic review at a time"

Great Pods features weekly podcast recommendations from:

Critic Reviews and Ratings

Occasional Top Lists from various publications

Our journey as a podcast resource startup

Podcasts w/ reviews that were just added to the site

Coming Soon trailers

They are a team with over 10 years of experience in the audio/podcast industry. Their ecosystem includes this newsletter and greatpods.co (if you don’t want to wait for the newsletter recs!)! Captain Ron encourages you to take a look and send them feedback and suggestions.

**********************************************

The Johnny Podcasts Newsletter offers insights about podcasting, content, production from a podcast producer who "has actually done shit."

Johnny's proposition to his subscribers is simple: "Every Monday Morning. One Email. Only about podcasting." Johnny says: "I write something interesting about the world of podcasting. These could be tips on improving your audio, how to improve as a host, or something relevant going on in the culture, and its impact on podcasting." Johnny also shares some short thoughts on one news story that happened recently that affects the podcast industry and share a link so you can read it, too. They're usually short, and Johnny is proud to proclaim that "I am very picky with what I deem as valuable to your time." Johnny also posts content to his YouTube channel, to help subscribers be a better podcaster.

*******************************************************

There are many more Substack newsletters about podcasting worthy of your time, such as the superb Podcasts Recapped, and there are many more in their startup phase. You can access them here.

Substack has just announced a package of upgrades to empower the next generation of podcast and video shows on Substack.

Substack podcasters can now sync and distribute all their free and paid episodes to Spotify. This highly requested feature makes a podcast instantly available and discoverable via the Spotify network, making it easier than ever to reach and monetize your audience.

I would make Ear Worthy into a podcast, but I've been told that I have the voice of Lina Lamont, the silent-film actress in Singing In The Rain, whose voice sounds like nails on a chalkboard. Even the webcam on my laptop won't turn on because it doesn't care for the image in front of its lens.

#podcast #podcasting #newsletters #substack

0 notes

solatgif · 2 years ago

Text

TGIF: Roundup for April 7, 2023

Happy Easter! In case you missed it, check out our series of devotions for the season on Substack.

We published 4 new articles this week: The “Model Minority” Myth in the Asian American Church by Andrew Lee, 5 Lessons from the Japanese American Internment by Tom Sugimura, Good Grief by Linda Kim, and “Church History” for Kids and Adults: A Book Review.

This newsletter is one of the many ways you can keep in touch with us. Find us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. For more, check out my Asian American Worship Leaders Facebook group and TGIF Playlist on Spotify. You can reach me on Twitter and Instagram.

Aaron Lee, Editorial Curator

Enter to win these excellent books! Reviews are in the section below. Thanks to The Good Book Company and Robert J. Nash for providing these books for our giveaway, in partnership with my newsletters for @diveindigdeep and FCBC Walnut.

Articles From Around The Web

Heidi Wong: Gods and Gangsters

“Instead of gearing up for the next battle in the culture war, the church must first be willing to abandon the superfluous nature of its mansion in order to be set free from shackles that blind it.”

Samuel Lee: These 3 Japanese Christian Women Changed Their Country

“Meet an early evangelist, an education reformer, and a preacher who held Bible studies with the royal family.”

Daniel Jung: Narco Saints’ Drug-Dealing Pastor

“The Netflix series works as both crime drama and critique of Korean megachurch culture.”

The SOLA College Writing Cohort is our new writing cohort for college-age students to receive mentorship and training as young Christian writers. Editorial Board member Soojin Park will personally be leading this initiative, and she is very excited at the prospect of nurturing the next generation of Asian American thinkers and writers who will help encourage and edify the Church!

Books, Podcasts, Music, And More

TGC Front Row Seat Podcast: Moving to a New Place with Irene Sun

Kristen Wetherell and Kari Olson invite Irene Sun to discuss the challenges and joys of moving to a new place as a pastor’s wife. Irene shares her story of moving from Chicago to Pittsburgh, how prayer was her lifeline through every transition, and the importance of giving thanks to the Lord when we’re in a foreign land.

Gateway Chapel: Hanley Liu

Pastor Hanley reminds us of our deep need for living water that truly satisfies our souls – that all of humanity is in need of this living water. When Jesus was cut off from the living water on the cross, he made a way so that all who trust in him will never thirst again.

