News of the Week for July 7th, 2024
- Election 2024
- Abortion
- Gun Rights
- Hide the Decline
- Obamacare
- War & Terror
- National News
- Economy & Taxes
- International News
- Opinion
Election 2024
Supreme Court: Trump Entitled To “At Least Presumptive Immunity From Prosecution For All His Official Acts”
Absolute immunity in carrying out “core constitutional powers”, and presumptive immunity for all official acts: “Congress may not criminalize the President’s conduct in carrying out the responsibilities of the Executive Branch under the Constitution.” Remands to determine whether actions at issue were official or personal.
Trump immunity ruling hands big decisions to Judge Tanya Chutkan
The U.S. Supreme Court’s presidential immunity ruling on Monday sends the federal case accusing Donald Trump of attempting to overturn his 2020 defeat back to Judge Tanya Chutkan for critical decisions that will shape the future of the historic prosecution.
I’m With Justice Barrett on Trump v. United States
A few days ago, I wrote a rather semantic response to Andy McCarthy in which I argued that the existence of limits on Congress’s capacity to intrude upon the powers of the executive branch did not imply that the president enjoyed any form of “immunity” from prosecution.
Supreme Court’s Presidential Immunity Ruling Could Shield Outrageous Abuses of Power
By requiring “absolute” immunity for some “official acts” and “presumptive” immunity for others, the justices cast doubt on the viability of Donald Trump’s election interference prosecution.
Gretchen Whitmer Fires the First Shot
Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer is standing behind Joe Biden — where she is apparently eager to drive a knife in between his shoulder blades.
Trump attorney argues ‘fake electors’ scheme was an ‘official act’
An attorney for former President Trump suggested the so-called “fake electors” scheme qualifies as an “official act,” which would prevent it from being prosecuted under the recent Supreme Court ruling on presidential immunity.
Project 2025 Leader Promises ‘Second American Revolution’
The leader of right-wing think tank The Heritage Foundation says the Supreme Court presidential immunity ruling could bolster a second American revolution, as defined by his group’s Project 2025 plan.
The Harris Mistake
In my most recent column, written hours after Biden’s disastrous debate, I blame him both for running for reelection and for leaving Democrats with no great alternative to him
Thoughts on the Trump Immunity Decision
The Supreme Court’s flawed decision largely ignores text and original meaning, and fails to resolve crucial issues.
‘Now we rebuild Britain’: Triumphant Keir Starmer delivers first speech as Prime Minister as he vows to deliver change
Sir Keir Starmer has delivered a triumphant first speech as Prime Minister of the UK as he vowed to put the ‘country first, party second’ under the new Labour government.
UK Election Post-Mortem: How Bad Was the Night for Britain’s Conservatives?,
The UK election is official, and it’s all over but the shouting — and finger-pointing. With only two parliamentary seats left to declare their vote totals, Labour has won 412 seats to the Conservatives’ 121. A handful of other parties and independent candidates claimed the remaining 115 seats.
Trump disavows Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025, despite MAGA ties
Former President Trump on Friday disavowed the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025, which has sparked widespread news coverage about policy plans for a potential second Trump administration.
‘Some Folks Need Killing!’ NC GOP Governor Nominee Delivers Wild Rant in Speech at Church
North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson (R) delivered a shocking campaign speech at a church this week, calling for the “killing” of a wide range of foes ranging from America’s past war enemies to “wicked people” and those who kick conservatives off social media.
2024 France election live updates: Prime Minister Attal plans to resign as projections show leftists lead
The first projections in the 2024 French legislative election say a leftist coaltion, the New Popular Front, have won most seats. The surprise projections put President Emmanuel Macron’s centrist alliance in second and the far right in third.
France Elections: Left-Wing Alliance Surpasses Le Pen’s National Rally
Euronews TV: “France’s anti-far right forces have pushed Marine Le Pen’s National Rally from first to third place.”
Abortion
Dobbs Decision
Kansas’ top court bolsters a state right to abortion and strikes down 2 anti-abortion laws
Kansas’ highest court has strongly reaffirmed that the state constitution protects abortion access, striking down a ban on a common second-trimester procedure and laws regulating abortion providers more strictly than other healthcare providers.
Gun Rights
Oklahoma, Alabama Now Have AI-Powered Vending Machines That Sell Bullets
In a questionable new trend, supermarkets in the South now seem to be selling bullets right out of a dispenser.
Hide the Decline
Environment &“Green Energy”
Jackson, Wyo., Approves ‘Rights of Nature’ Resolution
Good grief. Jackson, Wyo. — the Tetons are my favorite place in the world — just approved a “rights of nature” resolution. It includes everything that exists.
Obamacare
Government in Healthcare
Duke Health Fires Conservative Doctor
Asked to produce evidence for its “racism” claims, the university hospital lashed out instead.
War & Terror
Russia’s New ‘Combat Icebreaker’ Heads For Sea Trials
Russia continues to push forward with the rapid renewal and expansion of its icebreaker fleet. In addition to commissioning three new nuclear icebreakers in the last four years, with three more currently under construction, Russia’s first armed combat icebreaker, Ivan Papanin, is now headed for open water factory trials.
