sniff Thanks man, that was really sweet.
American Politics: A Brand New Day
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That sort of glowing write up that stops just short of describing it as divine scripture is a good example of the sort of thing that fascinates me. Describing any historical document as perfect really drives home the this is more than letters of the law this is sacred feeling you get when Americans talk about the founding fathers
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Such perfect document only had to be amended 18 times, and you said hey embody the perfect ideals for the XVIII century.
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It's really interesting how the chosen people view themselves. After all, everyone's fReE to write their own history :ninja:
America as an experiment is such a unique blend of values that have stood the test of time.
Not sure it's a great thing.
separation of church and state.
"God bless America"
-Every US presidentsIt is the culmination of the entire European age of enlightenment in one perfect document.
damn, might as well skip philosophy class and study the Constitution.
The country has gone to war multiple times to protect these ideals, even against itself.
No, I don't think that censored
But the ideals behind the country are sound and some of the greatest ideas to ever base a country on.
I wish this thread (and others) wasn't a safe-space…
Europe doesn't compare at all. Most of your continent hasn't even properly separated church from state. And there's the weird thing you have where one family of humans are somehow superior to all others.
Why are Americans always comparing their country to a continent (/Europe) though ? Instead of a country. Is it because of the word "Union" ? But like, it's far from being the same stuff.
Also, there are many different kinds of separations from church and State as there are secular countries I guess. Not every country has to be the same.
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A nation supposedly dedicated to protecting its original values. Yet despite the clearly intended separation of church and state, Christianity is constantly encroaching on our government and taking away rights and allowing for anti-science policies. And then there's this.
And the people who do all of that are the ones claiming that they are the "true" defenders of the constitution.
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As said, a lot of people aren't really following what the founders extolled at all. Happens a lot with religion too.
I do think that a president should swear in on a copy of the constitution, not a bible.
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That sort of glowing write up that stops just short of describing it as divine scripture is a good example of the sort of thing that fascinates me. Describing any historical document as perfect really drives home the this is more than letters of the law this is sacred feeling you get when Americans talk about the founding fathers
I don't know man. If I was being less charitable, I'd view your comment as coming from someone living in a comfortable mostly homogenous society that really has never struggled with existential questions. And that's a fine viewpoint to have. But it smacks of "I can't imagine being outside my bubble, so don't know why people who have different perspectives think the way they do".
If you know the history of the document, the enlightenment and revolutionary ideals it is a culmination of, and its overall place in history, you'd probably have a better appreciation of the US Constitution being more than a set of laws. Take the fact that almost every written democratic constitution in the world is very directly inspired by the US Constitution.
It's really interesting how the chosen people view themselves. After all, everyone's fReE to write their own history :ninja:
I'm not chosen lol. My entire comment was prefaced with the fact that I'm an immigrant. I did not grow up indoctrinated in "America greatest!" jingoism. I chose to uproot my life and come to this country, a choice millions others make each year, and one of the core reasons was because of the ideals that it stood for.
Not sure it's a great thing.
How do you suggest we judge a system of ideas? I'm a pretty simple person and if they sounded good in the 18th century and they sound good now, they seem pretty timeless and great to me.
"God bless America"
-Every US presidentsSure, they can say that. But they can't force any citizen to say that. And they can't nakedly make policy with that view. It will be challenged in court, and be struck down. Atheists in this country have objected to saying the "one nation under God" line in the pledge of allegiance, and their rights have been recognised and protected.
damn, might as well skip philosophy class and study the Constitution.
What even is this? Are just being flippant for its own sake or do you have a point here? Don't want to be drawn into a pissing match with a child.
Why are Americans always comparing their country to a continent (/Europe) though ? Instead of a country. Is it because of the word "Union" ? But like, it's far from being the same stuff.
Reading comprehension, buddy.
1. I didn't compare the US to all of Europe as a united entity. "Europe" in my comment was a placeholder for individual countries in that continent.
2. For other cases, comparing the US to Europe is the fairest comparison to make, since that is what makes the area and population (both in numbers and in diversity) scales comparable.Also, there are many different kinds of separations from church and State as there are secular countries I guess. Not every country has to be the same.
