#SCOTUS is expected to hand down more rulings Wednesday. There are 10 more cases to be decided this term, including some of the court’s most politically salient ones. Those cases address topics such as whether #Trump is immune from prosecution for all acts during his presidency, whether the #Biden admin violated the #FirstAmendment in asking #SocialMedia companies to take down posts, & whether a federal #law means ER doctors can perform #abortions in states where they are restricted or banned.
#Idaho v. United States — Whether a federal law requiring emergency care means emergency room doctors in states w/strict #abortion bans must terminate pregnancies in certain non-life threatening circumstances, such as if a woman’s future #fertility may be at risk.
How a Network of Nonprofits Enriches Fundraisers While Spending Almost Nothing on Its Stated Causes
ProPublica identified a group of connected #political nonprofits — with names like American Breast #Cancer Coalition and National Coalition for Disabled #Veterans — that appear to be funneling more than 90% of donations to fundraisers.
A new report revealed #Trump’s disturbing penchant for #executing his #political enemies. His response is somehow even worse.
Fmr Trump comms dir #AlyssaFarahGriffin revealed that Trump called for the #execution of a staffer on several occasions during his time in the WH—& the disturbing news (& Trump’s even more troubling reaction) is already fading from headlines.
#RyanSelkis, a #cryptocurrency exec, was eating dinner at Mar-a-Lago last month when he got an unexpected invitation: #Trump wanted him to come to the stage & say a few words.
#Selkis, who runs the crypto data firm #Messari, was at an event for Trump’s #NFTs.
“There’s 50 million crypto holders in the US. That’s a lot of voters,” Selkis declared.
That message has become a #political talking point in the #crypto world, as the industry tries to shake off a wave of scandals & establish itself as a powerful force in the #2024election cycle. Three large crypto firms have banded together to finance a group of affiliated #superPACs, investing about $150M to elect pro-crypto candidates in congressional races.
Top crypto execs have tried to mobilize the industry behind #Trump, who has reciprocated by praising digital currencies & hosting execs.
Stamos told associates he stepped back from leading the Observatory last year in part because the #political pressure had taken a toll. Stamos had raised most of the money for the project, & the remaining faculty have not been able to replicate his success, as many #philanthropic groups shift their focus on #ArtificialIntelligence & other, fresher topics.
…At #NOAA, where a 2020 investigation found that agency leaders violated its #ScientificIntegrity policy after #Trump showed a doctored hurricane forecast map, stricter standards took effect in March. A similar #policy will soon be extended to the #Commerce Dept, including to the #political appointees whose #violations were detailed in the 2020 probe.
At the #EPA, the new #ScientificIntegrity provision is part of a 4-yr contract w/the agency. The provision ensures that #workers’ complaints will be assessed by an #independent investigator, rather than a #political appointee. While any new president could quickly transform policies around scientific integrity through new executive orders, the #union#contract provision is one advocates had urged as a way to make the #protections harder to undo w/o a #legal fight.
The federal #government is facing a dwindling window to #regulate the use of #ArtificialIntelligence in campaigns before the #2024election. The #FCC chair announced a plan last month to require #politicians to disclose #AI use in TV & radio #ads. But the prop is facing opposition from a #FEC top ofcl, which has been considering its own new rules on AI campaign use.
The dispute — along w/ #inaction at the #FEC & #Congress — could leave #voters w/limited federal #protections against those who use #AI to #mislead the public or mask their #political msgs…. New #generativeAI technologies have already proved capable of creating uncannily realistic images.
“AI has the potential to be very influential in our #elections, & right now, there’s a total vacuum of #regulation on this issue,” said Ellen Weintraub, the Democratic vice chair of the FEC.
The difference in #Arizona is that the fight is playing out not in a solidly #RedState, but in a closely divided battleground. #Political experts say the #immigration enforcement measure could have unpredictable ripple effects on races for president & for control of the #UnitedStates#Senate.
On Tues, the AZ House, which is under #Republican control, is expected to give the proposal final approval for the ballot.
…AZ’s pop is 32% #Latino, & many voters still have searing memories of #SB1070.
AG #MerrickGarland used an appearance on Capitol Hill on Tues to forcefully defend the #DOJ against “repeated attacks” from #Republicanlawmakers that have undermined investigations & put federal employees in #harm’s way.
