On Monday the Court sent back an affirmative action case with a 7-1 vote.
On Tuesday, the central portion, section 5 of the 1965 Voting Rights Act was struck down in a split 5-4 vote. It is now a state issue until Congress decides to enact new legislation. As if they didn't have enough to do fixing what they can't seem to handle already.
On Wednesday, the Congressional Defense of Marriage Act was turned down in another split vote, 5-4. This made it legal for homosexuals to marry, but only in those states where they have laws allowing that. If these couples move to another state, they can lose these rights.
The next day, predictions of what this may mean for the future (that human rights are now state's rights and will be hotter state fights, as a result), are well explained on Rachel Maddow (19 min video).
These are not just equal marriage rights, but gender rights, health care access, as well as voting rights. All are being rough-handled in state legislatures. She says, the fight for these widely accepted, traditional values of how a just society works will now go to the states where they, in many places are currently being stripped away systematically. That these formerly held nationally accepted norms, or at least, goals worth striving for, fulfilling many of the basic tenants of human rights for Americans, are just those rights whose fate will now go to the states and their local legislatures. It all does seem a very great change. As big as the Citizens United case a couple years ago. As if they really wanted to say to all of us, 'Until further notice, you're on your own.' Where, in the south, especially, Republican-led majorities slash budgets and curtail human rights and the access of other basic rights. For example, Texas Rep. Mark Veasey focusing here, on voting rights, and who clearly seems on the mark.
But, sad to say largely, in the press that I saw, the supreme court's decision striking down the defense of marriage act seemed to overshadow all other news this week. A hopeful ring for some, yes, but still, much needs to be done before state primaries next spring. That is, if people expect state houses to be cleared of so many of these nonsense spewing far-right revisionists.
Also in Texas, a late Tuesday night fillibuster, by Senator Wendy Davis and a whole host of other citizens, ended a special session set to end discussion of SB5 . A vote was not taken because of the courage of a great many people that night. Watching the twitter that night was fun: #SB5, #standwithwendy. This Texas special session was set up by TX Gov Rick Perry to implement this bill which, as designed, will limit the ability of health care centers to treat women. In over thirty cases, increased requirements mandated by this bill will be too much for these centers to function and they will have to close their doors, leaving five such locations in the entire state. This would leave more amusement parks in Texas than health care centers for women in that state. Shows a bit of that state's priorities. Later on Wednesday, the Governor also approved the 500th state execution since that state reinstituted the death penalty in the 1980's. Perry has said he will open another special session for the legislature to enact this bill anyway. He also showed a lack of class and dignity of office with some remarks at the National Right To Life convention, an anti-abortion organization, later in the day, according to and with regard to Sen Davis' understanding of her own life's experience. What a maroon. Ohio and North Carolina are looking to do something similar.
In the Senate in DC, on Thursday, the upper house version of an omnibus immigration bill was passed with a 68 - 32 vote. The House does not have a similar bill in the works and is not willing to bring up the Senate bill for a vote and ratification. This means the Senate bill will die and immigration legislation will have to wait. Of course this means millions will not have a path for immigration but it also means the 700 mile Great Wall of Texas has also, not yet been ratified.
Newly revealed: and for the first time: some of the evidence that the FEDS use to justify Bradley Manning's incarceration and trial was released in court. The 96 confidential and 21 secret cables that Manning is alleged to have leaked to wikileaks after trying to get the New York Times and Washington Post to see them are revealed as reference numbers and can be found ... only on the wikileaks website. Things like, the report that Qatar partly owns an oil field in Iraq, or that the USGOV knew a coup happened in Honduras in 2009, but let it slide, or that the Saudis routinely complain that Iran stirs unrest in neighboring Yemen. All old and not very interesting news.
The other one reports that the US Army is restricting it's computer's access , 'army-wide' from the Guardian newspaper online. The sort of thing China is known for doing.
There are good leaks and bad leaks, even according to Obama, apparently. This article has a clear breakdown of that.
This week, that portion of the media mostly jealous of Glenn Greenwald's skills in investigative journalism, tried to imply things they couldn't prove about him. So he called them out for protecting bank criminals in the name of journalism. I'm not making this up. The Daily News wrote a story on how, years ago, Greenwald and his bf left their condo contract in NY because they wanted to keep their dog. Really digging in and serving up that dirt, huh? And here's why Barbara Star can't be trusted. She leaks.
Wednesday night Tim De Christopher on David Letterman talking about his battles with Big Oil over canyon-land in Utah. How he was sentenced to two years in the federal pen for obstructing an auction of federal lands. 12.5 min video
Morsi's Egypt, after a year. Obama, besides Tanzania, is nowhere near there.
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