Tiny bits of cheerful news

*  Ms Gauze Filter, the MAGA nut Kari Lake, has definitely lost her Senate bid.   We have to be thankful for any small blessing we can find.

*  His "career" may continue, but he's still not happy that this is happening:

Conspiracy theory purveyor Infowars and most of its assets are set to go on the auction block Wednesday, with Alex Jones waiting to see if he will be allowed to stay or if he will get kicked off its online platforms.

The private auction is being held as part of Jones’ personal bankruptcy, which resulted from the nearly $1.5 billion in defamation lawsuit judgments a judge and jurors ordered the bombastic internet show and radio host to pay to families of victims of the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting for repeatedly telling his audience that the Connecticut massacre of 20 children and six adults was a hoax staged by crisis actors.

Jones has said that he believes he could remain at the Infowars studios in Austin, Texas, and continue to use its online platforms if supporters win the bidding. But if opponents buy the assets, he said it could be shut down immediately. He said he has set up a new studio, new websites and new social media accounts in case the latter happens.

On his show Tuesday, Jones alleged that the auction was “rigged” and that he believed “bad guys” will buy Infowars’ parent company, Free Speech Systems, and its assets. He did not elaborate but said he would “just drive down the road” and broadcast at another studio. 

One would hope that American bankruptcy laws are a little like ours, in allowing for any earnings he makes to be partially taken to pay for the judgement debt.   But maybe not - bankruptcy in the US never seems to keep losers down for long - or at all, in some cases.

*  There hasn't been much discussion, it seems, of the fact that Trump may still be sentenced within a couple of weeks over the existing New York conviction - with (in theory) jail time of up to 4 years.  

The view seems to be that being elected President means it would be wrong to send him to jail, as an inappropriate interference with his "doing his job".   But I haven't seem anyone actually explain how giving him the punishment he deserves could be stopped (I mean, if it is upheld on appeal):

Under the law, Trump faces a range of sentences, including fines, probation and up to four years in prison. But many options are rendered impractical by re-election win.

“Sentencing a sitting president may be one of the most complicated, fraught sentencing decisions you can imagine,” said Anna Cominsky, a professor at the New York Law School.

“It’s hard to imagine what sentence could be imposed that would not impede a president’s ability to do their job or compromise the president’s security."

Few expect Justice Merchan to sentence Trump to a stint behind bars at this point and if he did, Trump's team would almost certainly appeal it.

“He’s a 78-year old man with no criminal history, who has been convicted of a non-violent felony,” said retired New York Supreme Court Justice Diane Kiesel.

“I don’t think a judge would give a person under those sentences an incarceration sentence.”

Trump could leave a sentencing hearing with the legal equivalent of a slap on the wrist. Justice Merchan could ask the former president to pay a relatively small fine in the three- or four-figure range.

He could also give Trump an unconditional discharge; “basically, goodbye”, as Justice Kiesel puts it.

That Kiesel has always thought he shouldn't get prison - but she is only one voice, and I think others have said a prison term would be a real option.  

It's not as if the guy has shown any remorse, and he has continually carried on in a way that should have been dealt with as contempt of court.

For these reasons, I don't know why getting elected to President should be a "get out of jail free" card.