Let’s start this post with a public service announcement. We realize the site was down for a period of time today. It was out of our hands as our hosting company decided to do server maintenance on both of the servers this site is hosted on at the same time. This isn’t me bagging on HostGator, they have been a very good hosting company overall. I just wanted you to know and that it wasn’t something we did.
Now, on to the rest of the post. . .
Researchers found the wreck of the USS Samuel B Roberts (DE-413) on 22 June. She was found broken in two in 22,916 feet of water, making her the deepest wreck ever found. American explorer Victor Vescovo, founder of Dallas-based Caladan Oceanic Expeditions who found the Roberts is declining to give the exact location. The Roberts was part of Task Group 77.4.3, call sign “Taffy 3” during the battle of Samar. If you don’t know the history of Taffy 3, I encourage you to give this article from the Naval History and Heritage Command a read.
As you should know by now, the US Supreme Court issued a couple of major decisions in the past week. Both NYSRPA v Bruen and Dobbs v Jackson were highly anticipated decisions, however there were a couple of other cases of note that have been released as the SCOTUS term ends.
In Vega v Tekoh, the Supremes ruled that not Mirandizing someone during questioning is not a basis for a civil rights suit under 42 U.S.C. § 1983.
Terence Tekoh worked in a hospital in Los Angeles. After a patient accused him of sexual assault, hospital staff reported the allegation to the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department. Deputy Carlos Vega went to the hospital to ask Tekoh some questions and to take Tekoh’s statement. Vega did not advise Tekoh of his Miranda rights prior to questioning him or taking his statement. After acquittal on on the criminal charge, Tekoh sued Vega under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 alleging that Vega violated Tekoh’s Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination by taking his statement without first advising him of his Miranda rights.
Carson v Makin is another case that should be noted. It involves a school voucher program in Maine.
There are areas in rural Maine that do not have public secondary schools. Residents with school aged children in those areas are given vouchers to assist with private school tuition if they live in such an area. A suit was brought challenging the rule that these voucher funds could only be used for secular private schools. The Court ruled that the Maine law preventing voucher funds from being used to pay tuition at religious schools was a violation of the Free Exercise clause of the First Amendment and struck down that portion of the law.
There are several more Opinions to be released before the end of the term. I expect most, if not all, of them to be released Monday.
While we’re on the subject of the Supreme Court, it’s been amusing to watch liberal heads explode the past few days. The reaction to both Bruen and Dobbs has been extreme to say the least.
The bootlicker that’s supposed to be in charge of our national defence, Lloyd Austin, said he was going to ignore the Supreme Court after Dobbs came out. Although, his original statement seems to have been scrubbed from the official DOD web site. As I was looking for the exact quote, I noticed the original had been replaced with a much watered down version.
In my own state, NY, the Governor had a meltdown during a live presser over Bruen. She had just managed to ram a package of anti-gun laws through the state legislature when the High Court ruled parts of the state’s longstanding pistol permitting scheme unconstitutional. She called the legislature back for an “emergency session” to think of ways to circumvent the ruling. I don’t see what she or the rest of the gungrabbers can do, the court was pretty pointed in it’s opinion, especially about the bearing arms part.
It seems gas prices have started to stabilize some. The current price for regular unleaded gas near me is $4.97 a gallon, premium is a dollar more and diesel is $6.25. According to AAA, this is down slightly from the high a week ago of $5.03 for regular. Keep in mind, a year ago the prices across the board were much lower, $3.15, $3.68 and $3.41 respectively.