Mark Robinson, the controversial and socially conservative Republican nominee for governor of North Carolina, made a series of inflammatory comments on a pornography website’s message board more than a decade ago, in which he referred to himself as a “black NAZI!” and expressed support for reinstating slavery, a CNN KFile investigation found.

Despite a recent history of anti-transgender rhetoric, Robinson said he enjoyed watching transgender pornography, a review of archived messages found in which he also referred to himself as a “perv.”

The comments, which Robinson denies making, predate his entry into politics and current stint as North Carolina’s lieutenant governor. They were made under a username that CNN was able to identify as Robinson by matching a litany of biographical details and a shared email address between the two.

North Carolina Lt. Gov Mark Robinson did NOT drop his candidacy — amid a series of salacious allegations — on Thursday night.

Which means that he will be the Republican nominee for governor in November. Which is an electoral disaster for the GOP — and could matter in the presidential race.

Start here: Robinson, even before these latest allegations, was likely going to lose this race. He has long been a controversial figure — popular within the Republican base but without any significant appeal in the ideological middle of the electorate. Polling has shown state Attorney General Josh Stein leading the race.

Donald Trump risks being doomed by what he wrought in North Carolina.

An already fiercely fought presidential contest in the critical swing state was thrown into greater turmoil Thursday by a stunning CNN investigation revealing a porn-site scandal surrounding Republican gubernatorial candidate Mark Robinson.

Lt. Gov. Robinson, whose politics and personality are extreme even by the standards of Trump’s MAGA movement, referred to himself as a “black NAZI!” on a pornography website’s message board more than a decade ago and expressed support for reinstating slavery, CNN’s KFile reported. Many of the remarks were lewd and gratuitously sexual in nature.

The new version of The Millennium Project’s flagship publication is finally out!

The futures community has eagerly awaited it, and it’s finally here: the State of the Future 20.0 by The Millennium Project, our global guide to the future since 1997.

The State of the Future 20.0 by Jerome Glenn, Theodore Gordon, Elizabeth Florescu, and The Millennium Project team—a global think tank for futures research composed of over 70 Nodes around the world—is a monumental 500-page report that provides an extensive overview of the key issues and opportunities shaping the future of humanity.

The 20th edition is dedicated to Ted Gordon, a visionary whose contributions have profoundly shaped the future of futures research. I have had the opportunity to meet him over the years and exchange ideas, and I truly believe he is one of the most knowledgeable and gentle people I have ever encountered. Ted has pioneered more methodologies in the field of futures studies than any other futurist, as rightly noted in the tribute. This alone merits a dedicated post—or even a book—, so let’s return to the matter at hand.

Mark Robinson is barely even trying to beat the allegations. He thinks his voters won’t notice.

But the political fallout is only one part of the story. The other part is the autopsy that this entire episode will provide us about the state of the Republican electorate. In pledging to plow through, in suggesting it may all be AI, in choosing to run in the first place—knowing this stuff was all out there—Robinson has offered a nasty appraisal of the voters whose support he is seeking. He thinks he can fashion his history of disturbing, angry behavior into a story in which he is the victim—and that the voters will buy it. He sees those voters as morally malleable dupes, who will cross any serious ethical line in the service of politics.
Andrew Egger

Of course no one should be distracted from the threat posed by a second term of Trump himself as president. But Trumpism more broadly is also a threat. As are the Trumpists whom Trump has brought to prominence in the Republican party he so thoroughly dominates.
William Kristol

Mark Robinson, the controversial and socially conservative Republican nominee for governor of North Carolina, made a series of inflammatory comments on a pornography website’s message board more than a decade ago, in which he referred to himself as a “black NAZI!” and expressed support for reinstating slavery, a CNN KFile investigation found.

Despite a recent history of anti-transgender rhetoric, Robinson said he enjoyed watching transgender pornography, a review of archived messages found in which he also referred to himself as a “perv.”

The comments, which Robinson denies making, predate his entry into politics and current stint as North Carolina’s lieutenant governor. They were made under a username that CNN was able to identify as Robinson by matching a litany of biographical details and a shared email address between the two.

The latest research shows how two character strengths build a healthier body.

Across two studies, the first with undergraduates and the second with a representative online sample of adults (average age 34 years old), Wilson and her collaborators administered both the CIVIC and a standard personality-trait measure. The authors used a standard self-report health measure, from which they selected these areas: physical and social functioning, mental health, energy/fatigue, limitations due to physical and emotional health, pain, and general perceptions of health.

In general, at least one character score (when separated from personality) predicted every outcome except for perceived health and role limitations due to physical health. Fortitude and temperance emerged in both studies as significant predictors of health outcomes. As the quality representing “determination and sense of optimism,” fortitude could be helpful in guiding people to take action to fix things when they experience health problems. Think about how you, or someone you know, might respond to chronic pain. Being high in fortitude would lead to behaviors such as finding effective pain management, deciding to understand what’s wrong that causes the pain, and feeling that there will be light at the end of the tunnel.

Stock Market Hits All-Time High, CNBC
The Dow surged 522 points and the S&P 500 closed above 5,700 for the first time after the Federal Reserve cut interest rates by half a percentage point, boosting stocks across various sectors.

Israel Strikes Hezbollah in Lebanon, Reuters
Israel launched its most intense airstrikes in nearly a year, hitting 100 Hezbollah rocket launchers in southern Lebanon, escalating the conflict amid international calls for a ceasefire.

Harris in a “Drastic Landslide”, Newsweek
Data scientist Thomas Miller, known for accurately predicting the 2020 election, forecasts a Harris landslide over Trump using a betting odds model that tracks real-time shifts in voter sentiment.

Ground News

Did Secret Service Secure Golf Course?, For the Left
Senator Josh Hawley criticized the Secret Service on Fox for failing to properly secure Trump’s golf course, raising concerns about a potential security breach and inadequate perimeter checks.

Buttigieg Plays Vance in Walz’s Debate Prep, For the Right
Tim Walz is gearing up for the October 1 Vice Presidential debate with help from Pete Buttigieg, who is standing in as JD Vance during mock debates and policy sessions.