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Most of my writing is about the Trump administration. In fact, my mandate from Pacific Standard is Trump and the law. On Twitter, the bulk of my recent follower growth and new relationships with others in the politico-legal sphere have come out of responding quickly when the president tweets and engaging the threads of conversation that flow from those tweets.

So when President Donald Trump blocked me in June, apparently for suggesting that Russia influenced the outcome of the 2016 election, he harmed me professionally. Even though I knew @realDonaldTrump was important to my career, it still took me at least a few days to recognize how being blocked by the president on Twitter would affect me as a public intellectual.

Twitter initially became a haven for me when I recognized it as a great equalizer in the media world. Washington DC, generally, and the world of writing and commentary, specifically, operate on networks and connections that many denizens inherit. Mine are hard won.

Not every tweet is a hit, but when I make a point pithily and its liked and retweeted by thousands of people, some of the people who agree with my point or like the way I make it follow me or reach out. And some of those people are editors, experts, and advocates who become employers, contributors, and collaborators.

Gone now is my ability to participate in the timeliest and most robust conversations around law, policy, and politics on Twitterthose around the presidents tweets. Taking part in these exchanges was an ideal way to stay current on not just facts, but new ideas. These threads make up the marketplace of ideas in which my peers and potential employers, colleagues, and audience are present and participating. Ive been forced out and have no meaningful way to rejoin them.

I didnt think being blocked on Twitter was a big deal at first. Its just a button you can click, a way to mute an ex or tune out trolls attacks. But it turns out that when the person who blocks you is the president of the United States, it can matter quite a bit. Every day Im blocked I lose opportunities to advance my views and engage others'literally the reason a reader follows a writers work, the substance a publication pays a writer forin these conversations. I cant fire off a 140-word tweet, create a thread, or share pieces I write to drive discussion within these very conversations . That quick click I thought was so inconsequential is constraining my career in ways I have yet to fully appreciate.

Twitter also brought me to where I am today: Pursuing a lawsuit with others against President Trump for his decision to block us on Twitter. It was because I tweeted about being blocked that I eventually connected with the Knight First Amendment Institute and became involved in the legal effort.

When it comes to Twitter, I thought my fights would be confined to threads and direct messages. It never occurred to me that Id end up in court. I cant say Im glad I have, but I am proud to stand up for the right to free speech, which is essential to not only to individual peopleand entire professionsbut democracy. Each day my appreciation grows for the magnitude of what I am part of. How I respond to being excluded from the presidents Twitter may be more important than anything Ive ever said on Twitter.

Rebecca Buckwalter-Poza is a legal analyst, advocate, and author based in Washington DC.

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Trump Blocked Me on Twitter and It's Costing Me My Career - Fortune

The leaders appeared downright chummy during a joint press conference on Thursday in Paris, mostly skipping by their political differences and focusing on shared priorities like Syria, terrorism and what Macron described as "free and fair trade."

"Thank you for the tour of some of the most incredible buildings anywhere in the world," Trump said as he began his own remarks. "It was a very, very beautiful thing to see."

When asked about Trump's decision to pull the US out of the Paris climate deal, Macron soberly reiterated his own position, but didn't press or attempt to publicly shame his counterpart. The schism on that issue would "absolutely not" prevent France and the US from working together on other matters, he assured, turning kindly in his Trump's direction.

Trump was clearly charmed, echoing Macron's declaration of "friendship" before enthusing at the prospect of a shared dinner later on at the Eiffel Tower. Of the climate deal, he offered: "Something could happen with respect to the Paris accord, we'll see what happens. But we will talk about that over the coming period of time and if it happens, that would be wonderful and if it doesn't that will be OK too."

Perhaps it was all a bit of stagecraft. No one expects Trump to seriously reconsider his position on the climate pact. More instructive here were Macron's machinations. In a country where leaders prove themselves in their dealings with Europe, the new president stands to gain influence at home if he proves capable of influencing Trump where others, like German Chancellor Angela Merkel, could not.

The prospect is less of a stretch than it might seem on paper.

