How you can help this year’s homelessness Point-in-Time Count. Why Sen. Young says he flipped on a measure to limit action in Venezuela. And Tim’s Picks … still fresh.
Ah well, if Todd Young got private verbal assurances from an admin that totally never lies about anything then I suppose we're all good.
The best-case scenario for the Bears-to-Northern-Indiana story is that the team is trying the time-tested "I'm a billionaire, give me a huge pile of money or we'll leave" ploy to get Illinois and Chicago to give them a huge pile of free money. The worst case scenario is that Indiana actually does end up giving them a few billion dollars of free money, probably in the same dumb way that Kansas just did for the Chiefs. Nothing a rich guy like Braun loves more than giving loads of money to other rich guys, why should he care if his state is perpetually in a state of austerity?
Young wrote, “After numerous conversations with senior national security officials, I have received assurances that there are no American troops in Venezuela. I’ve also received a commitment that if President Trump were to determine American forces are needed in major military operations in Venezuela, the Administration will come to Congress in advance to ask for an authorization of force..." Oh, baby - you really believe what THIS president and THIS administration have said? That's how we ended up with brain-worm guy endangering our children.
Sorry to see Young go this direction. Of course he knows this administration's assurances mean nothing, so this just a calculated move to stay out of their line of fire.
Most but not all of the "are you the Gestapo yet?" boxes have been checked: as of today, at least, ICE still respects private property as a sanctuary, which means someone has taught these goons that the 4th Amendment still applies. It is impunity everywhere else, and impunity is the problem.
That tells me that the only way forward is through new constitutional amendments that curtail government powers, starting with sharply limiting the presidential pardon power, and clearly defining self-executing personal rights like privacy.
Multiple amendments followed major societal dislocations, most famously the Reconstruction Amendments, but also during the progressive era and the 1960s (Civil Rights and Birch Bayh). It is hard but it can be done.
Why is the 4th still respected and the 1st not? In large part, the Roberts Court is to blame. His opinion in Citizens United (2010), a clear departure from the recent Rehnquist Court McConnell v FEC (2003) decision, accelerated the erosion of our free speech rights. Not much different than the earlier mess they made over the 2nd.
Quite right to mention the role of the Roberts Supreme Court and the notorious decision in Citizens vs United States. Chief Justice John Roberts has been for a strong, unchecked plutocracy as sell an unlimited executive with unitary power. The conservative, trump-packed, Supreme Court offers no hope for those of us who still believe in Separation of Powers, an Independent Congress, and a workable 25th Amendment on Presidential Disability. (how much proof do we need?)
Well said. Assembling a cabinet of clodhoppers is insurance against the main removal mechanism in section 4 of 25A, a lesson they clearly learned from the first term. It's going to have to be up to an alternative "other body as Congress may by law provide" (?) to seal the deal. I do not get the sense they are thrilled by the prospect of President "JD Vance" who would be no better on most issues and worse on some (Ukraine).
I have more hope for removal via impeachment and conviction, for violating the treaty component of the article 6 Supremacy Clause, but only because I have the dismal expectation that the Orange Menace will soon break the NATO treaty.
I’m wondering if the Point in Time survey will include some way that people can identify the surveyors. Or maybe have some advance notice that this is happening and that it’s for a good purpose?
With things the way they are now, I’d understand if people were afraid to engage with people approaching them questions. Especially for anyone who might not have citizenship documentation (which could include many people).
This is not at all a criticism of the survey effort - more of a concern about the threatening environment that exists in some places now.
Ah well, if Todd Young got private verbal assurances from an admin that totally never lies about anything then I suppose we're all good.
The best-case scenario for the Bears-to-Northern-Indiana story is that the team is trying the time-tested "I'm a billionaire, give me a huge pile of money or we'll leave" ploy to get Illinois and Chicago to give them a huge pile of free money. The worst case scenario is that Indiana actually does end up giving them a few billion dollars of free money, probably in the same dumb way that Kansas just did for the Chiefs. Nothing a rich guy like Braun loves more than giving loads of money to other rich guys, why should he care if his state is perpetually in a state of austerity?
Young wrote, “After numerous conversations with senior national security officials, I have received assurances that there are no American troops in Venezuela. I’ve also received a commitment that if President Trump were to determine American forces are needed in major military operations in Venezuela, the Administration will come to Congress in advance to ask for an authorization of force..." Oh, baby - you really believe what THIS president and THIS administration have said? That's how we ended up with brain-worm guy endangering our children.
Sorry to see Young go this direction. Of course he knows this administration's assurances mean nothing, so this just a calculated move to stay out of their line of fire.
The flipping is such an own goal for Sen. Young. Is anyone really surprised?
I hope Congress will now use its modest bandwidth to stop ICE from becoming the new Gestapo. My alarm over that is right up there with 9/11.
ICE is already trump's gestapo. They need to be stopped.
Most but not all of the "are you the Gestapo yet?" boxes have been checked: as of today, at least, ICE still respects private property as a sanctuary, which means someone has taught these goons that the 4th Amendment still applies. It is impunity everywhere else, and impunity is the problem.
That tells me that the only way forward is through new constitutional amendments that curtail government powers, starting with sharply limiting the presidential pardon power, and clearly defining self-executing personal rights like privacy.
Multiple amendments followed major societal dislocations, most famously the Reconstruction Amendments, but also during the progressive era and the 1960s (Civil Rights and Birch Bayh). It is hard but it can be done.
Why is the 4th still respected and the 1st not? In large part, the Roberts Court is to blame. His opinion in Citizens United (2010), a clear departure from the recent Rehnquist Court McConnell v FEC (2003) decision, accelerated the erosion of our free speech rights. Not much different than the earlier mess they made over the 2nd.
Quite right to mention the role of the Roberts Supreme Court and the notorious decision in Citizens vs United States. Chief Justice John Roberts has been for a strong, unchecked plutocracy as sell an unlimited executive with unitary power. The conservative, trump-packed, Supreme Court offers no hope for those of us who still believe in Separation of Powers, an Independent Congress, and a workable 25th Amendment on Presidential Disability. (how much proof do we need?)
Well said. Assembling a cabinet of clodhoppers is insurance against the main removal mechanism in section 4 of 25A, a lesson they clearly learned from the first term. It's going to have to be up to an alternative "other body as Congress may by law provide" (?) to seal the deal. I do not get the sense they are thrilled by the prospect of President "JD Vance" who would be no better on most issues and worse on some (Ukraine).
I have more hope for removal via impeachment and conviction, for violating the treaty component of the article 6 Supremacy Clause, but only because I have the dismal expectation that the Orange Menace will soon break the NATO treaty.
Well, they are violating the 4th Amendment in Minneapolis now, going door-to-door, breaking in to some homes.
that suuucks
I’m wondering if the Point in Time survey will include some way that people can identify the surveyors. Or maybe have some advance notice that this is happening and that it’s for a good purpose?
With things the way they are now, I’d understand if people were afraid to engage with people approaching them questions. Especially for anyone who might not have citizenship documentation (which could include many people).
This is not at all a criticism of the survey effort - more of a concern about the threatening environment that exists in some places now.
Sen Todd Young: Go away.