DL Open Thread: Friday, February 14, 2025

Fascists On The March.  Adams Prosecutor Resigns Rather Than Dropping The Case:

On Thursday, the interim U.S. attorney in Manhattan, Danielle R. Sassoon, resigned rather than sign off on Mr. Bove’s command to dismiss the corruption charges against Mayor Eric Adams of New York. Ms. Sassoon is no member of the liberal resistance: She clerked for the conservative Supreme Court justice Antonin Scalia, and had been appointed to her post by Mr. Trump’s team.

Dropping the charges, “for reasons having nothing to do with the strength of the case” went against the “duty to prosecute federal crimes without fear or favor,” she wrote in a letter to Mr. Bove explaining her decision.

The consequences of the confrontation extend far beyond the fate of Mr. Adams. It has set up what promises to be a protracted and damaging battle over the integrity, independence and direction of a department that Mr. Trump views like a piece of captured battlefield artillery he is now able to turn against his attackers.

Mr. Bove is, in the view of his critics, imposing what amounts to a political loyalty test on prosecutors — demanding they comply with his requests, however unacceptable and incompatible with norms, or get out.

In a fascist state, ridding the state of perceived enemies is essential for complete takeover.  Justice, big J, little j, is the enemy of oligarchs.  I hope we haven’t heard the last of Danielle Sassoon.  We need people who act out of conscience.

As is Academia.  As in, to quote JD Vance,”universities are the enemy”:

In 2021, JD Vance gave a speech to the National Conservatism Conference, a gathering of Trumpist thinkers and politicians, titled “The Universities Are the Enemy.” It contained the usual complaints about critical race theory and gender ideology, but it went much further, arguing for a frontal attack on the power and prestige of higher education writ large. Comparing universities to the sci-fi totalitarianism of “The Matrix,” in which parasitic machines have seized control of reality itself, he said, “So much of what drives truth and knowledge as we understand it in this country is fundamentally determined by, supported by and reinforced by the universities.” Why, he asked, have conservatives consented to such intellectual tyranny?

Vance, then a Senate candidate, described being at a donor event and talking to a supporter about the absurdity of encouraging kids to take on debt to go to colleges that will brainwash them. The supporter asked, “What’s the alternative? I don’t want my kid to become an HVAC specialist,” installing and repairing heating and air-conditioning systems. With that attitude, said Vance, “we’re going to continue to empower the colleges and the universities that make it impossible for conservative ideas to ultimately carry the day.”

Put aside, for a moment, the hypocrisy of this message coming from a man catapulted into the highest strata of American society by Yale Law School. The striking thing about Vance’s speech was its deep hostility to the entire academic enterprise, not just the so-called woke parts. He wasn’t talking about making more room for right-wing ideas in universities or even dreaming of taking them over. He wanted to destroy it all.

Trump, Linda McMahon, Body-Slam Education:

In the three-and-a-half weeks since Donald Trump returned to the presidency, investigations by the agency that handles allegations of civil rights violations in the nation’s schools and colleges have ground to a halt.

Historically, the bulk of investigations in the office have been launched after students or their families file complaints. Since Trump took office, the focus has shifted to “directed investigations,” meaning that the Trump administration has ordered those inquiries.

Several employees told ProPublica that they have been told not to communicate with the students, families and schools involved in cases launched in previous administrations and to cancel scheduled meetings and mediations. “We’ve been essentially muzzled,” the attorney said. 

Just a few more daily Fascist Factoids.  Louisiana stops promoting ‘mass vaccinations’. (Which reminds me, is this RFK Jr’s favorite county?)  FEMA drops requirement to ‘build back safely’.

Ho-kay, let’s see if I can compartmentalize–emphasis on ‘mental’.

State Senate To Conduct Hearing On Delmarva Skyrocketing Rates Today.  Just a quick thought–when the ‘Acting’ Public Advocate acts as a shill for Delmarva, perhaps another Public Advocate is in order.  Oh, the rates have skyrocketed because it’s cold?  Has it never been cold before? Delaware Way shit.  You can watch the hearing at 10 am here.  You can submit comments as well.

Newark Rejects Sop For Newark Charter School.  Good.  Can’t believe they even considered it:

For years, Newark Charter School has been looking for a new baseball field for its student-athletes. With limited space on its own campus, the school proposed expanding into the city of Newark’s Folk Memorial Park, a 30-acre public space known for its lush greenery, walking trails and diverse wildlife. The idea was to transform a portion of the park’s forested and wetland areas into a baseball and softball complex, one that school officials said would provide much-needed space for the youth.

But that proposal immediately sparked outrage among many Newark residents, particularly those who live near the park and view it as an irreplaceable environmental sanctuary. For weeks, opposition grew as community members organized, wrote letters to city officials and spread awareness about what they say was a threat to one of Newark’s last natural habitats.

The tension came to a head Monday night when Newark City Council, faced with an unexpectedly strong community presence — many wearing bright green “Save Folk Park” shirts — voted 5 to 1 to halt all discussions with Newark Charter regarding the expansion, even though the proposal wasn’t even listed on the meeting’s agenda.

Shoutout To AG Kathy Jennings.  Fighting the good fight and (often) winning:

Clinical trials for child cancer patients, parenting studies of recovering addicts and analysis of brain functions of early-symptom Alzheimer patients could be among the Delaware-based research that is disrupted by new requirements on grants if the federal government prevails in a lawsuit filed Monday.

A coalition of 21 states including Delaware sued two of the nation’s top health agencies in response to a new mandate governing how federal grants can be used to fund overhead costs on medical research.

What do you want to talk about?