Latest news with #NoKings'
New York Post
10 hours ago
- Politics
- New York Post
Justice Jackson's activist opinion does more damage to Supreme Court civility
For most citizens, the release of Supreme Court opinions is about as exciting as watching paint dry, particularly in a case dealing with the limits of district courts in issuing universal injunctions. Yet Friday's Trump v. CASA case included a virtual slugfest between Justice Amy Coney Barrett and Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson. The decision was one of the biggest of the term. The Court moved to free the Administration from an onslaught of orders from district judges seeking to block the President in areas ranging from the downsizing of government to immigration. Advertisement However, it was the departure of the normally staid court analysis that attracted the most attention. The tenor of Jackson's language shocked not just many court watchers, but her colleagues. It seemed ripped from the signs carried just a couple of weeks earlier in the 'No Kings' protests. The Court often deals with issues that deeply divide the nation. Yet it tends to calm the waters by engaging in measured, reasoned analysis — showing the nation that these are matters upon which people can have good-faith disagreements. But that culture of civility and mutual respect has been under attack in recent years. Advertisement Not long ago, the Court was rocked by the leaking of the draft of the Dobbs decision overturning Roe v. Wade. The was followed by furious protests against conservative justices at their homes and an attempted assassination of Justice Brett Kavanaugh. There was also a change in the tenor of the exchanges in oral argument and opinions between the justices. Recently, during the argument over the use of national injunctions in May, Chief Justice John Roberts was clearly fed up with Justice Sotomayor interrupting government counsel with pointed questions and commentary, finally asking Sotomayor, 'Will you please let us hear his answer?' This hyperbole seemed to border on hysteria in the Jackson dissent. The most junior justice effectively accused her colleagues of being toadies for tyranny. Advertisement It proved too much for the majority, which pushed back on the overwrought rhetoric. While the language may seem understated in comparison to what we regularly hear in Congress, it was the equivalent of a virtual cage match for the Court. Some of us have argued that our system is working just as designed, particularly as these issues work through the courts. The courts have ruled for and against this Administration as they struggle with the difficult lines of authority between the branches. Liberals who claim 'democracy is dying' seem to view democracy as getting what you want when you want it. Advertisement It was, therefore, distressing to see Jackson picking up on the 'No Kings' theme, warning about drifting toward 'a rule-of-kings governing system' She said that limiting the power of individual judges to freeze the entire federal government was 'enabling our collective demise. At the very least, I lament that the majority is so caught up in minutiae of the Government's self-serving, finger-pointing arguments that it misses the plot.' The 'minutiae' dismissed by Jackson happen to be the statutory and constitutional authority of federal courts. It is the minutiae that distinguish the rule of law from mere judicial impulse. Justice Barrett clearly had had enough with the self-aggrandizing rhetoric. She delivered a haymaker in writing that 'JUSTICE JACKSON would do well to heed her own admonition: '[E]veryone, from the President on down, is bound by law.' Ibid. That goes for judges too.' She added, 'We will not dwell on JUSTICE JACKSON's argument, which is at odds with more than two centuries' worth of precedent, not to mention the Constitution itself. We observe only this: JUSTICE JACKSON decries an imperial Executive while embracing an imperial Judiciary.' In other words, the danger to democracy is found in judges acting like kings. Barrett explained to her three liberal colleagues that 'when a court concludes that the Executive Branch has acted unlawfully, the answer is not for the court to exceed its power, too.' The last term has laid bare some of the chilling jurisprudence of Justice Jackson. Untethered by statutory or constitutional text, it allows the courts to float free from the limits of Article III. Advertisement For many, that is not an escape into minutiae but madness without clear lines for judicial power. Jonathan Turley is the Shapiro Professor of Public Interest Law at George Washington University and the best-selling author of 'The Indispensable Right: Free Speech in an Age of Rage.'
Boston Globe
a day ago
- Politics
- Boston Globe
In today's protest movement, more than a touch of gray
Nancy F. Goldstein Advertisement Mashpee As a gray-haired protest veteran who participated in the August 1963 March on Washington, I was delighted to read Margaret Morganroth Gullette's op-ed 'Still marching after all these years.' Get The Gavel A weekly SCOTUS explainer newsletter by columnist Kimberly Atkins Stohr. Enter Email Sign Up I had noticed the prevalence of war babies and boomers at the Newton 'No Kings' protest on Flag Day and asked my wife, 'Where are the young people?' In contrast to my memory of the protests of the 1960s, there was not an appropriate proportion of young people among the thousands of Newton Centre protesters, and this was somewhat disheartening. Are they inclined toward monarchy or is it just that they can't afford to live in Newton? Harvey Weiner Newton I grew up marching to ban the bomb, for civil rights, and against the Vietnam War. My parents — progressive, secular New York Jews — had met through union organizing. (My mother dated one of the Weavers!) We were one of the relatively few families who hardly experienced a generation gap in the 1960s. Advertisement I often think about my parents today and how they would react to the corruption, authoritarianism, and racism of the Trump administration. They had fought against fascism in World War II and survived the scourges of McCarthyism in the 1950s. Would they be horrified and feel hopeless, as I often do, to watch our country go backward? Or would they see it as a moment, a setback, where the long How I yearn for their wisdom, advice, and fortitude and their reassurance that the country will emerge once again as a beacon of hope and promise. Cyrisse Jaffee Newton
Boston Globe
a day ago
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Democrats are trying to figure out what to do about John Fetterman. One of them is stepping up.
