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Celerity
Celerity's Journal
Celerity's Journal
September 16, 2022
https://www.thedailybeast.com/indias-narendra-modi-and-chinas-xi-jinping-criticize-vladimir-putins-war-in-ukraine-right-to-his-face
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi bluntly told Russian President Vladimir Putin that he thinks Putin’s decision to wage war in Ukraine is a grave error. Modi, who was speaking with Putin in Uzbekistan on the sidelines of a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, said now is not the time for war, and lambasted him for continuing to conduct attacks against Ukrainians nearly seven months into the war, according to Reuters.
Modi said this was not the first time he had expressed a distaste for Putin’s war. He said he has warned Putin he disapproved of the war over the phone on multiple occasions. “Today's era is not one of war, and I’ve talked to you about this on the phone several times… in the coming days, how we move towards the path of peace—we will definitely have an opportunity to discuss this,” Modi said, according to a translation from the director of The India Project at the Brookings Institution, Tanvi Madan.
https://twitter.com/tanvi_madan/status/1570771192382128131
Modi cited concerns about food, fertilizer, fuel security, and supply issues. Putin acknowledged the prime minister’s concerns. “I know about your position on the conflict in Ukraine, and I know about your concerns,” Putin said. “We want all of this to end as soon as possible.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin is feeling pressure from all sides to pull back from the war in Ukraine. The public rebuke from Modi comes just a day after Putin held a key face-to-face meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, during which Putin acknowledged publicly that Xi has “concerns” about the war in Ukraine.
snip
Putin's Allies Are Now Slamming the War Right to His Face
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi made clear to Vladimir Putin in a meeting that he is not confident in Russia’s decisions about the war in Ukraine.https://www.thedailybeast.com/indias-narendra-modi-and-chinas-xi-jinping-criticize-vladimir-putins-war-in-ukraine-right-to-his-face
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi bluntly told Russian President Vladimir Putin that he thinks Putin’s decision to wage war in Ukraine is a grave error. Modi, who was speaking with Putin in Uzbekistan on the sidelines of a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, said now is not the time for war, and lambasted him for continuing to conduct attacks against Ukrainians nearly seven months into the war, according to Reuters.
Modi said this was not the first time he had expressed a distaste for Putin’s war. He said he has warned Putin he disapproved of the war over the phone on multiple occasions. “Today's era is not one of war, and I’ve talked to you about this on the phone several times… in the coming days, how we move towards the path of peace—we will definitely have an opportunity to discuss this,” Modi said, according to a translation from the director of The India Project at the Brookings Institution, Tanvi Madan.
https://twitter.com/tanvi_madan/status/1570771192382128131
Modi cited concerns about food, fertilizer, fuel security, and supply issues. Putin acknowledged the prime minister’s concerns. “I know about your position on the conflict in Ukraine, and I know about your concerns,” Putin said. “We want all of this to end as soon as possible.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin is feeling pressure from all sides to pull back from the war in Ukraine. The public rebuke from Modi comes just a day after Putin held a key face-to-face meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, during which Putin acknowledged publicly that Xi has “concerns” about the war in Ukraine.
snip
September 16, 2022
https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/3646852-markey-opposes-manchin-push-to-include-permitting-reform-in-stopgap-funding-bill/
Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) is joining a group of liberal House members in opposing Sen. Joe Manchin’s (D-W.Va.) push to pass changes to the environmental review process in a stopgap funding bill.
Markey became the second Democratic-caucusing senator to call for the issues to be separated. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) has previously expressed opposition to the West Virginia senator’s reforms.
Democratic leadership promised Manchin they would pass changes to the country’s permitting system to expedite the approval of both fossil and renewable energy projects in exchange for his vote on their climate, tax and health care bill.
Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) has said he would include such changes in a temporary funding measure that would prevent a government shutdown.
snip
Ed Markey opposes Manchin push to include permitting reform in stopgap funding bill
On the House side, a lot of the opposition has come from Democrats, with nearly 80 of them opposing the idea of tying the funding measure to the permitting changes.https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/3646852-markey-opposes-manchin-push-to-include-permitting-reform-in-stopgap-funding-bill/
Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) is joining a group of liberal House members in opposing Sen. Joe Manchin’s (D-W.Va.) push to pass changes to the environmental review process in a stopgap funding bill.
Markey became the second Democratic-caucusing senator to call for the issues to be separated. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) has previously expressed opposition to the West Virginia senator’s reforms.
Democratic leadership promised Manchin they would pass changes to the country’s permitting system to expedite the approval of both fossil and renewable energy projects in exchange for his vote on their climate, tax and health care bill.
Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) has said he would include such changes in a temporary funding measure that would prevent a government shutdown.
snip
September 16, 2022
https://www.thedailybeast.com/the-shocking-amount-the-democratic-national-committee-has-given-to-state-campaign-arm-dlcc
With the repeal of Roe v. Wade and the GOP’s subsequent rush to restrict abortion in Republican-controlled states, liberal donors may be surprised to find out just how much money the Democratic National Committee has contributed to the Democratic committee trying to win statehouses. The answer, the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee confirmed to The Daily Beast, is... nothing.
Despite Democrats talking a big game for years about catching up to the Republicans at the state level—the DNC even formed a “victory task force” in 2015 to take back state legislatures—the DNC hasn’t given a cent this midterm cycle to the DLCC, the party’s main statehouse fundraising arm. While the DNC has already handed the party’s House and Senate committees $15 million in total this year, the DLCC was left to fend for itself. "Democrats don’t believe in trickle-down economics, but they do believe in trickle-down politics,” said Christina Polizzi, a spokesperson for the DLCC.
If there’s one statistic operatives like Polizzi and candidates at the state level bring up from 2020 to underscore the Democratic Party’s misplaced priorities, it’s how much money Democratic Senate candidate Amy McGrath raised to lose to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) by almost exactly 20 points.
“Nothing makes me angrier than looking back at, you know, in the last cycle in 2020, Democratic donors donated $94 million to Amy McGrath to try to defeat Mitch McConnell,” Michigan state Sen. Mallory McMorrow told The Daily Beast, taking a beat in her critique of Democratic donors overlooking state legislatures. Roughly 60 percent of those donations to McGrath were less than $200. “And it was all of this messaging about like, if we just take out Mitch McConnell, we're gonna fix everything,” McMorrow continued. “And in comparison, the DLCC’s budget for that entire cycle—for every single state legislature around the country—was $51 million.”
snip
The Shocking Amount the DNC Has Given to the Dem State Campaign Arm: Zero. The answer is zero.
Democrats say winning back statehouses is a priority, particularly with new abortion restrictions being passed. It sure doesn’t seem like it.https://www.thedailybeast.com/the-shocking-amount-the-democratic-national-committee-has-given-to-state-campaign-arm-dlcc
With the repeal of Roe v. Wade and the GOP’s subsequent rush to restrict abortion in Republican-controlled states, liberal donors may be surprised to find out just how much money the Democratic National Committee has contributed to the Democratic committee trying to win statehouses. The answer, the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee confirmed to The Daily Beast, is... nothing.
Despite Democrats talking a big game for years about catching up to the Republicans at the state level—the DNC even formed a “victory task force” in 2015 to take back state legislatures—the DNC hasn’t given a cent this midterm cycle to the DLCC, the party’s main statehouse fundraising arm. While the DNC has already handed the party’s House and Senate committees $15 million in total this year, the DLCC was left to fend for itself. "Democrats don’t believe in trickle-down economics, but they do believe in trickle-down politics,” said Christina Polizzi, a spokesperson for the DLCC.
If there’s one statistic operatives like Polizzi and candidates at the state level bring up from 2020 to underscore the Democratic Party’s misplaced priorities, it’s how much money Democratic Senate candidate Amy McGrath raised to lose to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) by almost exactly 20 points.
