DL Open Thread: Saturday, April 8, 2023
The Good Friday Massacre: Is anyone still complacent about democracy?:
The highly anticipated and unprecedented ruling from Texas puts on hold the Food and Drug Administration’s approval of mifepristone, which was cleared for use in the United States in 2000. It was the first time a judge suspended longtime FDA approval of a medication despite opposition from the agency and the drug’s manufacturer. The ruling will not go into effect for seven days to give the government time to appeal.
President Biden criticized the Texas ruling in a statement Friday, saying the court had “substituted its judgment for FDA, the expert agency that approves drugs. If this ruling were to stand, then there will be virtually no prescription, approved by the FDA, that would be safe from these kinds of political, ideological attacks.”
He called the decision “another unprecedented step in taking away basic freedoms from women and putting their health at risk.”
Throughout the ruling, Kacsmaryk used language often invoked by the antiabortion movement, referring to abortion providers as “abortionists” and characterizing mifepristone as being used “to kill the unborn human.” Kacsmaryk, a conservative Christian with a long history of antiabortion views, issued the ruling on Good Friday.
We can remove the fig leaf that the Dobbs decision was about returning abortion policy to the states.
Clarence Thomas’ Fig Leaf Also Removed. Betcha genetic testing will confirm Anita Hill’s allegations about the pubic hair. Bottom line: Thomas got caught banking gifts he was required to report and placed the blame on…some unknown unknowns. Thomas’ statement:
Harlan and Kathy Crow are among our dearest friends, and we have been friends for over twenty-five years. As friends do, we have joined them on a number of family trips during the more than quarter century we have known them. Early in my tenure at the Court, I sought guidance from my colleagues and others in the judiciary, and was advised that this sort of personal hospitality from close personal friends, who did not have business before the Court, was not reportable. I have endeavored to follow that counsel throughout my tenure, and have always sought to comply with the disclosure guidelines. These guidelines are now being changed, as the committee of the Judicial Conference responsible for financial disclosure for the entire federal judiciary just this past month announced new guidance. And, it is, of course, my intent to follow this guidance in the future.
Can we talk? In his early years on the Court, Thomas revealed gifts he had received. Then he stopped. After the LA Times reported on it. For over 20 years now. There indeed is a Federal law that requires “judges and justices to report travel costs and other expenses that are provided to them by groups, universities and other such entities. However, it includes an exception for the “personal hospitality of any individual,” so long as the travel does not involve official business.”
Let’s think about this. Thomas discloses gifts. Until he doesn’t. He subsequently seeks ‘guidance from my colleagues and others in the judiciary, and was advised that this sort of personal hospitality from close personal friends, who did not have business before the Court, was not reportable.”
First of all, ‘not reportable’ doesn’t mean ‘doesn’t have to be reported’. Even if he legit sought advice, which I don’t believe for a second, unless he sought advice from that Leonard Leo guy, the mere seeking of that advice clearly means he was looking to get around having to make all this largesse public. Because he knew it was unethical. This Harlan Crow has been a long-time right-wing conservative advocate, which just happens to also be the Thomas family business.
Look, there’s no way he’ll be impeached. Can you imagine all those Senators who are owned by their campaign contributors to collectively screw up their righteous indignation to draw the line on Clarence Thomas?
Didn’t think so. But I suspect that Thomas won’t end up the only Supreme Court justice to be under scrutiny for their ethical failings. Starting to hear the concrete cracking. In a good way.
Man, This Tennessee Legislature…: I didn’t know that they were basically trying to scoop up all the money that Nashville generates until the Tennessee Three story:
Two Republican-backed bills aimed at giving Tennessee lawmakers more control over Nashville’s airport and sports authority boards advanced through committees on Wednesday.
Though neither of the bills specifically mention Nashville, the changes are tied to boards in counties with metro forms of government and populations over 500,000. Only Nashville would be affected by the legislation.
In a Senate Government Operations committee on Wednesday, Sen. Charlane Oliver, D-Nashville, grilled the airport bill’s sponsor over the motivation behind the legislation.
“Every Nashville and Davidson County legislator has been against this hostile takeover, which includes this legislation, the mayor’s office has spoken out against this,” Oliver said. “Who is asking for this legislation to happen?”
Bill sponsor Sen. Paul Bailey, R-Sparta, replied that “Sen. Bailey is.”
Bailey said the airport receives funding from the state and would be “better partners” with a state-appointed board rather than a locally appointed board.
“The airport authority was created by the General Assembly in 1970,” Bailey said. “The General Assembly giveth, the General Assembly taketh away.”
No More Dave McBrides. From now on, if you’re a Delaware legislator, you’ll have to reside in your district, or you’ll be gone.
Delaware Rethugs Go Full Monty Against Electric Cars. They’re dinosaurs. They’ll be extinct, if they’re not already. Both the cars and the Rethugs.
What do you want to talk about?
The DEGOP has an issue that they think will make voters forget that they are Republicans. That’s a lot of heavy lifting for rolling coal crowd.
With new family EVs starting at $55K, it is actually not unreasonable for the GOP to portray EVs as impractical playthings for the rich. (but don’t tell them about the F150s!).
The Bolt, Kona EV, and ID4 are about $30 & $38k, respectively. And they’re solid family EVs. That’s before Federal tax and state incentives and there are upper limit caps to prevent the rich from getting that sweet tax credit action on their Hummer EV. The average new car price is about $45K.
Yes, a Lucid Air and Tesla Ludicrous mode model X are play things for the rich as are just about every ICE Porsche, Audi, BMW, Mercedes, Cadillac, etc. Not to mention, if the GQP skews higher in income, they are the ones mostly likely to be cross-shopping the more expensive EVs. Way to mess a good thing for their own members.
Yeah, the DEGOP continue to step on their own d___s.
FWIW I think a family car these days must be AWD, so Bolt and Kona are not AWD. There is an AWD version of the ID4 but it is, you guessed it, $54K.
There are sub-$50K EVs but so far they are downgrades from what I consider a basic family car. And I’m not even asking for third-row seating, just a small SUV with fold-flat seats and a generous cargo area.
This mandate wouldn’t take effect until 2035.
It’s 2023.
Just thought I’d mention that.
I’m for the mandate for climate reasons. I just won’t be surprised if Repubs get some populist leverage portraying these spendy under-equipped vehicles as elitist frivolities.
Harlan Crow is taking applications to be his new black friend.
I’ve seen the Republicans take absurd positions that end in ignominious failure over the years, their new found hatred of EV’s will play well in oil states and nowhere else. This is their latest attempt to hold back the tide of progress and live in the past.
Up Next: Oil Patriotism, goes well with their endless greed.
Active shooter situation at Christiana Mall. Mall closed and police evacuating mall.
Man, you’re right. Here’s a story:
https://www.delawareonline.com/story/news/crime/2023/04/08/christiana-mall-delaware-possible-shooting-today/70095884007/