'I thought I was going to play Senator Fetterman,' Lamb joked as he sat down in front of a central Pennsylvania crowd last Sunday. Advertisement Democrats are frustrated with Fetterman Lamb's reemergence comes at an in-between moment, roughly halfway through Fetterman's six-year term, and is helping define the struggle facing Democrats in swing-state Pennsylvania. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up There, Democrats figure prominently in their national effort to push back on President Donald Trump, but also in their struggle to figure out what to do about Fetterman, who is under fire from rank-and-file Democrats for being willing to cooperate with Trump. Frustration with Fetterman has been on display on social media, at the massive " No Kings " rally in Philadelphia and among the Democratic Party's faithful. The steering committee of the progressive organization Indivisible PA last month asked Fetterman to resign. It's quite a turnabout for the hoodies-and-shorts-wearing Fetterman, elected in 2022 with an everyman persona and irreverent wit, who was unafraid to challenge convention. Advertisement For some progressives, frustration with Fetterman began with his staunch support for Israel's punishing war against Hamas in Gaza, an issue that divides Democrats. It's moved beyond that since Trump took office. Now, some are wondering why he's — as they see it — kissing up to Trump, why he's chastising fellow Democrats for their anti-Trump resistance and whether he's even committed to their causes at all. Most recently, they question his support for Trump's bombing of Iran. 'It hurts,' said John Abbott, who attended Sunday's event in suburban Harrisburg. Speaking at the flagship 'No Kings' rally in Philadelphia, Indivisible co-founder Leah Greenberg name-checked Fetterman. 'We're looking to the leaders who will fight for us, because even today there are folks among the Democratic Party who think we should roll over and play dead,' Greenberg said. 'Anyone seen John Fetterman here today?' The crowd booed. Why is Conor Lamb crisscrossing Pennsylvania again? In Pittsburgh, progressives trying to land an in-person town hall with Fetterman or first-term Republican Sen. David McCormick noticed when the two senators advertised an event together at a downtown restaurant to celebrate the release of McCormick's new book. Progressive groups organized to protest it and — after it got moved to a private location with a private invite list — went ahead with their own town hall. They invited Lamb and a local Democratic state representative instead. More invitations for Lamb started rolling in. By his count, he's now attended at least a dozen town halls and party events, easily clocking more than 2,000 miles to appear in small towns, small cities and suburbs, often in conservative areas. 'Showing up matters and it really does make a difference,' said Dana Kellerman, a Pittsburgh-based progressive organizer. 'Is that going to matter to John Fetterman? I really don't know. I don't know what he's thinking. I don't know if he's always been this person or if he's changed in the last two years.' Advertisement Fetterman has brushed off criticism, saying he's a committed Democrat, insisting he was elected to engage with Republicans and — perhaps hypocritically — questioning why Democrats would criticize fellow Democrats. At times, Fetterman has criticized Trump, questioning the move to 'punch our allies in the mouth' with tariffs or the need for cuts to social-safety net programs in the GOP's legislation to extend 2017's tax cuts. Fetterman's office didn't respond to an inquiry about Lamb. Is Conor Lamb running for Senate? For his part, Lamb — a former U.S. Marine and federal prosecutor — says he isn't running for anything right now, but he'll do whatever he can to 'stop this slide that we're on toward a less democratic country and try to create one in which there's more opportunity for people.' To some Democrats, he sounds like a candidate. 'That he's doing these town halls is a good indication that he'll be running for something, so it's a good thing,' said Janet Bargh, who attended the event in suburban Harrisburg. Aside from the town halls, he spoke at the Unite for Veterans event on the National Mall. He has also been active on social media, doing local radio appearances and appearing on MSNBC, where he recently criticized the June 14 military parade ordered up by Trump. Not long ago, it was hard to envision Lamb losing a race, ever. In 2018, he won a heavily Trump-friendly congressional district in southwestern Pennsylvania in a special election. It was the center of the political universe that spring, drawing campaign visits by Trump and then-presidential hopeful Joe Biden. Advertisement Suddenly, Lamb was ascendant. Then he ran for Senate and lost handily — by more than two-to-one — to Fetterman in 2022's primary. People often ask Lamb if he's going to challenge Fetterman again. Lamb said he reminds them that Fetterman has three years left in his term and pivots the conversation to what Democrats need to do to win elections in 2025 and 2026. Still, Lamb is unafraid to criticize Fetterman publicly. And, he said, he's a magnet for Democrats to air their unhappiness with Fetterman. What he hears, over and over, is frustration that Fetterman spends too much time attacking fellow Democrats and not enough time challenging Trump. 'And that is, I think, what's driving the frustration more than any one particular issue,' Lamb said. At the town hall, Lamb wasn't afraid to admit he'd lost to Fetterman. But he turned it into an attack line. 'When I watch the person who beat me give up on every important issue that he campaigned on ... the more I reasoned that the point of all of this in the first place is advocacy for what's right and wrong,' Lamb told the crowd. 'And advocacy for not just a particular party to win, but for the type of country where it matters if, when you stand up, you tell the truth.' The crowd cheered.