“Nothing makes me angrier than looking back at, you know, in the last cycle in 2020, Democratic donors donated $94 million to Amy McGrath to try to defeat Mitch McConnell,” Michigan state Sen. Mallory McMorrow told The Daily Beast, taking a beat in her critique of Democratic donors overlooking state legislatures. Roughly 60 percent of those donations to McGrath were less than $200. “And it was all of this messaging about like, if we just take out Mitch McConnell, we're gonna fix everything,” McMorrow continued. “And in comparison, the DLCC’s budget for that entire cycle—for every single state legislature around the country—was $51 million.”
snip
September 16, 2022
https://www.nytimes.com/live/2022/09/16/business/economy-news-inflation-stocks
https://archive.ph/15Ei3
Stocks tumbled on Friday, capping one of Wall Street’s worst weeks of the year, with corporate executives, bankers and managers of trillions of dollars of investors’ money warning of more pain to come for the economy and markets. The slump is another bout of whiplash for investors, after a string of surprises this summer that have steadily undermined optimism in the financial markets.
After hitting a low in June, the S&P 500 rallied more than 17 percent into mid-August, before gyrating again. This week’s latest sell-off leaves the benchmark stock index down nearly 19 percent for the year and roughly 5 percent above its June low. Friday’s 1.4 percent fall took its weekly loss to over 5 percent for just the fourth time this year.
Now, some of the most powerful trading houses in the world, deploying investments on behalf of pension funds, governments and other investors, are warning that there is more pain to come.
“If you asked me a year ago what is the worst scenario for financial markets, I think things are now worse than anything we could have imagined,” said Nicolai Tangen, the head of Norway’s sovereign wealth fund, the largest of its kind. The fund manages money generated by Norway’s extensive oil and gas sales and has $1.4 trillion invested around the world.
snip
Stocks Fall, Capping a Dismal Week, as Investors See More Pain Ahead
Stocks slide at the end of a rough week for investors. Pessimism is deepening as bellwether companies like FedEx warn of worsening economic and business conditions.https://www.nytimes.com/live/2022/09/16/business/economy-news-inflation-stocks
https://archive.ph/15Ei3
Stocks tumbled on Friday, capping one of Wall Street’s worst weeks of the year, with corporate executives, bankers and managers of trillions of dollars of investors’ money warning of more pain to come for the economy and markets. The slump is another bout of whiplash for investors, after a string of surprises this summer that have steadily undermined optimism in the financial markets.
After hitting a low in June, the S&P 500 rallied more than 17 percent into mid-August, before gyrating again. This week’s latest sell-off leaves the benchmark stock index down nearly 19 percent for the year and roughly 5 percent above its June low. Friday’s 1.4 percent fall took its weekly loss to over 5 percent for just the fourth time this year.
Now, some of the most powerful trading houses in the world, deploying investments on behalf of pension funds, governments and other investors, are warning that there is more pain to come.
“If you asked me a year ago what is the worst scenario for financial markets, I think things are now worse than anything we could have imagined,” said Nicolai Tangen, the head of Norway’s sovereign wealth fund, the largest of its kind. The fund manages money generated by Norway’s extensive oil and gas sales and has $1.4 trillion invested around the world.
snip
September 16, 2022
Saunders Architecture has designed a wood-clad home near Bergen, Norway, with a sculptural form raised on metal stilts to capture views out over Lake Nordås. The project, called Villa Grieg, combines a two-bedroom home with a music studio, which emerges from the ground in a low, sloping form that also houses the staircase up to the elevated living spaces.
It was commissioned by a descendant of Norwegian composer Edvard Grieg, who in the 1880s lived nearby in a villa with an adjacent composers hut, which now forms part of the Edvard Grieg Museum. The new villa sits aligned with these historic buildings further up the hillside, taking its cues from both the programme and relationship to the landscape found in Edvard Grieg's original home.