Macron entered office this year under ostensibly different circumstances than Trump. But like the President, he pitched voters on a demolition of the status quo and a French take on Trump's promise to "drain the swamp." Macron also upended the traditional partisan hierarchy in France. Though he served as a minister in his predecessor's French Socialist government, he rules now under the banner of his own centrist party, "En Marche!" Trump, though he came to power as a Republican and governs alongside them, sold himself as a right-wing populist. The fiscal conservatism championed by Republicans like House Speaker Paul Ryan was, at least during the campaign, very much an afterthought.

The parallels and similarities have some fairly strict limits. Trump is a nationalist. Macron is a proud globalist who came to power by routing the far-right nationalist Marine Le Pen. Trump prefers bilateral diplomacy. He cheered Brexit. He wants to share a private dinner, not a microphone with dozens of world leaders. Macron believes in a robust European Union and has been among the President's foremost critics on climate change policy. Temperamentally, they are also opposites. The handshake drama is resonant, to a point, because it provides a neat example of their respective preoccupations with personal power dynamics.

But unlike Trump, who has repeatedly expressed doubts over Russia's meddling in the 2016 US election, Macron has been less circumspect on the question. He earned applause among Democrats when he skewered Russian state-owned media during a joint press conference with Vladimir Putin.

Contrast that with Trump's own meeting with Putin, after which where was no press conference. What exactly was said between Trump and Putin when the American president "pressed" the Russian one on the issue of election meddling, remains the subject of debate between their two camps.

But over the past six weeks, Macron has made waves with a handful of less easily categorized remarks and public observations.

In an address to parliament 10 days ago, he shared plans to bypass lawmakers -- whose ranks he suggesting cutting by a third -- if they slowed or opposed his agenda.

"I want all these deep reforms that our institutions seriously need to be done within a year," he said. "These reforms will go to parliament but, if necessary, I will put them to voters in a referendum."

Those comments, and Macron's tweaks to what top White House adviser Steve Bannon might call the "administrative state" didn't go unnoticed by the President's team. Turning to his French counterpart with a smile on Thursday, Trump cheered Macron's "courageous call for that less bureaucracy. It's a good chant, less bureaucracy. We can use it too."

Macron offered his July 3 remarks at the Palace of Versailles, the 17th century home of the "Sun King," Louis XIV. While past French leaders have used the venue in times of crisis, Macron chose it as a backdrop -- ominously so, critics said -- for what amounted to a policy speech.

And while that might seem at odds with Trump and his hyperactive social media presence, the leaders seem to share a low opinion of the news media covering their administrations.

Trump could only be impressed.

Originally posted here:
Donald Trump is not the only unpredictable leader in Paris today - CNN

Mr. Trump had been promised damaging information about Hillary Clinton via the Russian government. Campaign opposition research is standard, but not from hostile nations.

We introduce you to two unlikely players in the events: an entertainment publicist and a Russian pop star.

Criticism of his son has left President Trump angry and protective, but he is relieved that the worst appears to be over, people who spoke with him say.

The president arrived in France this morning to celebrate Bastille Day with President Emmanuel Macron, who offers a rare outstretched hand from Europe.

New health bill is expected.

The likely defection of two Senate Republicans has left their leaders no margin for error when they unveil another version of legislation to repeal the Affordable Care Act today.

Their struggle highlights an important lesson: Tax cuts for the rich, paired with reduced services for the poor, are politically unpalatable.

Chinese dissident dies at 61.

Liu Xiaobo, Chinas most prominent political prisoner and a Nobel Peace Prize recipient, died under guard at a state hospital today at 61.

Mr. Liu, who kept vigil on Tiananmen Square in 1989 to protect protesters from soldiers, was convicted in 2009 of inciting subversion. He had been calling for democracy, the rule of law and an end to censorship.

Sheldon Silvers conviction is overturned.

A federal appeals court today overturned the 2015 corruption conviction of the once-powerful New York State Assembly speaker, who was accused of obtaining nearly $4 million in illicit payments.

