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Where’s that Supreme Court leaker? Or are we just gonna nevermind that one?
To paraphrase an old saying: You can’t teach an old court new tricks. The modified aphorism refers to the U. S. Supreme Court and its search for the culprit(s) who leaked a draft of the tribunal’s anti-abortion opinion six weeks before it was officially promulgated. The justices responded with verbal aggression and extraordinary bellicosity in […]
As with Watergate, lawyers played a key role in Jan. 6 debacle
One of the most striking and disturbing parallels between the January 6th insurrection currently being investigated by the U.S. House of Representatives and Watergate, which recently commemorated its 50th anniversary, is the pivotal role of lawyers in those two monumental offenses. Although not all of the key malefactors during the Watergate affair were attorneys, most […]
High court could soon rule against hopes for sane gun control laws | Opinion
Against the backdrop of the latest mass shootings du jour at the supermarket in Buffalo, N.Y., and the elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, the U. S. Supreme Court is poised to issue a ruling that is very likely to constitute another assault on gun regulation. Although the Supreme Court has not yet issued its ruling […]
The Supreme Court shouldn’t be shrouded in secrecy | Opinion
The firestorm arising out of the recent leak of a draft of the Supreme Court opinion — purporting to eliminate constitutional abortion rights established 49 years ago in Roe v. Wade — has generated fury for different reasons from various quarters. But the consternation ought to serve another useful purpose: Highlighting the secrecy of how […]
As we celebrate Earth Day, the U.S. Supreme Court weakens the EPA | Opinion
Leave it to the conservative majority on the U. S. Supreme Court to ruin a celebration. This one is the commemoration of Earth Day on Friday, April 22, the 53rd anniversary of the day set aside to recognize environmental concerns and how to address them. The justices in the nation’s capital dealt a stunning blow […]
Russian gag law recalls Minnesota history | Essay
The Russian Federal Assembly enacted a measure in early March imposing punishment on journalists and others critical of official government policies and practices, including the invasion of Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin pushed the so-called “anti-hooliganism” law through his puppet legislative body, criminalizing criticism of his policies or reporting about that dissent. Spurred by the […]
Pardon Me: The executive’s power to forgive | Analysis
There’s been a lot of talk lately about pardons, indulgence or forgiveness of criminal offenses by chief executive government authorities, at both the federal and the state levels. Former President Trump rekindled not-so-fond recollections of his extreme use of the pardon power for federal offenses — granted unconditionally to presidents in Article II, Section 2, […]
Supreme Court conservatives turned off textualism to toss out vaccine mandate | Opinion
Most analysts of the U.S. Supreme Court’s January 13 decision striking down the Biden administration’s vaccine mandate for employers with 100 or more employees — while upholding it for health care workers at facilities receiving federal funds — have focused on the factual analysis and legal reasoning of the six conservative justices that comprise a […]