"It's almost a longing to have the same kind of life Edvard Grieg would have had at the time," Saunders Architecture founder Todd Saunders told Dezeen. "Programmatically it's related, as both a place to compose music and a place to live, and geographically it has the same relationship to the lake," he continued.
The plan of Villa Grieg was conceived as a continuous line that gradually moves upwards, from a more insular music studio at ground floor level into a glazed, open living space raised on piloti and framing dramatic views of the lake. "We wanted movement, almost like drawing a single line that wraps around on itself and a sculptural movement towards the sky," Saunders said.
snip
Saunders Architecture designs villa on piloti overlooking Norwegian lake
https://www.dezeen.com/2022/09/07/saunders-architecture-villa-grieg-bergen-norway/Saunders Architecture has designed a wood-clad home near Bergen, Norway, with a sculptural form raised on metal stilts to capture views out over Lake Nordås. The project, called Villa Grieg, combines a two-bedroom home with a music studio, which emerges from the ground in a low, sloping form that also houses the staircase up to the elevated living spaces.
It was commissioned by a descendant of Norwegian composer Edvard Grieg, who in the 1880s lived nearby in a villa with an adjacent composers hut, which now forms part of the Edvard Grieg Museum. The new villa sits aligned with these historic buildings further up the hillside, taking its cues from both the programme and relationship to the landscape found in Edvard Grieg's original home.
"It's almost a longing to have the same kind of life Edvard Grieg would have had at the time," Saunders Architecture founder Todd Saunders told Dezeen. "Programmatically it's related, as both a place to compose music and a place to live, and geographically it has the same relationship to the lake," he continued.
The plan of Villa Grieg was conceived as a continuous line that gradually moves upwards, from a more insular music studio at ground floor level into a glazed, open living space raised on piloti and framing dramatic views of the lake. "We wanted movement, almost like drawing a single line that wraps around on itself and a sculptural movement towards the sky," Saunders said.
snip
September 16, 2022
A screen of wavy, perforated brick and stone wraps a compact arrangement of volumes and courtyards at this home in Maval, India, designed by local practice PMA Madhushala. Reinterpreting the courtyard house typology common to the area, Gadi House, which has been shortlisted in the rural house category of Dezeen Awards 2022, was designed to create a series of varied spatial experiences for its inhabitants.
"Having lived in a traditional house form for generations, [the clients] had become accustomed to a habitat with a protected envelope, internal courtyards, large external open areas, and farming," explained the practice. "Accordingly, they wanted an architectural manifestation that would create an identity for their family," it continued.
A stone bridge leading from a paved garden area across a small pool of water provides access into the home, which is organised in a cluster of concrete-block structures that sit within the external envelope. Atop a "muscular" base of load-bearing grey stone, the redbrick facade is articulated with wave-like patterns, with perforations and small-irregular openings allowing air through the home and eliminating the need for mechanical cooling.
Inside, the interiors have been organised in a cruciform plan, leaving the corners as open, planted courtyards that help circulate air through the home's perforated skin into the interiors. On the ground floor, the living and dining areas have the most immediate connection to these courtyards, with wooden doors opening onto seating areas and a small pool.
snip
PMA Madhushala wraps Indian home in perforated wall of brick and stone
https://www.dezeen.com/2022/09/15/pma-madhushala-gadi-house-resdential-architecture-india/A screen of wavy, perforated brick and stone wraps a compact arrangement of volumes and courtyards at this home in Maval, India, designed by local practice PMA Madhushala. Reinterpreting the courtyard house typology common to the area, Gadi House, which has been shortlisted in the rural house category of Dezeen Awards 2022, was designed to create a series of varied spatial experiences for its inhabitants.
"Having lived in a traditional house form for generations, [the clients] had become accustomed to a habitat with a protected envelope, internal courtyards, large external open areas, and farming," explained the practice. "Accordingly, they wanted an architectural manifestation that would create an identity for their family," it continued.