Sure. But the American constitution is pretty unambiguous about its separation. It's not a position that has evolved over time and is a "practically for all intents and purposes" bit. For reference, Europe was having multiple Catholic vs Protestant vs Orthodox vs the Caliphate wars around the time the constitution was written. Catholics were very much pariah in the UK as were Protestants in France. And for an example much closer to now, the European legal system still has room for wackiness that is burqa bans. Those would never fly in the US.
A nation supposedly dedicated to protecting its original values. Yet despite the clearly intended separation of church and state, Christianity is constantly encroaching on our government and taking away rights and allowing for anti-science policies.
There's nuance here. Lawmakers can use their sense of morality, which is often guided by their religion, to make laws. However, they cannot make laws on religious grounds alone. This will be challenged in court and thrown out.
And then there's this.
Am I crazy or is the entire article about how he's being criticised for that opinion? Fringe loonies exist everywhere, and this has nothing to do with the Constitution itself or what the founders intended.
And the people who do all of that are the ones claiming that they are the "true" defenders of the constitution.
Cool straw man fallacy you have there.
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Am I crazy or is the entire article about how he's being criticised for that opinion? Fringe loonies exist everywhere, and this has nothing to do with the Constitution itself or what the founders intended.
His "opinion" is explicitly anti-religious freedom.
Plus, we're talking about "fringe loonies" that have held positions of power in the US and easily could again. "Fringe loonies" have a lot of power in the US right now.
Cool straw man fallacy you have there.
You're really going to have to elaborate on this claim, because I always see right wingers claiming to be true defenders of the constitution. This isn't even a straw-man, they literally say it. All of the time.
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I'll try to answer this, and will miserably fail.
My entire comment was prefaced with the fact that I'm an immigrant.
Yeah, an immigrant to the US. Which means an American citizen, unless I misunderstood. Anyway, the point is that Americans have the reputation of wanting to show the way to the world. Even master Obama.
and one of the core reasons was because of the ideals that it stood for.
I don't think immigrants read the US constitution or its history before going there. I mean, that's what we're talking about right ? They pretty much know the US via songs and films like most people. Sometimes the media.
And, is writing "stood for" instead of "stand for" revealing something ? I don't know, I might be reading too much into this."FREEDOM" is one of the parameters taken into consideration, yep. But only one about many if we're being fair. Especially today when there are republics, secular countries and "equality ideals" here and there. To cite a few, language (English/Spanish) helps a lot, geography (people from Latin America for instance who don't have much choice I guess), cultural soft power and so on.
How do you suggest we judge a system of ideas? I'm a pretty simple person and if they sounded good in the 18th century and they sound good now, they seem pretty timeless and great to me.
To be fair, if today we compare two countries that have undergone a revolution inspired by the French philosophers of the 18th century + Rousseau. France and the US. Then, one must wonder where it fucked up badly. Did they make it that hard to reform from the start ("founding fathers") or is it only "from the past decades with the EVIL right-wingers" ? My point is, how I see it, the founding fathers are the ones who gave to the world the USA. That's a way to see it.
When there is a revolution. The affects of the people goes up and down for a lot of time (generations). That's how I see it. That's so strange how the US "resisted" to all that with their super Constitution that people still worship today. Which brings soo many questions, but only few "answers" I have.
Sure, they can say that. But they can't force any citizen to say that. And they can't nakedly make policy with that view. It will be challenged in court, and be struck down. Atheists in this country have objected to saying the "one nation under God" line in the pledge of allegiance, and their rights have been recognised and protected.
But they shouldn't. It doesn't really sound like any separation with the church was successful to be honest, especially when campaigning candidates usually go out to meet with religious figures and ask for the support of their church(es). And what you're saying implies that the top of the state isn't secular but citizens have the right to believe ? Sounds like a foreign policy problem… I wouldn't write a praise on secularism about a country that grew up on "manifest destiny" and still does.
And for an example much closer to now, the European legal system still has room for wackiness that is burqa bans. Those would never fly in the US.
Yeah, burqa is such a great thing, isn't it ? Also, you have so much freedom and so much cults in the US. What a wonderful life.
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I don't know man. If I was being less charitable, I'd view your comment as coming from someone living in a comfortable mostly homogenous society that really has never struggled with existential questions. And that's a fine viewpoint to have. But it smacks of "I can't imagine being outside my bubble, so don't know why people who have different perspectives think the way they do".
