Trump’s Not Joking About It, and It’s Not Funny

It's about time that everyone, even Objective Journalists, got a handle on what this election represents. If you have trouble reading this message, view it in a browser.       Because This Is Happening in America, America Pretends It Isn't Happening   In the United States on Sunday, the leader of the ruling regime once again signaled his intent to violate the nation's Constitution and stay in office for more than the legally mandated two terms. President Donald J. Trump, who assumed the office in 2017 despite garnering fewer citizens' votes than his opponent, suggested yet again that he will seek to serve more than four more years in office if re-elected. In the same public address, the North American strongman sounded his support for the extrajudicial execution of certain undesirables, making common cause with his counterparts around the world like Rodrigo Duterte of the Philippines. That is the story you might read if this was happening in another country. But because it's happening in The World's Greatest Democracy, we all must pretend it isn't really happening—or that Donald Trump, a man who does not genuinely laugh except when asked about whether racial inequality exists, is "joking" about serving more than one more term. Politics Editor Jack Holmes, on why this is not a joke—and why we may soon regret not taking it more seriously. Read More           Ed Markey: 'It's Time to Ask What Your Country Can Do For You. Because It's 1933, Not 1960.'   Ed Markey was one of the first voices in support of net neutrality and, last year, carried the ball for the Green New Deal in the Senate while Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez pushed for it in the House. Also, more or less, Ed Markey is the first man to beat a Kennedy in a Democratic primary in Massachusetts.This week, as he was driving back from Washington through a driving rainstorm, Charles P. Pierce spoke with Markey about the Green New Deal, his work with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and his victory over Joe Kennedy in the Massachusetts Democratic Senate primary. "With all due respect," he tells Pierce, "it's time to start asking what your country can do for you." Read More           Wearing a Turtleneck Is the Pro Style Move Every Guy Can Master. Here Are 16 of the Best.   If you're in the market for a new go-to sweater, there's no good reason not to make it a turtleneck. There are plenty of styles to go around. And if the statement sweater isn't your thing, there are lots of not-so-basic options in a classic merino wool or, hell, if you're really trying to unwind, a brushed cotton as soft as your favorite tee. Looking for a chunky cable number, or a sleek, form-fitting joint you're going to rock with some high-waisted pants and a Cuban heeled boot? (Great call, by the way.) Say less. Here are 16 of the best turtlenecks available right now. Read More           The 15 Denim Brands Every Guy Should Know Right Now   If you're reading this, chances are you already own more than a few pairs of trusty jeans. Denim remains one of the USA's most prominent cultural exports, still strongly associated with a specific, idealized image of American style in the global popular imagination. By now, the rough outline of the blue jean's origin story, befitting its status as an all-American hero, is fairly well-known: enterprising immigrant recognizes the need for a sturdy pair of rivet-reinforced pants and partners with another entrepreneurial spirit to patent the design, expand production, and bring the blue jean to the American masses. The rest, as they say, is history.Today, even in a post-pandemic WFH world, jeans aren't just a last resort to throw on when your sweatpants are dirty: For many, many people, they're a way of life. If you're in the market for a new pair, here are the brands you should check out first. Read More           All the Virtual Pandemic Sports Fans, Ranked   Someday, when this is all over—cotton masks shoved away, untouched, in the back of your sock drawer—we'll look back at this moment in American sports. And we'll say what the f*ck. The NBA plays its games within miles of It's a Small World. The MLB is one big game of catch the coronavirus. The NFL expanded its rosters so that teams can inevitably funnel in healthy players to replace the sick ones. The NCAA is waging a legitimate civil war, college football one giant free-for-all where schools are playing whatever teams are left standing and willing to risk it. Even stranger? We'll look at the photography, too, and see stuffed animals in the stands of baseball stadiums, babies and dogs goofing around in the backdrop of the NBA playoffs, and the Phillie Phanatic trying to rally an Amazon packing facility's worth of cardboard to do the wave. While the state of the world is entirely horrifying and cause for mass dissociation, at the very least, we've seen some creative stand-ins for sports fans the past few months. Here's the best and worst of them. Read More           The Grace and Ferocity of Michael Kenneth Williams   New York, it's said, is over, dying or already dead, shortly to sink into the sea. But Michael Kenneth Williams isn't among the growing ranks of NYC pessimists. What would be the point of moving, anyway? The entire country is in crisis—and if he lived in California, he would have wildfires to contend with. To hear him tell it, there's reason to be almost hopeful in the face of coast-to-coast to catastrophe. There's nowhere to run, and we can only plant our feet more firmly in the ground we're standing on. "I go down with this ship," he says. To television viewers, the city that Williams is most closely associated with is Baltimore, the setting of The Wire, the show on which he played Omar Little in a performance so beloved that even President Obama name-dropped it. Now, amidst his standout performance as a 1950s Chicagoan on HBO's Lovecraft Country, Esquire's Gabrielle Bruney spoke with Williams about Black masculinity and why he's never been afraid of being typecast. Read More         Read More on Esquire.com       Follow Us     Unsubscribe  Privacy Notice   esquire.com ©2020 Hearst Communications Inc. All Rights Reserved. Hearst Email Privacy, 300 W 57th St., Fl. 19 (sta 1-1), New York, NY 10019