Aaron Lee: Related Works

Book Reviews: Wherever You Go, I Want You to Know… (Keepsake Edition) by Melissa B. Kruger, Say the Right Thing by Carolyn Lacey, God’s Not Done with You by John Meador, Words of the Resurrected by Robert J. Nash. Listen to our TGIF playlist on Spotify. Join my Asian American Worship Leaders Facebook group.

Check out the new edition of our SOLA Network Magazine! Download it for free and share it with your friends as a great way to be introduced to the work we do at SOLA Network.

Featured This Week On SOLA Network

Aaron Lee: “Church History” for Kids and Adults: A Book Review

“How did we get from the Great Commission to the modern church today? In Church History, Simonetta Carr presents the important people, places, and events of church history.”

Linda Kim: Good Grief

“When waves of grief wash over me in unexpected ways, I am letting the tears flow. I am inviting them in and allowing myself to sit in the grief because it helps me to know that Jesus sits with me.”

Tom Sugimura: 5 Lessons from the Japanese American Internment

“Although the mass evacuation and incarceration of Japanese Americans were neither right nor wise, the experience nevertheless enriched the church’s spiritual life as nothing else could have. Consider lessons the church today can learn as we minister to fellow believers who similarly face adversity.”

Andrew Lee: The “Model Minority” Myth in the Asian American Church

“Asian Americans continue to live in the liminal space of the margins. This is not to say Asian Americans have not gained that much in both secular and religious life. However, as the ‘model minority,’ we remain on the outside, looking to the majority for guidance and direction in matters of church and faith.”

TGIF: Roundup for March 31, 2023

Judgment for Pastors: How Shepherds Prepare to Meet Jesus / Resisting the Impulse of Self-Optimization / Chinese Christians Adapt Under New Restrictions / On the CROSS Conference / How God’s Daughters Can Create for His Glory

General disclaimer: Our link roundups are not endorsements of the positions or lives of the authors.

0 notes

mariacallous · 3 years ago

Text

As they worked on the second edition of What is Europe? (Routledge, 2022), Anna Triandafyllidou and Ruby Gropas admit that they struggled to keep up. The problem wasn't just the pace of change since 2015 in the EU - the resolution of the Greek and onset of the refugee crisis, Brexit, pandemic and war - but what each of these did to the concept of "Europe" itself.

In their history and sociology of an idea, Triandafyllidou and Gropas find that 'Europe' "takes different shapes and meanings depending on the realm of life on which it is applied and the historical period that we are looking at".

Anna Triandafyllidou is a sociologist and recently appointed Canada Excellence Research Chair in Migration and Integration at Toronto Metropolitan University who previously taught at the University of Surrey, the London School of Economics, Rome, Florence and Thrace.

Ruby Gropas leads the social market economy team within the European Commission president’s advisory service and, before that, led the social affairs team at the commission’s in-house think-tank. She is a visiting professor at the College of Europe in Bruges and is on leave of absence from the University of Thrace.

This Open Access book can be downloaded here.

*Triandafyllidou's book recommendations are: My Name Is Europe by Gazmend Kapllani (Ekdotikos Oikos A. A. Livani, 2010) and Europe and the Other and Europe as the Other by Bo Stråth (Presses Interuniversitaires Europeennes, 2010).

Tim Gwynn Jones is an economic and political-risk analyst at Medley Advisors and writes the Twenty-Four Two newsletter on Substack.

0 notes

the-connection · 7 years ago

Link

One of the few things individuals settle on in 2018 is that the news market is broken. The old service designs wear’ t work . Audiences feel underserved and overloaded: According to a current Pew Research Center study , 7 in 10 Americans state they are tired by the news. The agreement stops with the medical diagnosis, though; when it concerns recommending a treatment, everybody has various concepts.

To Judd Legum, editorial director and creator of left-leaning political news site ThinkProgress , the 2 greatest issues are advertisements and social networks. Digital advertisements aren' 27; t sustainable as an organisation design for online publications and they develop rewards for clickbait and other poor-quality journalism. Social network is a firehouse of details and leave outlets and readers alike at the impulse of algorithms . This is specifically uneasy to Legum today, provided the upcoming midterm elections and the requirement for citizens to be notified on the concerns.