The Hill
2 days ago
- Business
- The Hill
Economy slips from most important issues list for first time this year: Poll
The economy is not the most pressing issue for a majority of voters for the first time this year, according to a new poll. Nearly a quarter of respondents in the Quinnipiac University national poll released Thursday ranked preserving democracy in the U.S. as the nation's most urgent issue, while 19 percent said the economy is their top concern. About 18 percent said immigration is the most significant issue and 15 percent said international conflicts. Five other issues that Quinnipiac polled — climate change, health care, abortion, racial inequality and crime — did not reach double digits. Quinnipiac's polling analysts noted that the economy topped the list in its polls released Jan. 29 and March 13. About 24 percent of Republicans said the economy is their top issue of concern, second to immigration at 36 percent. Just 7 percent of Republicans said that preserving democracy is their biggest concern, but it was the most pressing issue by far for Democrats (41 percent) and independents (26 percent). The economy ranked second among Democrats and independents. Immigration ranked fourth for both of those voting blocs, behind international conflicts. The new findings come after millions of people across the country took part in 'No Kings' protests against President Trump's policies on June 14, which was both Trump's 79th birthday and the U.S. Army's 250th anniversary. Trump presided over a military parade in Washington, D.C., to mark the occasion and dismissed the demonstrators' message, saying he doesn't 'feel like a king.' Trump campaigned heavily on economic issues last year, promising to settle inflation and other factors driving up the cost of living. Inflation under Trump has remained relatively low at just over 2 percent in recent months, however, his tariff agenda has shaken markets and created uncertainty around the U.S. economic outlook. The president has urged the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates, but chair Jerome Powell has resisted those calls from Trump and others. 'If we make a mistake here, people will pay the cost for a long time,' Powell said on Wednesday. Quinnipiac's latest poll found 39 percent of respondents approve of Trump's handling of the economy, while 56 percent disapprove. Six percent of respondents had no opinion. The Quinnipiac poll surveyed 979 registered voters Saturday through Monday and has a margin of error of 3.1 percentage points.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Army reveals scale of damage done to DC streets following Trump's military parade
The U.S. Army has presented its initial assessment of the damage done to the roads of Washington, D.C., by the heavy battle tanks that were a key part of President Donald Trump's 250th birthday celebration for the military. The president ordered a lavish parade to honor the founding of the Army on June 14, which also happened to be Trump's birthday. In advance of the event, city officials had expressed concern that the tanks participating could place undue strain on Washington's streets, potentially requiring millions of dollars in maintenance work to repair. The budget for the festivities was estimated at $45 million, with $16 million of that total set aside for road repairs. Organizers moved in advance to place thick metal plates, up to 20 feet in length, at turning points along the route to ease the pressure, at a cost of $3 million. Speaking in advance of the event, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said she was 'concerned' about the potential scope of the damage. 'These are, for the most part, local streets, and if they're rendered unusable, we have to make them usable,' she said. 'Probably we would fix it and then go seek our money from the Fed. That gives me some concern about fronting costs and waiting for them to get back.' Happily, however, the Army has concluded that the damage to the capital's highways and byways was minimal. 'A tank ran over a curb, and that curb got broken – crushed,' spokesman Steve Warren said. 'So, we will be fixing that. But, right now, that's the only damage that we've identified.' He added that a 'subterranean' assessment of the roads is still ongoing to check whether the parade damaged underground cables or other infrastructure. D.C. Department of Transportation spokesman German Vigil also said a visual survey of city roads had revealed no apparent issues. The National Park Service is meanwhile waiting one month to make a final assessment of possible damage to federally controlled roadways, such as the Mall and the George Washington Parkway. Warren also revealed that the final attendance figures for the parade were approximately 198,000, some way short of the 250,000 claimed by the White House. The event itself largely passed off without adverse incident and appeared to achieve its aims. However, the president allegedly raged at U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth behind the scenes over the troops taking part, in his opinion, for presenting too cheery a demeanor. 'He's p***ed off at the soldiers,' Trump biographer Michael Wolff claimed on The Daily Beast's podcast in its aftermath. 'He's accusing them of hamming it up, and by that, he seems to mean that they were having a good time, that they were waving, that they were enjoying themselves and showing a convivial face rather than a military face.' The show of military might came on the same day that millions of people took to the streets of America's cities for a 'No Kings' protest against Trump, hours after Minnesota Democrat Melissa Hortman and her husband were murdered by a political assassin and against a backdrop of unrest in Los Angeles and conflict in the Middle East.