If you know the history of the document, the enlightenment and revolutionary ideals it is a culmination of, and its overall place in history, you'd probably have a better appreciation of the US Constitution being more than a set of laws. Take the fact that almost every written democratic constitution in the world is very directly inspired by the US Constitution.
True, it is always hard to say how much me being me plays into how i perceive things. And as i noted earlier on i acknowledge that as a Swede i'm probably the weird one by global norms. But my interest isn't with the constitution itself or if it is the greatest document known to man. What i marvel at is the worship, which to my eyes is wild. Like reading your first posts gave me that feeling i get when a hare krishna tries to offer salvation to me at the bus stop. And it's about a set of guide lines for how a nation should function, that to my Swedish eyes, is interesting
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All three people involved in thr murder of Ahmaud Arbery have been found guilty.
Travis McMichael, the man who shot Arbery, was found guilty on all nine charges he faced. His father, Gregory McMichael, was found guilty on eight of the nine charges he faced. William “Roddie” Bryan Jr. was found guilty on seven of the nine charges he faced.
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The U.S. Constitution is pretty fantastic for its time and was the gold standard for over a hundred years. There are definitely some issues with it today that need to be changed to meet the modern world. The things that those who wrote it couldn't possibly have seen, or things that they wouldn't want to because of their own privileges.
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His "opinion" is explicitly anti-religious freedom.
Plus, we're talking about "fringe loonies" that have held positions of power in the US and easily could again. "Fringe loonies" have a lot of power in the US right now.
You're really going to have to elaborate on this claim, because I always see right wingers claiming to be true defenders of the constitution. This isn't even a straw-man, they literally say it. All of the time.
I feel we're talking about different things here. I'm talking about the Constitution itself, the ideas in it and what the founders who wrote it intended. How that's being implemented or not, or what left or right wingers say is not really my concern right now. I'm not even talking about how faithfully America lives up to the vision of the founders, which I think what Nilitch is talking about.
I'll try to answer this, and will miserably fail.
This statement is very prescient. We have completely different viewpoints on this, and I'll just leave it at that. I'm not interested in a debate.
True, it is always hard to say how much me being me plays into how i perceive things. And as i noted earlier on i acknowledge that as a Swede i'm probably the weird one by global norms. But my interest isn't with the constitution itself or if it is the greatest document known to man. What i marvel at is the worship, which to my eyes is wild. Like reading your first posts gave me that feeling i get when a hare krishna tries to offer salvation to me at the bus stop. And it's about a set of guide lines for how a nation should function, that to my Swedish eyes, is interesting
I don't know if I'll characterise my feelings about the Constitution as "worship", more like admiration. It is just as set of laws and guidelines, after all, as you point out. What I think is fascinating and admirable are the ideals that it represents, and how those ideals of equality of man, protection of dissent, right to protect yourself against tyranny, right of the people over the state as a symbol, all of these ideals are timeless and a very solid foundation to base a nation on. No salvation being sold here. Just a pretty awesome set of principles and standards to hold your government accountable to.
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All three people involved in thr murder of Ahmaud Arbery have been found guilty.
Thank the fucking lord.
The U.S. Constitution is pretty fantastic for its time and was the gold standard for over a hundred years. There are definitely some issues with it today that need to be changed to meet the modern world. The things that those who wrote it couldn't possibly have seen, or things that they wouldn't want to because of their own privileges.
I think that's a big thing. The laws that the Constitution and the Bill of Rights made sense, AT THE TIME. Some still make sense, others need to be changed to fit our modern sensibilities and situations. The 2nd Amendment is a big example. Back then allowing people the right to bear arms meant a farmer could have a gun to hunt and protect his family from bandits and whatnot when there was no police system. Or that people could make little militias if need be. But the guns at that time were also fucking muskets. Guns that only shot one bullet and took at least a minute to reload. Guns you can't take into a school and kill several students in a row. With a musket a guy would be able to kill maybe one person before they were taken down.
Now? The majority of people don't need to hunt for food. Those in sketchy areas need to protect their homes, but the majority live in perfectly safe areas. Guns can do so much more damage, and quickly. The 2nd Amendment brings more danger than safety. So it needs to be cut, or extremely constricted. Unfortunately getting an amendment made or changed is very hard.