A stone bridge leading from a paved garden area across a small pool of water provides access into the home, which is organised in a cluster of concrete-block structures that sit within the external envelope. Atop a "muscular" base of load-bearing grey stone, the redbrick facade is articulated with wave-like patterns, with perforations and small-irregular openings allowing air through the home and eliminating the need for mechanical cooling.
Inside, the interiors have been organised in a cruciform plan, leaving the corners as open, planted courtyards that help circulate air through the home's perforated skin into the interiors. On the ground floor, the living and dining areas have the most immediate connection to these courtyards, with wooden doors opening onto seating areas and a small pool.
snip
September 15, 2022
Label: Homestead Records – HMS146-1
Format:
2 x Vinyl, LP, Album
Country: US
Released: 1989
Genre: Rock
Style: Post Punk, Indie Rock
My Dad Is Dead - The Taller You Are, the Shorter You Get (1989) Full Album
Label: Homestead Records – HMS146-1
Format:
2 x Vinyl, LP, Album
Country: US
Released: 1989
Genre: Rock
Style: Post Punk, Indie Rock
September 15, 2022
https://www.thedailybeast.com/king-charles-is-a-passionate-supporter-of-fake-science
What type of king will Charles III be? This is a question I have been asked many times during recent days. As a scientist, I might be good at establishing facts, but I have to admit I am lousy at reading tea leaves. The best answer I can offer is one based on Charles’ track record in my area of expertise.
In his role as Prince of Wales, Charles promoted all sorts of “alternative” nonsense for 40 years. His anti-scientific stance went so far that he once even stated that he is proud of being an enemy of the enlightenment. But his favorite type of quackery has always been homeopathy.
The royal family’s love affair with this therapy is as old as homeopathy itself and can be seen in numerous guises. Homeopathy became part of the U.K. National Health Service (NHS) from its beginning in 1948—not least because of royal support.
Queen Elizabeth II was the patron of the Royal Homeopathic Hospital in London. Charles has lobbied U.K. politicians in support of homeopathy and, in 2019, he became a patron of the “‘Faculty of Homeopathy,” the professional organization of medical homeopaths in the U.K.
snip
King Charles Is a Passionate Supporter of Fake Science
The new monarch has been pushing bunk homeopathic medicine for four decades. This isn’t just silly, it’s dangerous.https://www.thedailybeast.com/king-charles-is-a-passionate-supporter-of-fake-science
What type of king will Charles III be? This is a question I have been asked many times during recent days. As a scientist, I might be good at establishing facts, but I have to admit I am lousy at reading tea leaves. The best answer I can offer is one based on Charles’ track record in my area of expertise.
In his role as Prince of Wales, Charles promoted all sorts of “alternative” nonsense for 40 years. His anti-scientific stance went so far that he once even stated that he is proud of being an enemy of the enlightenment. But his favorite type of quackery has always been homeopathy.
The royal family’s love affair with this therapy is as old as homeopathy itself and can be seen in numerous guises. Homeopathy became part of the U.K. National Health Service (NHS) from its beginning in 1948—not least because of royal support.
Queen Elizabeth II was the patron of the Royal Homeopathic Hospital in London. Charles has lobbied U.K. politicians in support of homeopathy and, in 2019, he became a patron of the “‘Faculty of Homeopathy,” the professional organization of medical homeopaths in the U.K.
snip
September 14, 2022
Wales manager Rob Page says he was ‘in awe’ of speech
Fulham’s 17-year-old star Luke Harris called up by Wales
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2022/sep/13/wales-football-squad-michael-sheen-speech-a-league-of-their-own
Rob Page has said he found Michael Sheen’s rousing ‘pre-match’ speech deeply moving and that the Wales squad want to meet the Hollywood actor. Sheen’s speech on A League of Their Own has gone viral and Page said he planned to thank him for his stirring words. Sheen was asked by the television programme’s host, Romesh Ranganathan, to provide a flavour of the kind of message he would give the Wales squad before they play England in their final World Cup Group B game in November.
