As veteran attorney Mitchell Zimmerman writes this week, it’s no small irony that the Supreme Court chose the week of July 4 to award the president essentially monarchical powers.
The ruling concerns former President Trump, who’s claimed he can’t be prosecuted for attempting to overthrow the 2020 election. The court’s hard-right majority left that specific charge vague, but ruled that anything a president does in his or her official capacity deserves “absolute immunity” from prosecution.
It’s hard to convey just how extreme that is. “In the oral argument of the case,” Mitchell points out, “Trump’s attorneys were asked about the seemingly absurd notion that a president would be immune to prosecution if he officially ordered the assassination of a political rival. They didn’t dispute it.”
That’s sure to put the court at the center of this election season. “The extremists currently enjoy a six-three Supreme Court majority,” Mitchell points out. “But Justice Thomas is 76 and Justice Alito is 74. Their seats could become vacant in the next four years and potentially flip.”
Also this week, the Rev. Lennox Yearwood Jr. shares a Catch 22 from Louisiana’s “Cancer Alley”: Many residents of the petrochemical-plagued region rely on inhalers to cope with air pollution. But those inhalers themselves may be making the pollution worse. “Beyond encouraging the use of other inhalers and safe recycling, it is critical that government agencies do more to address greenhouse gas emissions so that we can proactively focus on prevention efforts instead of doing damage control,” he concludes.”
Finally, I wrote this week about the ever-present debate over “free speech on campus” and beyond. I share a story from my own college years and argue that extreme inequality, not protest, is the real threat to speech.
Have a great Fourth of July from all of us at OtherWords. It’ll definitely be interesting this year.
New This Week…
The Supreme Court’s Immunity Ruling Gives Trump King George III’s Power | Mitchell Zimmerman
On the eve of Independence Day, six right-wing justices issued an unhinged and dangerous ruling.
The Paradox of Public Health Solutions That Worsen Climate Change | Rev. Lennox Yearwood Jr.
The unanticipated environmental effects of inhalers underscore the contradictions of piecemeal climate solutions.
Extreme Inequality is a Threat to Free Speech | Peter Certo
If money is speech, then speech isn’t free.
Cartoon: One Flew Over Washington | Khalil Bendib
Is this bird flown?
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Two Years Since Dobbs, Americans Are Fighting to Reclaim Their Rights | Georgia Jensen
Abortion bans have harmed our health, society, and economy. At the ballot box and beyond, voters are fighting back.
Our Nearly $1 Trillion Military Budget Won’t Make Us Safer | Lindsay Koshgarian
Congress is spending on the military like it’s World War III. Diverting that money to jobs, health care, and the climate would make us far safer.
Journalists Shouldn’t Just Repeat What Politicians Say. They Should Investigate It. | Chisom Okorafor
As a student journalist, one of the first things I learned was to double check sources. When politicians mislead us, people need to know.
Biden Can’t Fix Our Immigration System by Banning Asylum | Farrah Hassen
Shutting down the border to asylum seekers is cruel, ineffective, and plainly illegal. We need to put human dignity — and the law — first.