The court cited a U.S. Supreme Court ruling last year that narrowed the definition of the kind of official conduct that can serve as the basis of a corruption prosecution.

Reviewing campus rape policies.

Education Secretary Betsy DeVos is re-evaluating former President Barack Obamas tough approach toward sexual assault at colleges and universities.

The issue is deeply divisive: Women often say their trauma is not taken seriously, while many accused say the rules go too far.

Brazils ex-president is convicted.

Luiz Incio Lula da Silva was found guilty on Wednesday of corruption and money laundering, and was sentenced to nearly 10 years in prison. We look at his rise and fall.

The Daily, your audio news report.

In todays show, we discuss the history and logistics of digging up dirt on political opponents.

Listen on a computer, an iOS device or an Android device.

Hundreds of U.S. tech companies united to protest the governments plan to scrap net neutrality rules.

Theres a new breed of employers: They build a team, do the job and say goodbye.

Uber said today that it had formed a partnership with a rival to offer ride-hailing services in Russia and several other Eastern European countries.

U.S. stocks were up on Wednesday. Heres a snapshot of global markets.

Tips, both new and old, for a more fulfilling life.

Meditation can help athletes, and everyone else, withstand stress.

Does your phone run out of power midday? Choose your charger wisely.

For something light, go with an herb and radish salad with feta and walnuts.

The blackout of 1977.

In todays 360 video, visit The Times archive to see how we covered two chaotic days 40 years ago.

It has been 40 years since the New York City blackout of 1977. Visit The New York Timess archive known as the morgue to see how we covered two chaotic days.

Partisan writing you shouldnt miss.

Read about how the other side thinks: Writers from across the political spectrum discuss Donald Trump Jr.s emails.

An exciting life and lonely death.

Jackson Vroman traveled the world, playing basketball, partying and drawing friends into his circle. His death at 34 cast a lonely light on his life.

And the nominees are

Nominations for the 69th Emmy Awards will be revealed at 11:30 a.m. Eastern today. Well cover the announcement live.

With Game of Thrones out of contention, the best drama category is wide open.

Raising a bilingual child.

Speaking two languages like a native is a relatively rare and beautiful thing. Its worth it, but its a lot of work, a developmental psychologist said.

Best of late-night TV.

Speaking to Stephen Colbert, John Oliver said his teams off-air jokes about the Trump administration had proved more prescient than he had imagined.

Quotation of the day.

This is a big change. Maps will need to be redrawn.

Adrian Luckman, a researcher monitoring the Larsen C ice shelf in Antarctica, which lost a chunk of ice the size of Delaware this week.

Recent reports that the Pentagon spent millions to license a camouflage pattern that replicates lush forests to be worn in largely arid Afghanistan got us thinking about the famous design.

As it turns out, the word camouflage appeared in The Times for the first time 100 years ago.

The concept of disguising matriel and soldiers to blend in with their surroundings originated in the 1800s and was further developed during World War I.

In May 1917, a New York lawyer who visited the French battlefront wrote about it for The Timess Magazine section.

The French used camouflage on a wide scale, with a unit made of artists known as camoufleurs. In August 1917, the U.S. Army issued its own call for enlistment in a camouflage force, seeking young men who are looking for special entertainment in the way of fooling Germans.

Camouflage later became common in art and fashion. A 2007 exhibit at the Imperial War Museum in London noted links to Cubism. (Picasso exclaimed upon seeing a camouflage cannon in Paris: It was us who created that.)

The artist Andy Warhol also used it, substituting bright colors for earth tones, which removed the military symbolism but retained the notion of hiding.

Karen Zraick contributed reporting.

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Donald Trump, Liu Xiaobo, Emmy Awards: Your Thursday Briefing ... - New York Times

Donald Trump has repeatedly pledged to seal off the U.S.-Mexico border. But on Thursday, the president told reporters that he only intends to cover anywhere from 700 to 900 miles.