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https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2021/11/24/day-309/
1/ The Biden administration will require all foreign travelers crossing U.S. borders to be fully vaccinated by Jan. 22. The administration previously announced that fully vaccinated nonessential foreign travelers could enter the U.S. beginning Nov. 8. The White House, however, delayed the requirement for essential foreign travelers, such as truck drivers and government officials, to allow more time to get vaccinated and not disrupt trade. The Biden administration also asked a federal appeals court to reinstate its workplace rule requiring employees at larger companies to be vaccinated against Covid-19 or face weekly testing. Republican-led states, private employers, and conservative groups challenged the requirement, arguing that OSHA lacked the authority to mandate vaccines. The Justice Department said in its filing that the federal government should be permitted to address “the grave danger of Covid-19 in the workplace.” (NBC News / Washington Post / Associated Press)
2/ Weekly unemployment claims totaled 199,000 last week – the lowest total in 52 years. The four-week average of initial jobless claims also dropped by 21,000 to about 252,000 – the lowest since mid-March 2020. (Politico / Washington Post / CNBC / Wall Street Journal)
3/ Biden authorized the release of 50 million barrels of crude from its strategic reserves to help offset a surge in gasoline prices. Biden called it the “largest-ever release,” which was done in concert with China, Japan, India, South Korea, and the U.K. “We’ve made historic progress over the last 10 months,” Biden said, pointing to the jobs added to the economy since taking office. But “disruptions related to the pandemic have caused challenges in our supply chain, which have sparked concern about shortages and contributed to higher prices.” He also vowed to continue “taking action.” (ABC News / Bloomberg)
4/ Biden will nominate Shalanda Young to serve as the administration’s budget director. Young, currently the acting director of the Office of Management and Budget, would be the first Black woman to hold the post on a permanent basis. The administration withdrew its initial selection of Neera Tanden for budget director after bipartisan criticism about her past social media attacks on lawmakers. (New York Times / Washington Post)
5/ A federal appeals court is scheduled to hear oral arguments Nov. 30 about whether Congress can receive Trump’s White House records related to the Jan. 6 attack at the Capitol. Earlier this month, Judge Tanya Chutkan ordered the National Archives to hand over the material, ruling that Congress’s constitutional oversight powers, backed by Biden, outweighed Trump’s residual executive privilege. An appeals court, however, instituted a short-term hold, but notified lawyers for Trump, the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, and the National Archives that they should be prepared to address whether the court has the legal authority to hear the dispute. (NBC News / New York Times)
6/ The House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol issued subpoenas to three right-wing extremist groups, including the Proud Boys and the Oath Keepers. Dozens of members of both groups have been charged in the attack on the Capitol, and prosecutors have said they conspired ahead of time to disrupt the Electoral College proceedings. In all, the panel issued five new subpoenas for records and testimony, which came a day after the panel subpoenaed Roger Stone, Alex Jones and three others. (Washington Post / NPR / New York Times / CNN)
7/ The RNC paid $121,670 to a lawyer representing Trump in the criminal investigations into his real estate company’s financial practices by Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. and state Attorney General Letitia James. There is no indication that either investigation involves Trump’s time as president or his political campaigns. In October, however, the RNC made two payments totaling $121,670 to the law firm of Ronald Fischetti, who was hired by the Trump Organization in April. (Washington Post / CNN)
poll/ 77% of Americans say inflation is personally affecting them. 35% say Biden deserves “the most” blame for the current inflation, compared to 30% who blame the disruptions on the Covid-19 pandemic. (Yahoo News)
poll/ 42% of Americans approve of the job Biden is doing as president – his lowest since taking office. (NPR / Marist)
There won't be a WTFJHT post on Friday.
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Inflation is worldwide, and due the pandemic, there's really nothing Biden could do about that.
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Maybe Ken said it best:
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Statue of Thomas Jefferson is removed from NY city hall.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/nov/23/thomas-jefferson-statuue-new-york-city-hall -
Just got a youtube ad personally blaming Joe Biden for high gas prices, lol. Is this the real life?
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@The:
Just got a youtube ad personally blaming Joe Biden for high gas prices, lol. Is this the real life?
Did you get the one throwing out numbers leading into telling you about how abortion is bad?
I've often wondered about that myself; seems like being supported by people who only want you there so the world can end in fire (with you going to Hell in the process) would be somewhat off-putting
3DS Friend Code 0044-2806-5284
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Did you get the one throwing out numbers leading into telling you about how abortion is bad?