“ People have to make more deliberate options and to restore power over exactly what news they check out, ” states Legum. “ There 27; s something essentially broken about news shipment as a procedure. The power is too focused. I’ ve felt increasingly more highly that I wished to begin something brand-new that might prevent the system.”

Today, Legum is signing up with a little however growing group of readers and reporters who believe one method to repair this is through a great old-fashioned e-mail newsletter. And he is going all in. After 13 years at the helm of ThinkProgress-- a website that amasses around 10 million special visitors a month--he ’ s leaving the 40-person newsroom he goes to release a paid political newsletter called ""Popular Information"", which he will compose himself. Beginning July 23, Legum will release ""Popular Information" "4 days a week. He states it will be a mix of deep reporting and analysis, concentrated on nationwide concerns with a progressive lens.

The advantages to both reporter and reader of a direct-to-inbox newsletter are clear: there’ s no intermediary in between reader and author, no algorithm choosing exactly what you see and exactly what you wear’ t. And it ’ s a relationship developed on trust-- something that the media has to reconstruct with Americans after years of decreasing popular opinion . Readers clearly decide into get newsletters, with the expectation that they will provide something of worth. “ It ’ s intimate to come into someone ’ s inbox every day. Email is a more intimate medium than simply releasing online, ” states Jay Rosen, teacher of journalism at NYU’ s Arthur L Carter Journalism Institute.

27; People have to make more deliberate options and to gain back power over exactly what news they check out. 27;

Judd Legum

That ’ s part of exactly what is so attractive to Legum, who showed up as a blog writer in the early aughts, when devoted readers went to and typically discussed their preferred blog sites every day. When social networks rendered that habits outdated, Twitter ended up being the location for readers and authors to have a direct relationship, however that presents a host of brand-new issues.

“ Twitter is extremely ephemeral, ” Legum states, including that the majority of exactly what he tweets remains in response to something instant. “ What I ’ m attempting to finish with the newsletter is offer some point of view and company for individuals who may have a genuine task throughout the day. This is for individuals who are feeling overwhelmed.”

And he ’ s hoping an excellent variety of his readers will spend for that "curation."Popular Information"will be complimentary for everybody for the very first 6 to 8 weeks in order to acquire an audience; after that, the Monday edition will be totally free, and the other 3 days available just to paying members. Thankfully, the overhead will be low. Legum will work out of his studio apartment in Washington DC and has actually adequate cash conserved to live off for a little while he develops his customer base.

“ There 27; s a hustle to it, ” states Legum. If he is successful, he may broaden ""Popular Information" "to have a personnel bigger than one. Even if he does there are drawbacks to the paid design: expense of entry makes details unattainable to some.

“ All the idealism of journalism is that you can gear up the general public with info so that it understands exactly what’ s going on in its world. There is a component of all membership items that is in a sense anti-public, ” Rosen states.

It 27; s a stress that beleaguers any paywall, and it ’ s something Legum has actually thought about. The name of his newsletter originates from a line James Madison composed in a letter in 1822: “ A popular Government, without popular info, or the methods of obtaining it, is however a Prologue to a catastrophe or a farce; or, maybe both. ” To make"Popular Information" as available as possible, Legum prepares to keep the membership expense low. He hasn’ t chose precisely how much yet, it’ ll be less than $10 a month.

Newsletters have actually long been a method for media outlets to straight reach their audiences, free of charge or for a rate. Why doesn’ t Legum simply release"Popular Information"as part of ThinkProgress?

“ ThinkProgress is a full-time task. We produce about 25 pieces each day and have 3 lots staffers. In my view, I wear' 27; t have time to do this and my existing task. I have to have the ability to focus my attention on this so I can do it right, ” he states. Believe Progress handling editor Tara Culp-Ressler will take control of his responsibilities up until a brand-new EIC can be discovered. She informed WIRED in a declaration: “ The ThinkProgress group is grateful for the newsroom that Judd developed. Clearly we’ re unfortunate to see him go, however we’ re delighted to enjoy his next chapter unfold.”