Its a 2,000 mile border, but you dont need 2,000 miles of wall because you have a lot of natural barriers. You have mountains. You have some rivers that are violent and vicious. You have some areas that are so far away that you dont really have people crossing. So you dont need that. But youll need anywhere from 700 to 900 miles, he told reporters on Thursday.

In fact, thats a good description of whats already along the southern border. Some 650 miles of the border has already been blocked off with pedestrian or vehicle fencing as a result of President George W. Bushs 2006 Secure Fence Act, which authorized the construction of a 700-mile wall of double layer fencing. You know, we've already started the wall because we're fixing large portions of wall right now, Trump said. He explained that the repairs were making it new, and thus in a true sense, we've already started the wall. His remarks suggest that his promise to build the wall could involve erecting as little as 50 miles of new barriers.

The Trump Administration Sketches a Border-Fence Plan

If the Trump administration no longer intends to significantly extend the existing barriers, the biggest change may be the form they take. Congress recently allocated a little more than $341 million to replace approximately 40 miles of existing primary pedestrian and vehicle border fencing along the southwest border using previously deployed and operationally effective designs, such as currently deployed steel bollard designs, that prioritize agent safety; and to add gates to existing barriers in its spending bill.

Erecting a physical barrier along the entire length of the southern border was a daunting task from the beginning: The topography can be an obstacle and obtaining land from private property owners can also present a challenge. Trumps remarks appear to recognize these hurdles, as well as provide some detail on what he envisionsand why.

Trump also told reporters Thursday that one of the requirements in erecting a border wall is the ability to see through it. The idea might sound far-fetched, but in fact, Department of Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly has also made similar remarks in the past.

One of the things with the wall is you need transparency. You have to be able to see through it. In other words, if you cant see through that wallso it could be a steel wall with openings, but you have to have openings because you have to see whats on the other side of the wall, Trump said.

He added: As horrible as it sounds, when they throw the large sacks of drugs over, and if you have people on the other side of the wall, you dont see themthey hit you on the head with 60 pounds of stuff? Its over. As crazy as that sounds, you need transparency through that wall. But we have some incredible designs.

In February, Kelly testified before the House Homeland Security Committee that people on the border told him their preference [for a physical barrier] would not be something they couldnt see through. Customs and Border Protection released guidelines for contractors in March. Among the options provided to them was a see-through component/capability. Ronald Vitiello, acting deputy commissioner at CBP, told reporters in June that the agency had not signed any contracts as of yet.

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Trump's Incredible Shrinking Border Wall - The Atlantic

Americans who disapprove of President Donald Trump are likely to do so not necessarily because of his policies, but because of his personality and character, a new poll says.

A Gallup poll released Thursday found 65% of those who disapprove of the President do so because of his characteristics and personality. About 16% disapprove of Trump because of his specific policies, and 12% disapprove of him for more broad reasons, the poll said.

Of the majority of disapprovers who identified his personality has a reason for their negative sentiments, 29% identified Trump as "not presidential," "arrogant," "obnoxious" and of a "bad temperament." 10% said he was "inexperienced" and "doesn't know what he is doing," and 6% disapproved of his use of Twitter and social media.

On July 11, 40% of Americans approved of Trump's performance, while 55% did not, according to Gallup's most recent ratings. Last month, Trump's disapproval ratings once again hit its all-time high of 59%.

The most recent findings contrast with the same ones Gallup measured for former presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush during the first summers of their first terms in office. For Obama in 2009, 14% of his disapprovers cited his personality, while 65% identified his policies. And for Bush in 2001, 31% pointed to his characteristics, 17% cited his policies and 43% said it was for more broad reasons.

But for fans of the 45th president, Trump's personality is not as much of an issue. About 24% of Trump fans pointed to his personality as a reason for their approval. 33% cited his policies, and 38% brought up his broad performance. Those are similar percentages Obama saw in 2009 from his supporters, according to Gallup.

Conducted from July 5-9, the latest poll surveyed 1,021 random American adults living in the U.S. The margin of error for the poll is 4%.

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People Who Don't Like President Trump Dislike His Personality More Than His Politics - TIME