I haven't! That one sounds fun, lol. I really don't know why I'm getting conservative ads though. I go out of my way to tell youtube not to recommend those channels.
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I think I once did the same thing awhile back as I got tired of seeing pro Trump bullshit and I vaguely recall it didn’t work all that effectively. Disappeared for sometime and then bam this bullshit.
I've often wondered about that myself; seems like being supported by people who only want you there so the world can end in fire (with you going to Hell in the process) would be somewhat off-putting
3DS Friend Code 0044-2806-5284
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I once got an ad about PETA and owl experiments.
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I think I once did the same thing awhile back as I got tired of seeing pro Trump bullshit and I vaguely recall it didn’t work all that effectively. Disappeared for sometime and then bam this bullshit.
I think because I watch a fair amount of left wing stuff youtube just thinks I wanna see all of it. Which is entirely untrue. I don’t give one fifth of a half eaten shit about conservative's backward viewpoints.
–- Update From New Post Merge ---
I once got an ad about PETA and owl experiments.
I got one about chickens recently. Couldn't watch it. Made me sad.
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People watch youtube without adblock on?
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Adblock tends to cause problems for other sites you visit even if you whitelist them.
So Morton’s Fork is almost always at play.
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What naughty websites are you visiting where adblock is a problem?
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And the lamb lies down on Broadway
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News websites mostly. They just refuse to provide vital national/global news unless they can also sell you something.
You win a stuffed elephant.
Plus to Robby's suspicions I do visit places like Mucho Hentai or Hentai Haven and ehentai from time to time and trust me if Adblock software didn't cause the aforementioned conflicts it'd be on and stay on, no one wants to be bombarded with the shit I've seen on these places ironic as it looks.
I've often wondered about that myself; seems like being supported by people who only want you there so the world can end in fire (with you going to Hell in the process) would be somewhat off-putting
3DS Friend Code 0044-2806-5284
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No one else gets a weird bug where youtube videos play only in black? That's why I stopped using adblock. One way or another it messed with my video player.
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only bug I get which isn't adblock related is the one on my ipod where the app closes if do something like scroll comments while videos play….....which I've had for 4 years.
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Youtube Premium was worth buying just to get rid of ads.
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Yeah I'm surprised more of you aren't using adblock
more surprised people are giving them money even with them doing dumb shit like removing the like and dislike visibility
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News websites mostly. They just refuse to provide vital national/global news unless they can also sell you something.
sure but those usually have a "we won't show you unless you whitelist" thing. In which case, if I really care, I can press the button, and if I don't… I didn't need to read that article anyway.
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even with them doing dumb shit like removing the like and dislike visibility
When you've seen shitheads that abuse systems like this you kinda become indifferent to the removal of stuff like this.
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Trump the dipshit actually got a South Korean org to grant him an "honorary" ninth-degree blackbelt in taekwondo.
https://www.comicsands.com/trump-mocked-honorary-black-belt-2655881223.html?fbclid=IwAR00tTBurpkmLoBpy_R0sIlKPEJ3fkrdakqe9czjj9twVXe3UfMDIrtnR6cAs people have said, this is like the biggest participation trophy ever.
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Forgot to do this yesterday:
https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2021/11/29/day-314/Day 314: "A cause for concern."
