Nepo pardons + global government meltdowns
Also, the Hot Tip 2024 TV and movie guide
Welcome back to Hot Tip, a newsletter with over 500 (!!!) subscribers as of this week. A most sincere thanks to everyone for reading — I’m so glad my enthusiasm for things (politics, news, TV, the perfect pie) appears to be contagious.
I rewatched Princess Diaries 2 this week, and not only does it (mostly) hold up, it’s a feminist treasure about a young princess who ultimately convinces a parliament full of men she doesn’t in fact need to be married to be queen, all while Chris Pine is staring at her like this:
Joe pardons Hunter. President Biden officially pardoned his only living son (who was facing imminent sentencing on gun and tax-related charges) after losing two of his other children in horrifically devastating ways and you know what, I get it. Dems and Republicans (common ground, cute) are hung up on the fact that Biden said repeatedly that he wouldn’t pardon Hunter, and I’m not saying it’s a good look, but not much coming out of America right now is.
Except this look. This look rocks.
Of course, the bigger question is: Who else — if anyone — will he pardon? Trump has outright said he’s going to come after political enemies, whether that’s Liz Cheney or Anthony Fauci or Adam (Shifty) Schiff — not one of Trump’s better nicknames, then again, “Little Marco” is going to be Secretary of State.
Biden has issued a record low number of pardons. What about people in federal prison for nonviolent offenses or prisoners on death row who may have been wrongly convicted? FDR pardoned almost 4,000 people. Someone get Joe a list of names, a pen, and a really big bowl of ice cream, STAT.
Hot tip/my personal opinion: Anyone clutching their pearls about this pardon and what it means for democratic norms needs to get over it. That ship has sailed, babes. We’ve got a 34-count convicted felon about to be president after failing to overthrow the government and stealing a bathroom full of classified documents four years ago. This is the wild west, now. Joe Biden should pre-pardon every American who can’t get the Coexist bumper sticker off their Prius, as far as I’m concerned. I’ll take a preemptive pardon, too, given what I intend to spend the next four (eight? twelve? infinity?) years saying.
Nepo appointments. Speaking of pardons and democratic norms — Charles Kushner (father of Jared) who was pardoned four years ago by Trump for his own financial crimes has been tapped for ambassador to France! Non way! And Trump also named his other daughter Tiffany’s father-in-law an adviser on Arab and Middle Eastern affairs. Hot tip: You can try to trick your brother-in-law into sleeping with a prostitute on camera as blackmail— Kushner ultimately failed, but did actually try this — and still move to Paris on the US taxpayers’ dime someday.
Elsewhere…Americans aren’t the only ones who need be embarrassed by our government, though. The President of South Korea is facing impeachment after declaring martial law and then un-declaring it a few hours later, and France’s government collapsed with its prime minister ousted after just three months by their French version of Trump on Wednesday. As a human being, I’m deeply concerned about the chaos in the world right now. But as a writer—
Live from New York. The current New York Magazine cover(s) — there are five of them — feature dozens of former and current SNL cast members + bigtime hosts in honor of the show’s 50th anniversary and I simply cannot pick a favorite (though there are a few people for which I would have perhaps gone with a back cover…)
Cabinet shit. A New Yorker piece this week explored the not-very-distant past of embattled Defense Secretary nominee Pete Hegseth (who, as a reminder, is completely unqualified, a misogynist, and his own mom hates him too.) His confirmation is getting less and less likely by the second, and same goes for Kash Patel, Trump’s “deep state”-obsessed, QAnon-defending FBI pick who in all likelihood would not pass an FBI background check. I simply don’t see this nomination going through because America has to pretend to be a normal country, but if you want to read about how insane he is, be my guest.
RFK Jr. sold bottled water with double the recommended amount of fluoride in 1999, and this week his wife Cheryl Hines shilled for her own candle company while he showered behind her in an undisclosed amount of fluoridated water.
Frontier is leaving Spirit behind and adding first class seats. California is ditching “sell by” dates on food, which isn’t as gross as it sounds. Android and iPhone users shouldn’t text each other because it’s not secure — but should, of course, continue to shame each other.
Gift tip: You should fill out Penguin Publishing Group’s Penguin Hotline (for friends, or for yourself!) You answer a few short questions and get a ton of thoughtful, personalized book recs.
And now, the first of many (Several? Two? We’ll see.) end-of-year Hot Tip guides, designed not to tell you what was most popular this year, but maybe just what you missed and is worth your time! The sun is setting at 5, what else do you have to do at night, anyway?
That’s it for this week, dear pals! Reminder to share and subscribe and sign up your family members who perhaps need an alternative news source other than what their neighbor posts on Facebook Marketplace (FREE TABLE! ALSO, BARACK OBAMA RUNNING GOVERNMENT IN SECRET.)
love u,
alex