Video Shows Jewish NYC Banker was Attacked by ‘Queers for Palestine’ Mob Before Fighting Back
“…these agitators formed a ring at him, doused him with two unknown liquids, shoved him to the ground, and hurled antisemitic slurs at him.”
War fears explode as ‘China commandeers Taiwanese ship’ sparking crisis
Reports said the Taiwanese boat was then taken to the Weitou Military Port in Fujian, China as tensions in the region continue to escalate.
Castro dictatorship declares Cuba to be in a ‘wartime economy’
Facing an unprecedented economic crisis brought about by the inherent inefficiency and corruption of a centralized economic policy, the communist Castro dictatorship is declaring that the country is now in a “wartime economy.” The declaration will do nothing to alleviate the suffering in Cuba, but will give the Cuban regime the justification to crack down and force Cubans into deeper poverty.
Falkland tensions explode as Argentina ‘rejects illegal British action’ in the Islands
Argentina has reacted with fury to the move and has threatened serious consequences if the UK proceeds with its plans to drill for oil.
National
Giuliani disbarred in NY as court finds he repeatedly lied about Trump’s 2020 election loss
Rudolph Giuliani, the former New York City mayor, federal prosecutor and legal adviser to Donald Trump, was disbarred in the state on Tuesday after a court found he repeatedly made false statements about Donald Trump’s 2020 election loss.
Nebraska Man Tells Hispanic Family To ‘Go Back to Their Country’ Before Shooting 7 of Them
‘I guess it was just a racist thing that happened,’ said a family friend of the victims
Scientists clone TWO endangered animals using frozen genes from 1988: Process could save OTHER species from extinction
Scientists cloned two ferrets from a frozen DNA tissue sample taken in 1988
Baby, Can You Drive My Car? Not If It’s a Stick Shift
Manual transmissions are increasingly rare in America, foiling teenage carjackers and frustrating valet parking lots
Short Circuit: A Roundup of Recent Federal Court Decisions
Controversial memes, mandatory recusal, and punitive damages caps.
Economy & Taxes
Property Tax Map Shows Most Expensive States
As mortgage rates still linger around the 7 percent mark and home prices remain relatively high amidst a historic lack of inventory in the U.S., property taxes are a significant expense that homeowners must take into account when facing the growing cost of housing.
Trump Amplifies Calls to Jail Top Elected Officials, Invokes Military Tribunals
Former President Donald J. Trump over the weekend escalated his vows to prosecute his political opponents, circulating posts on his social media website invoking “televised military tribunals” and calling for the jailing of President Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, Senators Mitch McConnell and Chuck Schumer and former Vice President Mike Pence, among other high-profile politicians.
CBO Scoring Offers an Opportunity for Republicans to Reform Social Security
I know that President Trump has said he won’t touch Social Security and Medicare. But as more and more observers start to realize that our debt trajectory could/will become a bigger problem than it is now, there may be a political advantage in reforming the program and start reforming it now.
International
New Zealand, once a utopia for Trump-weary exiles, turns to the right
After the debate between President Biden and Donald Trump turned disastrous for the incumbent Thursday, comedian Jon Stewart quipped on “The Daily Show” that he needed to “call a real estate agent in New Zealand.”
Mystery of what led to extinction of large animals 50,000 years ago is SOLVED
Scientists have long debated why woolly mammoths, giant sloths and 44 more giant, plant-eating ‘megaherbivores’ went extinct starting around 50,000 years ago.
Pregnant women in Cuban hospital fed worm-infested meals
Yum! What a great new addition to Cuban cuisine: Fricasé de Gusanitos! In its infinite wisdom, Castro, Inc. is now allowing worms to be fed to expectant mothers, obviously as a means of making up for the lack of protein in their diets. One could not ask for a better display of the achievements of Castro, Inc.’s Sixty-five-year-long “Revolution.” A highly symbolic diet plan, for sure, given the way Castro, Inc. has employed the epithet “worms” for its opponents.
Brazilian police indict ex-President Bolsonaro in undeclared diamonds case, sources say
Brazil’s Federal Police have indicted former President Jair Bolsonaro for money laundering and criminal association in connection with undeclared diamonds the far-right leader received from Saudi Arabia during his time in office, according to a source with knowledge of the accusations.
Opinion
For Guidance on Ensuring a Good Republican Platform, Look to the Past
We can only hope that Tim Chapman’s clarion call — “The New Republican Platform Must Not Abandon Conservatism” — will be heard in whatever room in Milwaukee the Trump campaign plans to sequester the platform delegates, behind doors locked to the media and the public. Since 1980, GOP platforms have been, in Chapman’s words, “the safe harbor buttressed by permanent principles” that have tremendously expanded, and diversified, the Republican electoral base. Unfortunately, the 2024 GOP platform process is a throwback to 1972, when the Nixon White House, in its imperial-presidency phase, micromanaged everything. But even then, Nixon didn’t treat the delegates as if they were in a witness-protection program.
In Defense of Cynicism
“The cynics aren’t always right. But that’s the way to bet,” Professor Glenn Reynolds says, in regard to a young journalist’s belated discovery that an infamous “hate crime” was not what he’d been told.