Sheen references Page, the late Gary Speed and the folk singer Dafydd Iwan in the address that has received more than 13m views on social media. Page and his players are keen to meet the Damned United and The Queen actor. “I’d like to, absolutely,” Page said. “What he has done … Welsh football is in a good place at the moment. I’ve had pals that live in England going: ‘Wow, to be Welsh [must] be unbelievable.’
“I’ve already had messages from the players … they want to get him in straight away, absolutely. I was in a meeting in Cardiff and I was going back up north and my phone was going bananas so I knew something had kicked off. When I watched it, I was in awe of it, it was unbelievable. I’ve had some great reaction from the players and the staff. When you’ve got the passion to do that, we’ve got to use it to our benefit, absolutely.”
Sheen gave his speech on a panel alongside Jamie Redknapp, Micah Richards and Aaron Ramsdale. “Outstanding, outstanding,” Page said. “‘Give them some sugar.’ It’s fantastic. I well up every time I watch it. “Personally I want to thank him for doing that. I do. I want to let him know that I appreciate what he’s done there. Because we’re on the map but he’s taken it to another level for us.”
snip
Wales football squad want visit from Michael Sheen after seeing rousing speech
Wales manager Rob Page says he was ‘in awe’ of speech
Fulham’s 17-year-old star Luke Harris called up by Wales
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2022/sep/13/wales-football-squad-michael-sheen-speech-a-league-of-their-own
Rob Page has said he found Michael Sheen’s rousing ‘pre-match’ speech deeply moving and that the Wales squad want to meet the Hollywood actor. Sheen’s speech on A League of Their Own has gone viral and Page said he planned to thank him for his stirring words. Sheen was asked by the television programme’s host, Romesh Ranganathan, to provide a flavour of the kind of message he would give the Wales squad before they play England in their final World Cup Group B game in November.
Sheen references Page, the late Gary Speed and the folk singer Dafydd Iwan in the address that has received more than 13m views on social media. Page and his players are keen to meet the Damned United and The Queen actor. “I’d like to, absolutely,” Page said. “What he has done … Welsh football is in a good place at the moment. I’ve had pals that live in England going: ‘Wow, to be Welsh [must] be unbelievable.’
“I’ve already had messages from the players … they want to get him in straight away, absolutely. I was in a meeting in Cardiff and I was going back up north and my phone was going bananas so I knew something had kicked off. When I watched it, I was in awe of it, it was unbelievable. I’ve had some great reaction from the players and the staff. When you’ve got the passion to do that, we’ve got to use it to our benefit, absolutely.”
Sheen gave his speech on a panel alongside Jamie Redknapp, Micah Richards and Aaron Ramsdale. “Outstanding, outstanding,” Page said. “‘Give them some sugar.’ It’s fantastic. I well up every time I watch it. “Personally I want to thank him for doing that. I do. I want to let him know that I appreciate what he’s done there. Because we’re on the map but he’s taken it to another level for us.”
snip
September 14, 2022
https://thebanter.substack.com/p/the-poison-is-already-in-the-system
The last couple of weeks have been filled with a lot of good (and occasionally hilarious) news but the last several days have not been all that great for American jurisprudence. I’ve written before about how out of control Republican judges are, and recent events indicate it isn’t getting any better. We are witnessing two extremes at work now: unqualified judges shamelessly enacting the GOP’s agenda because that’s why they were made judges in the first place, and more experienced activist judges seizing the opportunity of a broken Supreme Court to abuse their power.
Republicans, long-planning to use the courts to control our nation, stacked the system with 200 extremists during Trump’s benighted 4 years in office. Biden and the Democrats are moving with the same urgency, having filled a record 79 open seats (with qualified jurists) so far, but only have around another 80 left. Fortunately, quite a few new seats open every year and a Biden reelection would see more Republican appointees from the Reagan and both Bush eras retire and be replaced than Democratic appointees from Clinton and Obama. As long, of course, as Republicans do not control the Senate and the filibuster. The upside is that Republicans appear to be throwing away their shot at retaking the Senate and blocking all of Biden’s nominations. The very much downside is that the poison is already in the system.