1/ Biden called the new Omicron variant of the coronavirus “a cause for concern, not a cause for panic,” urging Americans to get vaccinated, obtain booster shots, and to wear masks in indoor public places. Biden added that he didn’t believe there would be a need for lockdowns, saying “We’re throwing everything we have at this virus, tracking it from every angle; I’m sparing no effort, removing all roadblocks to keep the American people safe.” While administration officials believe the current vaccines likely provide protection against the new variant, it’ll be a few weeks until scientists know how effective they are against Omicron. Drugmakers, however, cautioned that existing vaccines could be less effective and the CDC now recommends that all adults “should” get a booster shot. The new Covid-19 variant has been detected in more than a dozen countries, though not yet in the U.S. Biden, meanwhile, announced travel bans on South Africa and seven other countries, warning that it’s “almost inevitable” that the variant will turn up in the U.S. “at some point.” (NPR / New York Times / Bloomberg / Wall Street Journal / NBC News / Politico / ABC News / CNBC)
2/ The White House told federal agencies they can delay punishing the roughly 3.5% of federal workers who failed to comply with Biden’s Covid-19 vaccine mandate, which took effect last week. Agencies instead will pursue “education and counseling […] as the first step in an enforcement process” and take no further actions beyond letters of reprimand for unvaccinated employees until Jan. 1, 2022. As of last week, 92% of the roughly 3.5 million people in the federal workforce and the military had received at least one shot, while an additional 4.5% had requested exemptions. (Bloomberg / Washington Post / Reuters)
3/ Trump argued that the pursuit of his White House records by the congressional committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack could permanently damage the presidency. “The [committee’s] clear disdain for President Trump is leading them to a course of action that will result in permanent damage to the institution of the presidency,” Trump’s attorneys wrote in a brief filed in federal court. Trump has asserted executive privilege over his White House records, which Biden has refused to grant. Earlier this month, Federal Judge Tanya Chutkan ruled against Trump, saying that he had no power to override the current administration’s decisions. A federal appeals court will hear oral arguments on November 30 in the historic case. Stephen Bannon, meanwhile, filed a motion to request all documents in his contempt-of-Congress case be made public, saying “Members of the public should make their own independent judgment as to whether the U.S. Department of Justice is committed to a just result based upon all the facts.” (NBC News / CNN / Washington Post)
4/ The House committee investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol plans to vote on holding a second Trump ally in contempt of Congress. The committee will meet this week to vote on whether the full House should refer Jeffrey Clark to the Justice Department on criminal contempt charges. Clark, a former Justice Department official involved in Trump’s unsuccessful efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election, appeared for a deposition Nov. 5 but refused to answer questions, saying he was “duty bound not to provide testimony to your committee covering information protected by the former president’s assertion of executive privilege.” (Associated Press / New York Times / Bloomberg / CNN / CNBC)
5/ The Pentagon ordered an investigation into a U.S. airstrike in Syria in 2019 that killed dozens of women and children. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s decision follows recent allegations that the Trump administration covered up the airstrike, which killed 80 people. Gen. Michael Garrett will examine the strike over the next 90 days to determine whether any recommendations from previous inquiries were carried out, and whether anyone should be held accountable. (New York Times)
Notably Next: The Supreme Court will take up a direct challenge to Roe v. Wade on Wednesday; government funding runs out Friday; the U.S. could hit the debt limit as soon as Dec. 15; Democrats hope to pass Biden’s Build Back Better plan in the Senate by Christmas; and the House and Senate both need to pass the annual defense policy bill.
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https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2021/12/01/day-316/
Day 316: "Survive the stench."
1/ The Supreme Court appeared likely to uphold a Mississippi law that bans almost all abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy. At issue is Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health, a 2018 Mississippi law that banned abortions for women roughly two months earlier than current Supreme Court precedent allows. It is the most direct challenge to Roe v. Wade in nearly three decades. Lower courts have blocked the law, ruling that it violated the Supreme Court’s decisions in 1973’s Roe v. Wade, as well as 1992’s Planned Parenthood v. Casey. Those rulings held that women have a fundamental right to an abortion, states cannot ban abortion before the point of fetal viability — roughly between 22 and 24 weeks — and that laws restricting abortion should not pose an “undue burden.” Mississippi, however, appealed the decision to the Supreme Court and asked the justices to reverse all its prior abortion decisions outright and return the abortion question to the states. During arguments, the court’s six-member conservative majority appeared divided about whether to stop at 15 weeks or whether to overrule Roe entirely, allowing states to ban abortions. The court’s liberal justices, meanwhile, said overturning Roe would make the court appear political and that its reputation would be irreparably damaged if it cast aside decades of precedent because of new justices. “It is particularly important to show that what we do