A #DOJ spox said Garland’s goal …was to push back against “false narratives regarding the Dept’s employees & their work.”
#MerrickGarland said: “I view #contempt as a serious matter. But I will not jeopardize the ability of our prosecutors & agents to do their jobs effectively in future investigations. I will not be intimidated. And the #Justice Dept will not be intimidated. We will continue to do our jobs free from #political#influence. And we will not back down from defending #democracy.”
Imagine willfully and purposely abandoning #reason, #logic and the shared common #reality by which the rest of the world chooses to interact to the point where an entire #political#party publishes this "press release?"
How embarrassing!
Disgraced former president and convicted #felon Donald J. #Trump has been lashing out with vitriol, emotional dysregulation, and flat out #lies and #dangerous#rhetoric since the verdict was made public (and quite frankly before any of his trials even started). He has clearly demonstrated to the entire #world he is the personification of a leaky colostomy bag.
#Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton Is Increasingly Using Consumer Protection Laws to Pursue #Political Targets
Paxton has repeatedly used #laws that are supposed to protect people from fraudulent or deceptive practices to pursue entities he disagrees with politically, including #hospitals, pharmaceutical companies and #LGBTQ+ groups.
Amir Reisian, the lawyer of #Tomaj Salehi, announced that this artist and political prisoner had regained access to his phone card and made phone calls from inside the prison.
This lawyer wrote on his "X" page: "Mr. Tomaj Salehi's phone card has been activated since yesterday and the phone call problem has been solved. He said in his call with me today that promises were made to meet to solve the problem."
• Mr. Reisian had previously said that one day after the death sentence was announced, Tomaj Salehi's calls were cut off and his visit was also cut off, "due to the fact that he was subject to filming." #Hamava #Political prisoners #Iran sHumanRights #Politics#DeathPenalty
•امیر رئیسیان، وکیل #توماج صالحی از دسترسی مجدد این هنرمند و زندانی سیاسی به کارت تلفن و برقراری تماس تلفنی او از داخل زندان خبر داد.
•این وکیل دادگستری در صفحه "ایکس" خود نوشت: "کارت تلفن آقای توماج صالحی از دیروز برقرار و مشکل تماس تلفنی حل شده است. امروز هم در تماسی که با من داشت گفت که وعدههایی برای حل مشکل ملاقات داده شده است."
•آقای رئیسیان پیشتر گفته بود که یک روز پس از ابلاغ حکم اعدام، تماسهای توماج صالحی قطع و ملاقات او نیز، "به علت اینکه مشروط به فیلمبرداری شد،" قطع شده است. #همآوا #زندانی سیاسی
All #Threads seems to be right now is #political heavy accounts whining about being #throttled and I'm like - holy hell I'm glad you are, because you asshats are 50% what I see ATM anyway
Guess they never got the memo about Mastodon... I mean, you get what you ask for...
Tues 29 May 2024 🧵
Good morning! It’s the last day of the #TrumpTrial before jury #deliberations.
Today Justice #Merchan will give #JuryInstructions. Then they will discuss the case among themselves for the first time; they have not been allowed to even discuss it w/each other as yet.
Closing arguments took place yesterday, & the lawyers will have no further opportunity to address the jurors before they determine whether #Trump is #guilty or not guilty of 34 felonies.
In #NewYork, falsifying records is a #misdemeanor, unless the documents were faked to HIDE ANOTHER CRIME. The other crime, prosecutors say (they also presented evidence of other #crimes), was Trump’s 2016 violation of state #ElectionLaw that prohibited #conspiring to aid a #political campaign using “#UnlawfulMeans.”
#Trump faces 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in connection w/a #HushMoney payment made to a porn star to influence the 2016 election. The case could be in the jury’s hands as early as Wed.
#Trump will be joined by several members of his family in court today: Donald Trump Jr; Eric & wife Lara Trump who is also co-chair of the #RNC; & Tiffany Trump & husband, Michael Boulos.
Non-family members joining Trump are Steve Witkoff, a real-estate investor & “friend”; Will Scharf, a #Republican candidate for Missouri AG & a Trump lawyer in another case; & Deroy Murdock, a #conservative#political “commentator”.