Time will tell but there are some signs that she might not be quite as nuts as the other nuts. We are probably stuck with this 6 vote lunatic Supreme Court majority for some time so it’s more important than ever to keep our eyes on the potentially small changes that might be relevant, whether it’s signs of concern about politics playing a role or actual disagreement among the majority about their judicial philosophies. This article in Politico suggests that there might be a developing schism on the right that could prove to be at least a little bit helpful depending on who joins what side: A rift is emerging among the Supreme Court’s conservatives — and it could thwart the court’s recent march to expand gun rights. On one side is the court’s oldest and most conservative justice, Clarence Thomas. On the other is its youngest member, Amy Coney Barrett. The question at the center of the spat may seem abstract: How should the court use “history and tradition” to decide modern-day legal issues?
Uncategorized
I hope you all have a chance to see at least one the various interviews with Dr. Anthony Fauci as he makes the rounds for his book tour. I particularly like the one with Rachel Maddow, above. For some reason the hatred aimed at him makes me see red in a way that goes way beyond my usual ire at right wing hostility and that says something. Watching that ignorant harpy Marjorie Taylor Greene insult him at that congressional hearing last week had me screaming at the TV. Anyway, his book sounds super interesting and I admire his grit in standing up to these miscreants. And bouy does he explode the myth that people over 80 are non compos mentis.
I didn’t know this but it seems like it should be relevant. I hope the Biden debate prep people are on it. (It’s probably too much to ask that the moderators are.) Jonathan Chait explains: One of the most underappreciated developments of Donald Trump’s presidency is that his strategy toward China was a total failure on its own terms. While Trump began his presidency as a snarling trade warrior, bent on ending Chinese manufacturing dominance, he ended his presidency as a whimpering apologist for Beijing. The culmination of Trump’s standoff with China was a trade deal that supposedly committed China to purchasing $200 billion worth of American goods. Robert O’Brien, a former Trump national security adviser, admits that the Chinese never actually carried out their end of the deal. “I don’t think we’re going to see a deal like we saw in the first term,” he told Semafor’s Morgan Chalfant. “I think people were generally happy with phase one, but as it turned out, the Chinese didn’t honor it.” You don’t say? Huh.
Have you heard about this? I confess that I haven’t: Within weeks, the nation will deploy 9,000 people to begin restoring landscapes, erecting solar panels, and taking other steps to help guide the country toward a cleaner, greener future. The first of those workers were inducted into the American Climate Corps on Tuesday during a virtual event from the White House. Their swearing-in marks another step forward for the Biden administration’s ambitious climate agenda. The program, which President Joe Biden announced within days of taking office in 2021, is a modern version of the Climate Conservation Corps, the New Deal-era project that put 3 million men to work planting trees and building national parks. During the ceremony, the inaugural members of the corps promised to work “on behalf of our nation and planet, its people, and all its species, for the better future we hold within our sight.” The American Climate Corps was among the first things Biden announced as president, but it took a while to secure funding and get started.
All you need is Trump … Almost half the country is prepared to vote for that lunatic. WTF???
First of all, what 23 year old buys a house? Maybe he’s got an inheritance? I would guess that very few 23 year olds are in this position. That’s not to say that there aren’t plenty of 33 year olds in that position but I have a sneaking suspicion this post isn’t on the up and up. Be that as it may, Surowecki is correct. Joe Biden doesn’t control interest rates and god knows, neither does Donald Trump. So this is stupid. But then there’s JD Vance’s grotesque answer to the problem. Deporting 20 million people (20 MILLION!!!!) is the most fascistic policy proposal we’ve seen since 1930s Germany. They were “deporting” the alleged cause of all their problems too. The sheer amount of pain, suffering and destruction involved in such a horrific policy is impossible to gauge but it’s going to be a nightmare. And as for the public picking up the tab for undocumented immigrants just wait until they see what inflation looks like without 20 million workers who are keeping this country running. Not to mention the vast cost incurred in rounding up such a vast number of people. It’s absurd. This is Nazi talk, nothing less.
Courts are on your fall ballot Judge Aileen Cannon of the Southern District of Florida is perhaps the most notorious of Donald Trump’s judicial appointees. Her foot-dragging on the Trump classified documents case has doomed special counsel Jack Smith’s prosecution from occurring before this fall’s election. Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk of the Northern District of Texas “has become a go-to judge for parties filing lawsuits challenging President Joe Biden’s policies.” The U.S. Supreme Court just settled a case women’s rights opponents brought before Kacsmaryk to suspend the FDA’s approval of medication abortion. “The next president is likely to have two new Supreme Court nominees — two more. [Trump has] already appointed two that have been very negative in terms of the rights of individuals,” President Joe Biden told Jimmy Kimmel during a Los Angeles fundraiser over the weekend (CNN): “The idea that if he’s reelected he’s going to appoint two more flying flags upside down,” Biden said in an apparent reference to a flag that once flew outside the home of Justice Samuel Alito.
He’s a convicted criminal. Make it stick. A high school friend was raised a good Southern Baptist. “We couldn’t cuss in the house,” he said. “Except you could say ‘damn yankee,’ because that’s just what they were.” The Biden campaign is taking that approach with Donald Trump: A convicted criminal is just what he is. Ankush Khardori, a senior writer for Politico Magazine, speaks with Greg Sargent about a Politico poll “with some pretty big surprises: A larger-than-expected percentage of Americans say Donald Trump’s criminal conviction in Manhattan makes them less likely to vote for him.” Politico: Thirty-three percent of respondents said that the conviction made them less likely to support Trump, while only 17 percent of respondents said that it made them more likely to support Trump. “Support” is one thing. Voting is another. Twenty-two percent of respondents said that the conviction is important to how they will vote and that it makes them less likely to support Trump.
Project 2025 is hundreds of pages long and it’s difficult to get through. And that’s just for starters. There’s more in it every day. So this run-down by John Oliver is about as short and succinct and explanation possible. If you have a few minutes it’s well worth watching. You might want to have a drink handy…
I mentioned this the other day but now it’s official. President Biden is announcing today that he will legalize the undocumented immigrant spouses of American citizens: President Biden on Tuesday is announcing a large-scale immigration program that will offer legal status and a streamlined path to U.S. residency and citizenship to roughly half a million unauthorized immigrants married to American citizens. The Department of Homeland Security policy will allow these immigrants to apply for work permits and deportation protections if they have lived in the U.S. for at least 10 years and meet other requirements, senior administration officials said during a call with reporters. Perhaps most importantly, however, Mr. Biden’s move will unlock a path to permanent residency — colloquially known as a green card — and ultimately U.S. citizenship for many of the program’s beneficiaries.