in overturning a case is grounded in principle and not social pressure,” Justice Stephen Breyer warned. Justice Sonia Sotomayor added: “Will this institution survive the stench that this creates in the public perception that the Constitution and its reading are just political acts? I don’t see how it’s possible.” Should 50 years of legal precedent be overturned, at least 20 states will immediately make almost all abortions unlawful: a dozen states have trigger laws that would automatically end most abortions and nine more have pre-Roe bans on the books. A decision is not expected until late June or early July. Last month, the justices heard arguments over a Texas law that bans abortion after about six weeks and allows enforcement by private citizens. The court has not yet issued a decision in the Texas case. (NBC News / NPR / New York Times / Washington Post / Wall Street Journal / CNN / CNBC / Bloomberg)
2/ The first confirmed U.S. case of the coronavirus omicron variant was detected in California. The CDC said the fully vaccinated traveler, who returned to California from South Africa on Nov. 22, has mild Covid-19 symptoms that are improving. Since the new variant was first reported in South Africa last week, it has been identified in at least 24 countries. The World Health Organization has warned that the global risk of the omicron variant is “very high.” Federal judges in Kentucky and Louisiana, meanwhile, blocked the Biden administration from enforcing two mandates requiring millions of Americans to get vaccinated against Covid-19. (New York Times / Washington Post / NBC News / Wall Street Journal)
3/ The House Freedom Caucus is urging Mitch McConnell to force a government shutdown in an effort to defund the Biden administration’s vaccine mandates. The House Freedom Caucus suggested that Senate Republicans have “important leverage” and can protest the vaccine mandates because Democrats need Republican votes to advance the spending measure by Friday night, when current funding for the government expires. Under Biden’s mandate, businesses that employ more than 100 workers must require vaccines or tested weekly. Entering the week, lawmakers had aimed to pass a spending bill that would finance the government at least into late Jan., but congressional leaders currently do not have an agreement on a stopgap resolution to keep the government open past Friday. (Politico / NBC News / CNN / Washington Post / Bloomberg / Wall Street Journal)
4/ Trump tested positive for the coronavirus three days before his first debate against Biden in 2020, according to former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows and another former administration official. Trump’s positive test was on Sept. 26, 2020, the presidential debate was Sept. 29, and he was hospitalized for Covid-19 at Walter Reed National Medical Center on Oct. 2. The White House did not announce the positive test publicly or tell debate organizers at the time. Shortly after testing positive, Trump received a negative result from a different test and went ahead with a campaign rally and the debate. The administration first told the public on Oct. 2 that Trump had tested positive – several hours before he was hospitalized later that day. The White House at the time repeatedly declined to give a precise timeline of when Trump first received a positive coronavirus test result. Trump, meanwhile, called the report that he tested positive for Covid days before his first presidential debate “Fake News.” (The Guardian / Washington Post / New York Times / NBC News)
5/ Mark Meadows agreed to cooperate with the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. Trump’s former White House chief of staff agreed to provide requested documents and sit for a deposition. Meadows initially refused to cooperate with the committee because of Trump’s claims of executive privilege, which has been waived by Biden. Meadows’s cooperation deal, however, comes a day after the committee announced that it will move to hold Jeffrey Clark in criminal contempt for not complying with its subpoena. Trump reportedly made several calls from the White House to top lieutenants at the Willard Hotel hours before the attack on the Capitol about how to delay Biden’s certification from taking place. Trump’s calls about stopping Biden’s certification have increasingly become a central focus in the committee’s investigation. (CNN / New York Times / Washington Post / NPR / ABC News)
poll/ 52% of 18-to-29-year-olds believe that American democracy is either “in trouble,” or “failing,” while 7% view the U.S. as a “healthy democracy.” 46% of young Republicans, meanwhile, place the chances of a second civil war at 50% or higher, compared to 32% of Democrats, and 38% of independents. (Harvard Youth Poll)
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I would not move to Texas if you paid me. Hell, I would not move to any southern state if you paid me.
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I think I should just stick to the coasts. Or move to Scandinavia.
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The Southern states suck in pretty much every way. Crappy politics and crappy climate.
I know because I live in one.
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Move up here man. The cold is nice.
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Move up here man. The cold is nice.
I live in one of the cheapest states in the entire nation, so sadly, I don't have much opportunity to move. I've been thinking Michigan (a blue area of it, like Lansing or Ann Arbor), but my family doesn't want to move there, so I'm stuck. Unless we win the lottery or something. I'm stuck in this miserable place.
I'm just sitting here dreading watching the stacked Supreme Court wipe away all of my rights and knowing my god awful state will do absolutely nothing about it. (in fact they're all set to enact the wiping away of those rights the instant the SCOTUS allows it)
The US is going to need a state refugee system at this rate.