Legum ’ s likewise prepared for something brand-new, and sees a lack of inexpensive, top quality newsletters concentrated on politics for a basic audience, even as newsletter-first publications have actually removed.

In current years some have actually acquired enormous audiences, like Gwyneth Paltrow’ s Goop , which has actually changed into a way of life brand name, or The Skimm, which aggregates news from throughout this year and the web raised $12 million from the similarity Google. The design Legum prepares to follow most carefully originates from tech expert Ben Thompson, whose everyday newsletter Stratechery costs $10 a month or $100 a year, and is needed reading for lots of people thinking about tech.

But the greatest political newsletters today originated from wire service like Axios and Politico . Legum keeps in mind that Axios ’ early morning and night newsletters are sponsored by Wall Street-- Goldman Sachs, Bank of America. Politico’ s Pro membership, that includes a lot more than newsletters, is so pricey that even with just 20,000 customers it represented half the business’ s income in 2017 ; at the time, a five-person membership began at $8,000 a year. Its totally free newsletter, Playbook, outgrows that expert viewpoint, in Legum' 27; s viewpoint, dealing with politics like a viewer sport for elites instead of something that impacts individuals’ s lives. He hopes by using something without business cash, paid rather in percentages by private stakeholders who wish to read exactly what he needs to state, that ""Popular Information" "will function as an overview of politics that matter.

The other thing Legum' 27; s depending on to pull this off is a structured back-end. Whereas Thompson, who released Stratechery in 2014, needed to patch together the methods to produce his newsletter himself, Legum has Substack, a start-up established in 2015 by Hamish McKenzie, a previous reporter, and Chris Best and Jairaj Sethi, both previously of messaging app Kik. Early on, they talked to Thompson and other newsletter manufacturers and recall hearing over and over that half of their time was invested restoring memberships and handling the newsletter.

Substack handle all that, taking payments, dispersing the newsletter to individuals’ s inboxes, restoring memberships, and making certain whatever works technically. In exchange, it takes a 10 percent cut for newsletters that charge customers (for everybody else, publishing is complimentary while the service remains in beta).

“ We were considering how bad rewards for online marketing have actually sort of broken the media, ” states Best, Substack 27; s CEO. “ They incentivize clickbait and inexpensive outrage in such a way that' 27; s disappointing for everyone. We' 27; re captured in this bad balance where everyone needs to compose clickbait things.”

Substack finished from YCombinator last winter season and has actually raised$ 2 million in financing. Previously today, Best and McKenzie informed Nieman Lab that throughout its numerous existing newsletters it has actually struck 11,000 paid customers, who are paying approximately simply under $80 a year. And around 40 newsletter developers are making exactly what Best and McKenzie informed Nieman Lab was “ significant cash ”-- though “ significant ” can indicate various things to various individuals.

“ I #x &put on 27; t truly have any expectations on loan other than I' 27; m going to put my complete effort into this and see exactly what I can make from it, ” Legum states. “ Whether I prosper or not I believe depends upon whether it winds up readying.”

One obstacle dealing with Legum, and other newsletter developer, is that eventually individuals will strike a limitation on the number of newsletters they wish to get and want to spend for. ""Popular Information" "will be contending for your cash with all other paid publications, like papers and sites like WIRED, which has a paywall. In the meantime, Legum hopes he' 27; s getting in to the political newsletter video game at a time when individuals are starving for thorough details, and thinking about getting it from somebody who doesn' 27; t have a business sponsor. He likewise has the advantage of a devoted readership at ThinkProgress who he hopes will register, trustworthiness working in and covering politics for 15 years, and 280,000 Twitter fans.

As Rosen notes, the very first difficulty to a company design like this is to obtain anybody to register. Having actually a currently developed audience definitely assists. Far Substack’ s greatest hits are composed by popular authors such as Rolling Stone& rsquo; s Matt Taibbi and Slate’ s Daniel Ortberg. Taibbi has actually coordinated with a confidential drug-dealing buddy to compose a imaginary operate in newsletter installations, and Ortberg composes an eccentric humor newsletter called the ""Shatner Chatner"" "."Popular Information" "will be the very first political dispatch for the business.

And though Legum will be a bit hectic in the months and weeks to come, he assures to keep tweeting.