I initially scoffed when the media prominently reported on Taylor Swift’s endorsement of Kamala Harris, as if it was a serious political event worthy of major coverage. I scoff no more. The Globe has convincing local voter registration numbers that show Swift has serious clout…

It’s sad and depressing to read this NYT piece about the growing alarm abroad over the future of American democracy. … 

Update – And they’re worried up north in Canada, too.

Dan Kennedy has a disturbing post on the extremist Libertarian Party of New Hampshire and its recent gross tweet: “Anyone who murders Kamala Harris would be an American hero.” … A spokesman for the group told the Globe that the organization “believes that the journalists at the Boston Globe are as evil as rapists or murderers.” Wow. I’m embarrassed I didn’t see these stories sooner …

Combined with the latest attempted assassination of Donald Trump and the arrest of neo-Nazis who had prepared an assassination “hit list” that included former U.S. Attorney Rachael Rollins, Kennedy concludes: “We are living through a terrifying moment, and it’s not going to end on Election Day.” 

Btw: I think the NH Libertarian incident proves Jeff Jacoby’s recent hunch was obviously correct: Hard-core MAGA supporters have taken over the Libertarian Party in general. It’s certainly not the same party that featured Gary Johnson of New Mexico and Bill Weld of Massachusetts at the top of its ticket in 2016.

His Teamsters are balking at endorsing Harris. … One apparent complaint against Harris among rank-and-file Teamsters: immigration.  O’Brien, who somewhat infamously spoke at the RNC this past summer, said an endorsement decision, one way or the other, could come by tomorrow.

Update – O’Brien has gone the non-endorsement route. And, make no mistake, that’s a plus for Trump, not Harris. Very disappointing.

The BBJ has the scoop. …

Boston’s Juliet Kayyem is outraged by the latest assassination attempt. … It’s time the Biden administration ups the security surrounding Trump to presidential, or at least vice presidential,  levels. … Besides the obvious holes in security and the impact of the assassination attempt on the body politic, I’m concerned about conspiracy theories that unfairly tie the Ukrainian government to this. It’s going to happen, you just know it, fanned by Russia. … 

Update – Trump should be outraged. But not this type of outraged. His remarks are totally irresponsible.

This is a great explainer piece about how so many Haitian immigrants ended up in Springfield, Ohio. It’s a mostly just-the-facts-ma’am type of story by the NYT, setting aside the odious non-factual claims by Donald Trump et gang that Haitian immigrants are feasting on family pets in Springfield. If you’re looking for reporting that confirms all of your ideological prejudices, left or right, you’ll find the piece a little uncomfortable at times. For instance:

— It was private employers who hired thousands of Haitians and encouraged them to spread the word within Haitian immigrant circles about available jobs in Springfield, Ohio. I think it’s very safe to say that in Ohio, more than a few of those employers are rock-solid Republicans. In general, employers are playing a huge under-reported role in the nation’s immigration saga, a role Trump supporters conveniently don’t mention much.

— Springfield, with a population of less than 50,000, has seen an influx of 12,000 to 20,000 Haitians of late. This is far more than the “thousands” suggested in prior MSM stories. It’s simply a crushing, overwhelming number that would freak out officials in any town in the U.S., not just Springfield. (Picture the influx happening in Brookline, Mass. Can you imagine the uproar?)  

— The article clearly shows that jobs and affordable housing attracted Haitians to Springfield, making them classic immigrants pursuing the American Dream. But they’re also immigrants, unlike generations past, who are entitled by law, via the Temporary Protected Status statute, to all government services and benefits, from health-care to food stamps to schooling for their children. This is mostly what’s overwhelming town resources. 

— The article notes that “most” Haitians in Springfield are there legally. But that begs the questions: 1.) what percentage are not there legally?  2.) how many arrived illegally but were later declared legal via Biden administration fiat under TPS?  

Fyi: Scott Van Voorhis has a good post on this general issue (see “Will history repeat itself? Mainstream media and progressives underestimate the voters anger and anxiety over illegal immigration”). But with their racist tropes about immigrants chowing down on Fido and other family pets, Trump et gang have clearly crossed a line (yet again).

Northeastern’s empire, which already encompasses London, New York, Oakland and other satellite locations, keeps expanding. The BBJ has the details. …

Massachusetts State Police’s training academy is once again the center of controversy. The agency — which over the years has been accused of running overly harsh and at times crude training programs that have clearly contributed to record high dropout rates – has announced that State Police trainee Enrique Delgado-Garcia died after suffering a “medical crisis during a defensive tactics training and became unresponsive,” according to a report at NBC Boston.

But then there’s this: “Delgado’s family said their loved one suffered a broken neck, missing teeth and severe brain damage and are now demanding accountability as well as an explanations to what went on inside the walls of the academy.” An unnamed friend is quoted by NBC as saying: “I’m ashamed of MSP, and I feel like they need to thoroughly investigate this and justice needs to be brought because its not okay how they’re treating these troops.”  

So … here we go again? The Healey administration needs to get to the bottom of this. … I’ve previously argued (scroll down to June 26) that maybe, just maybe, the State Police’s long and sad history of scandal after scandal just might be tied to who and how they hire. As I wrote in June: “The bottom line: the agency has prioritized brawn over brains for years, no matter how much they deny that’s the case.”

Update – The ‘defensive tactics training’ cited by the State Police was actually a required boxing exercise, CBS reports.

Doesn’t Laura Loomer remind you of Melisandre in Game of Thrones? … The resemblances are striking (in appearance and in roles). … And if that isn’t a meme-worthy comparison, I don’t know what is. 

Update – Others are seeing the same eerie resemblances.