Josh Marshall–For The Win. It’s a Members-Only article, but we’re allowed to share. Here’s one example why you should ‘join’ for an absurdly-low amount:
Before getting to my main point, let me address a subsidiary one. I get people who don’t think Biden should have done this. I disagree. But that’s a respectable opinion. In the abstract, at least, it’s not best practices … until you look at the details. What I don’t get, what I think is as close as you get to being objectively wrong, is a different but seemingly common criticism. It’s the people who say that it’s one thing that Biden pardoned his son for his two ongoing criminal cases, but that it was a step too far to issue a blanket pardon going back a decade covering more or less anything that happened during that period.
As I said, if you don’t think Biden should have issued this pardon, fine. But if he did, he certainly had to and was unquestionably right to issue it as a blanket pardon. The Trump administration absolutely would have found something else to charge Hunter Biden with as payback for the pardon. They may have done so without Biden issuing the pardon at all. Trump and his top lieutenants, including his FBI director nominee, have all said they come into office wanting payback. It would be insane to issue a limited, specific pardon and then leave his son at the mercy of the Trump DOJ. This logic is so obvious it all but amounts to a mathematical proof.
This brings me back to a more general point. Democrats need to organize their future politics around the simple reality that the establishment media is structural hostile to the Democratic Party. This doesn’t mean every journalist individually, of course. But the establishment media generally — the Times, the Post, the Journal, CNN and the business news channels, all of them, and for the reasons we’ve discussed countless times. Democrats should do this not simply because it’s true but because it relieves them of the embarrassment of imagining otherwise, of speaking up for or passively allowing themselves to be identified with institutions in an age of distrust and anti-institutionalism. The status quo, the paradoxical identification, puts Democrats in the position of a jilted spouse, perpetually discomfited, let down. It’s not only damaging directly. It signals an enervating weakness. It’s time to move on. Have some some self-respect. And act accordingly.
Of Course The Supreme Court Will Weaken Trans Rights. Here’s how:
What we may see, as feared, is the “Dobbs-ification” of transgender rights, or sex discrimination law more broadly, with the conservative justices saying they must remain “neutral” on matters of intense public debate and let states decide. A “too controversial!” loophole to constitutional rights.
Book it. And be relieved that at least we live in Delaware. And remember: The cruelty is the point.
A nun was among 25 people arrested in Italy on suspicion of being part of a criminal gang with links to the country’s most powerful mafia network, the ’Ndrangheta.
According to Rai news, the nun has been a volunteer at San Vittore prison in Milan since 2010 and has also worked in prisons in Pavia and Rome.
The nun is alleged to have been the conduit between the gang and its associates in prison, according to reports in the Italian press citing the anti-mafia unit of the prosecutor’s office in Brescia, northern Italy.
The Frock brought the rock? Better than institutional pedophilia at least.
Delaware Families Suffer From Lack Of Child Care Availability And Affordability:
Parents across the state face a daunting combination of soaring costs, limited availability and long waitlists, all while trying to maintain their jobs and provide for their families.
For many, child care has become one of their highest expenses, often rivaling or exceeding the cost of housing, transportation and food. With limited financial assistance and a lack of accessible programs, families are increasingly burdened, with many finding themselves in debt, cutting back on essential needs or even reducing working hours to avoid losing child care subsidies.
Those challenges are reflected in a recent survey overseen by Kirsten Olson, CEO of Children and Families First, alongside other advocacy organizations and community groups. She said the findings highlight the undeniable strain on families.
“More than 75% struggle to afford child care that meets their needs. I don’t think that was surprising but I think it really demonstrates how child care and child care cost is a barrier for families,” Olson said. “What was disheartening to hear were stories like parents skipping meals to afford child care or turning down raises or promotions to maintain eligibility for state assistance that help them pay for child care. And that folks are even leaving the workforce altogether, because child care is such a critical issue for them.”
Time for the General Assembly to act:
As the next legislative session approaches next month, advocates like Olson and Dickerson plan to present their findings to legislative leaders, urging policy changes that include increasing state-funded preschool slots, expanding eligibility for child care subsidies and raising participation care rates to address the challenges families face.
Great reporting from WHYY. So. I head over to Delaware Online to complete my circuit of the local media. The Top Story?
“Homemade pasta & tableside tiramisu at new Italian American restaurant“.
Once and for all locking in their audience to those who go out to eat seven days a week every week. Die already.
What do you want to talk about?