DL Open Thread: Thursday, December 12, 2024

North Carolina Rethugs Strip Newly-Elected Democratic Governor Of Power.  Call it whatever you want, but it’s not democracy:

The North Carolina House voted on Wednesday to override Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper’s veto on a GOP-backed bill that will strip power from the newly-elected Democratic Gov. Josh Stein and Attorney General Jeff Jackson. The vote total was 72-46.

In the waning days of its veto-proof supermajority last month, the Republican-controlled legislature passed a sweeping bill known as SB 382. The legislation allocates some funds to hurricane relief, but more notably explicitly limits the authority of Stein and Jackson. The bill also radically transforms the way that elections are run throughout the entire state, which will make it more difficult for election officials to carry out their responsibilities for upcoming elections.

“This is a most unfortunate vote,” Democratic State Rep. Pricey Harrison told TPM, after voting against the measure. “The Governor’s veto was spot on; the bill did not provide hurricane relief to an area that needs support now. The bill does contain a number of problematic provisions grabbing power from newly elected Democrats that will likely be found to be unconstitutional once the bill is challenged in court.”

Christopher Wray Abandons FBI To Chaos Agent.  Pathetic, not unexpected.:

Now Trump, preparing for his second term as president, has decided to replace the FBI director again. The figure he picked to replace Comey—the lifelong Republican Christopher Wray—proved unable to meet Trump’s expectations for the position, which are (1) to permit Trump and his allies to violate the law with impunity, and (2) to investigate anybody who interferes with (1). Wray, wrestling with the problem of Trump’s desire to separate him from a job he apparently liked, chose to step down on his own. This raises the likelihood that the media will treat the replacement of Wray as normal administrative turnover rather than as a scandal.

But a scandal it most certainly is. By tradition, FBI directors serve 10-year terms, a norm designed to insulate the FBI from pressure to serve the president’s whims. Trump supporters have two philosophical rationalizations for his demand to violate that tradition. The lowbrow, populist version favored by Trump cultists is that Trump is beset by a “deep state” conspiracy that has kneecapped him at every turn because it is loyal to globalists, neoconservatives, or some other corrupt network. The highbrow version, preferred by conservative-movement elites, is that presidents possess an inherent right to control the executive branch from top to bottom, and all norms designed to prevent the president from abusing that power are an affront to the Constitution.

Appointing Kash Patel as FBI Director is clearly designed to destroy the institution he would run.  Wray has now hastened that destruction.

A True Matt Meyer Success Gets A Federal Windfall:

New Castle County accepted a substantial federal investment from the U.S. Department of Treasury to provide housing assistance to families experiencing homelessness.

The $11 million investment comes out of the Social Impact Partnerships to Pay for Results Act, which allows local governments to get paid if they achieve desired results in housing and health initiatives. New Castle County was one of six municipalities nationwide to receive funding.

The money will pay for a program called the Family HOPE Project, which will assist 120 families experiencing homelessness in Delaware over a five-year period. The program will provide 90 days of temporary housing at New Castle County HOPE Center, two years of rental assistance through direct cash payments for rental assistance and two years of case management, including financial counseling and other supportive services.

Carrie Casey, New Castle County general manager of community services, was emotional and proud at the announcement at the HOPE Center on Wednesday. She said the direct cash payments were an innovative idea.

“We are attempting to create a blueprint to end family homelessness,” Casey said. “Any little thing can really put them back into housing instability, so the idea is to empower them through direct cash assistance.”

“It’s an important step forward,” (Meyer) said. “The team is thinking big, working really hard. We’re excited that we think there’s going to be a new collaboration between state government and New Castle County government to move things forward, but so we’re celebrating that stat but there’s still a lot more.”

Perhaps someone will cc this to John Carney.  You know, out of courtesy.

What do you want to talk about?