Doing as she’s told
Last week, Trump-appointed Judge Aileen Cannon, after making it quite clear she was on Team Trump, ordered a “special master” to review the classified documents Trump illegally took from the White House, thus bringing the FBI investigation to a screeching halt. There is so much wrong with Cannon’s ruling that it is almost a parody. Is Trump still president? Does the law apply to him? Is Cannon familiar with the Constitution? The most obviously flawed part of Cannon’s ruling is her assertion that Trump still may have some Executive Branch power as an ex-President. Not content with just that egregious misreading of the law and the Constitution, Cannon proceeds to go far beyond that. The Atlantic lays out the gory details:
So not only can Trump still claim executive privilege, a legal right no other ex-president in history has had, he can use it to shield himself from criminal investigation, at least temporarily. That’s a lot of power to hand to a civilian. One wonders if Judge Cannon would extend the power to stymie criminal investigations to sitting President Joe Biden or former President Barrack Obama. One suspects not. It will be fascinating to see, if given the opportunity, how Cannon would eventually rule on Trump’s claim that the files were declassified and it is therefore not a crime to take them. Sure, there’s no record of Trump declassifying them and no one can recall speaking to Trump about it, but since he said it in his head, that’s a new power of the office of the president, right?
snip
The Poison Is Already In The System
The GOP has infected the judicial system so badly that it may not be possible to repair it.https://thebanter.substack.com/p/the-poison-is-already-in-the-system
The last couple of weeks have been filled with a lot of good (and occasionally hilarious) news but the last several days have not been all that great for American jurisprudence. I’ve written before about how out of control Republican judges are, and recent events indicate it isn’t getting any better. We are witnessing two extremes at work now: unqualified judges shamelessly enacting the GOP’s agenda because that’s why they were made judges in the first place, and more experienced activist judges seizing the opportunity of a broken Supreme Court to abuse their power.
Republicans, long-planning to use the courts to control our nation, stacked the system with 200 extremists during Trump’s benighted 4 years in office. Biden and the Democrats are moving with the same urgency, having filled a record 79 open seats (with qualified jurists) so far, but only have around another 80 left. Fortunately, quite a few new seats open every year and a Biden reelection would see more Republican appointees from the Reagan and both Bush eras retire and be replaced than Democratic appointees from Clinton and Obama. As long, of course, as Republicans do not control the Senate and the filibuster. The upside is that Republicans appear to be throwing away their shot at retaking the Senate and blocking all of Biden’s nominations. The very much downside is that the poison is already in the system.
Doing as she’s told
Last week, Trump-appointed Judge Aileen Cannon, after making it quite clear she was on Team Trump, ordered a “special master” to review the classified documents Trump illegally took from the White House, thus bringing the FBI investigation to a screeching halt. There is so much wrong with Cannon’s ruling that it is almost a parody. Is Trump still president? Does the law apply to him? Is Cannon familiar with the Constitution? The most obviously flawed part of Cannon’s ruling is her assertion that Trump still may have some Executive Branch power as an ex-President. Not content with just that egregious misreading of the law and the Constitution, Cannon proceeds to go far beyond that. The Atlantic lays out the gory details:
So not only can Trump still claim executive privilege, a legal right no other ex-president in history has had, he can use it to shield himself from criminal investigation, at least temporarily. That’s a lot of power to hand to a civilian. One wonders if Judge Cannon would extend the power to stymie criminal investigations to sitting President Joe Biden or former President Barrack Obama. One suspects not. It will be fascinating to see, if given the opportunity, how Cannon would eventually rule on Trump’s claim that the files were declassified and it is therefore not a crime to take them. Sure, there’s no record of Trump declassifying them and no one can recall speaking to Trump about it, but since he said it in his head, that’s a new power of the office of the president, right?
snip
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