Here is this week’s SWAJ Research Links, compiled by SWAJ Team Member Mark Kurth.
National Inquiries
Conservatives Have Some Very Creative, Very Dumb Excuses for Clarence Thomas’s Corruption
Thomas and Crow’s defenders have largely used the same argument to defend both men: Sure, this all may look bad to some, but what everyone is forgetting is that these are good guys—great guys!—and anyway, there’s nothing to see here, just two chums, chumming it up. Cherry-picking the most bombastic accusations—that Crow’s gifts are bribes; that Crow’s huge collection of Nazi memorabilia makes him a “Nazi sympathizer”—they concoct a defense of the men that basically amounts to, “No, they’re not,” in the style of a famous satirical editorial from The Onion.
Clarence Thomas to amend financial disclosure forms to reflect sale to GOP megadonor
Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island and Rep. Hank Johnson of Georgia have led about two dozen Democratic members of Congress in asking Chief Justice John Roberts to launch an investigation, and they are calling on the Judicial Conference – a policymaking body for the federal courts – to refer Thomas to the US attorney general for potential violations of the Ethics in Government Act of 1978.
“There is at least reasonable cause to believe that Justice Thomas intentionally disregarded the disclosure requirement to report the sale of his interest in the Savannah properties in an attempt to hide the extent of his financial relationship with Crow,” Whitehouse and Johnson said in a joint statement.
4 dead, 28 injured in Alabama birthday party shooting; hundreds gather to mourn victims: Updates
The nonprofit Gun Violence Archive tracks all mass shootings, defined as a shooting in which at least four victims are hit by gunfire. The attack in Dadeville is the 160th mass shooting in the country this year, according to the archive.
GOP Rep. Nancy Mace blasts Republicans for 'silence' on gun violence, 'extreme' abortion stances
“Republicans can no longer be silent on this issue. And it’s not about the Second Amendment. There are plenty of things that we can be doing besides offering prayers and silence," Mace said.
Donald Trump, Marjorie Taylor Greene and Ron DeSantis? The GOP LOVES cartoon villains.
I can already hear your confusion. Aren’t I premising this column on the idea that Republicans are embracing villains? And if so, shouldn’t evil actually be good?
It’s complicated. Someone “bad” is only “good” when that person fits perfectly, like a laser-cut jigsaw piece, into the puzzle that is the right-wing ecosystem.
Billionaire Harlan Crow Bought Property From Clarence Thomas. The Justice Didn’t Disclose the Deal.
A federal disclosure law passed after Watergate requires justices and other officials to disclose the details of most real estate sales over $1,000. Thomas never disclosed his sale of the Savannah properties. That appears to be a violation of the law, four ethics law experts told ProPublica.
Marjorie Taylor Greene defends suspected Pentagon leaker, saying he is 'white, male, Christian, and anti-war'
In a press conference on Monday, after the leak had happened but before Teixeria was arrested, Chris Meagher, assistant to the secretary of defense for public affairs, said that the leaked documents "present a very serious risk to national security."
Rep. Paul Gosar promotes pro-Hitler and Holocaust-denying site after it praised him for attacking “Jewish warmongers”
Rep. Paul Gosar (R-AZ) used his House.gov newsletter to direct people to a story posted on a Holocaust-denier website that praised him for attacking “Jewish warmongers” for their support of Ukraine. Gosar was promoting Veterans Today, an antisemitic website that has called the Holocaust a “lie” and a “hoax” and praised Hitler as a “great man” and “a man of valor.”
Fox News has covered the absurd Bud Light controversy far more than the Texas abortion pill ruling
From April 7 to April 13, Fox covered the ridiculous Bud Light story for 1 hour and 42 minutes, compared to 43 minutes for the far more consequential ruling about mifepristone. And that timeframe excludes several of Fox's heaviest days covering the Bud Light story, which has been a fixture on the network since April 3.
With conventional abortion pill regimens likely to be pulled, anti-choice activists are increasingly attacking a safe alternative
Access to the abortion pill mifepristone appears likely to be revoked in an upcoming court decision, so anti-choice activists are increasingly spreading misinformation about misoprostol, the other medicine in the traditional two-drug protocol for abortions, which can be used alone as a safe and effective alternative.
Rupert Wins Again
According to early press reports, Fox won’t have to apologize or acknowledge wrongdoing in any fashion. Like the phone-hacking scandal, like the sexual harassment cases, like the Seth Rich case, like the coupon case, this settlement will allow the Fox media machine to return to cruising speed and even continue its sleazy ways. When Murdoch was shamed over the phone-hacking scandal and closed the News of the World, observers hoped that maybe he or one of his children would amend the company’s manner. But here we are a decade-plus later, and the Murdoch enterprise is just as contaminated as it ever was.
So, Is Clarence Thomas at Real Risk Here? Absolutely.
As other ethics scholars and practitioners have also noted, there was never material ambiguity about Crow’s gifts to Thomas or the justice’s responsibility to report them. Yacht and air travel are not “food, lodging, or entertainment,” and disclosure has always been required by the act.
Fox pays $787 million for its 2020 election lies
While Fox may have been able to avoid a decision on those thornier First Amendment questions at play in the case by settling, it’s still on the hook not just financially but potentially reputationally. That still might not stop the most-watched network in cable news from continuing its editorial strategy of obscuring truths that could alienate its mostly right-wing audience.
Trump calls on Rupert Murdoch to back false 2020 election fraud claims ahead of Dominion trial
Trump on Truth Social alleged that Fox News is “in big trouble if they do not expose the truth on cheating in the 2020 election.” There is no evidence of widespread voter fraud that would have impacted the outcome of the 2020 race for the White House.
‘The justices were kidding themselves’: Supreme Court takes up abortion after saying lawmakers should decide
The court is expected to rule by Wednesday on whether to allow an earlier decision from the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals to take effect, sharply limiting access to a commonly used abortion pill nationwide. The lower court ruling, which the Biden administration wants paused while the legal battle plays out, would prohibit telemedicine prescriptions, mail delivery and retail pharmacy dispensing of the drug.
Why the Ralph Yarl shooting is reigniting the ’stand your ground’ debate
This case has all the ingredients to revive the national debate over “stand your ground” laws, which over much of the last decade have been central in trials for civilians accused in fatal shootings of Black teens and young men, including Trayvon Martin and Jordan Davis in 2012.(Davis’s mother is Rep. Lucy McBath (D-Ga.), a prominent gun control advocate.)
Shot for making a mistake: America reels from shootings of Ralph Yarl, Kaylin Gillis and Texas cheerleaders
In an era of frequent mass shootings, Americans know all too well that tragedy lurks nearly everywhere: schools, churches, offices, grocery stores, movie theaters. But these three incidents in the span of just six days have deepened a gnawing sense that no place is truly safe — not even the front porch of an ordinary house on an ordinary street in suburban Kansas City.
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States Fights
Colorado Gov. Polis signs 3 abortion-related protections into law
Dozens of lawmakers and advocates crowded into the office to celebrate the new laws, which build off of last year’s successful work to codify the right to abortion in state law. They are a response to rising efforts among surrounding states to restrict or outright ban abortion, which is leading to more patients traveling to Colorado for abortion care.
New Mexico governor fears a national ban on abortion
The Democratic governor recently signed two bills into law protecting abortion providers and guaranteeing access to reproductive and gender-affirming care, just as a judge in neighboring Texas moved to suspend the FDA’s approval of mifepristone — one of two drugs used together to cause an abortion.
New survey paints dire picture for doctors considering leaving Idaho over abortion
The survey asks how Idaho’s abortion laws affect Idaho’s maternal health care doctors, and specifically whether these laws are causing doctors to leave the state. The survey, in essence, predicts the availability of maternal health care services across Idaho in coming years.
Trump’s fundraising was lagging. Then he said an indictment was imminent.
Even with the surge in revenue linked to the indictment, Trump’s first-quarter numbers still trail where he was at the same time in 2019, when he was running for reelection. That could be due to the fact that donor cash is being spread out among his GOP challengers or that donors are waiting to see how the primary plays out.
Read texts from the racist murderer whom Greg Abbott wants pardoned
The fact Perry killed someone in opposition to conservative ideals has made him into a celebrity of sorts on the right, including many in far-right media who have called for Abbott to pardon Perry. And Abbott has wasted no time obliging.
DeSantis signs 6-week abortion ban in closed-door ceremony
A six-week ban would diminish Florida's status as a destination for the procedure in a region that has severely tightened access after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi have banned abortion at all stages of pregnancy, while Georgia forbids the procedure after cardiac activity can be detected, which is around six weeks.
Florida officially limits gender, sexual orientation instruction in all school grades
The new rule goes beyond the state’s Parental Rights in Education laws — dubbed by critics as “don’t say gay” — that prohibits classroom instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity in kindergarten through third grade, and older grades in cases when the lessons are deemed to be not “age appropriate.”
‘Deeply frustrated': Florida legislators worn out by DeSantis
Republican lawmakers are stalling a handful of his key remaining legislative priorities with just weeks left in the annual session. And what started out as whispers in private about unhappiness over the governor are starting to become louder even though Republican lawmakers remain unwilling to speak out publicly against DeSantis because of his power and clout.
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Vocal Locals
Why GOP culture warriors lost big in school board races this month
“Where culture war issues were being waged by some school board candidates, those issues fell flat with voters,” said Kim Anderson, executive director of the National Education Association labor union. “The takeaway for us is that parents and community members and voters want candidates who are focused on strengthening our public schools, not abandoning them.”
Audio captures Okla. county officials discussing killing reporter, hanging Black people, report says; governor calls for resignations
A sheriff, one of his investigators and a county commissioner in southeast Oklahoma are accused by a newspaper of discussing killing a local reporter and lamenting that modern justice no longer includes hanging Black people.
White homeowner accused of shooting Black teen who went to the wrong house in Kansas City will face 2 felony charges, officials announce
A White 84-year-old homeowner who allegedly shot and wounded Ralph Yarl, a Black teen, after the 16-year-old went to the wrong home to pick up his siblings will face two felony charges, Clay County Prosecuting Attorney Zachary Thompson announced early Monday evening.
Andrew Lester will face charges of assault in the first degree and armed criminal action. Authorities have issued a warrant for his arrest and he’s not currently in custody, Thompson said.
“I can tell you there was a racial component to this case,” Thompson said at a news conference without elaborating.
Oklahoma official who discussed killing reporters resigns
Stitt spokesperson Carly Atchison said the office received a handwritten resignation letter from McCurtain County Commissioner Mark Jennings. In it, Jennings says he is resigning immediately and that he plans to release a formal statement “in the near future regarding the recent events in our county.”