Riots and looting continued for a second night in Philadelphia after the death of Walter Wallace Jr. Wallace was shot by police after advancing on them with a knife.
The Pennsylvania National Guard was called up last night, but even with that support, the police in Philly couldn’t prevent or contain the widespread riots and looting.
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Today’s featured image is of Chippewa Bay on the St. Lawrence river.
I wrote about the Silverado fire in yesterday’s View. It’s nearly tripled in size since then. More than 750 firefighters are working on containing the blaze.
This is just sad. 36 circles, and they’re mostly filled with press.
See also: Riots in Philadelphia
There has been much pearl clutching and hand-wringing over the swearing-in ceremonies for ACB last night. It seems to be a bi-partisan effort as well. Let’s clear up something, there have been White House ceremonies for every Justice confirmed to the Supreme Court since the late 80’s. For all of the ostensibly conservative commentators out there whinging about last night, GFY. At least the GD Democrats have a reason to whine, they got beat.
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It’s been a couple of weeks since the last edition of the Election Law Case Round-up. With less than a week to go before election day, I thought I’d try to get you caught up on what has been recently decided and what is still pending in election law cases.
We’ll start with a case that’s still working its way through the Courts. In Pennsylvania, the State courts have taken over the role of the legislature and made wholesale changes to election laws. The courts ruled that the election day deadline for mail-in ballots and the strict scrutiny signature requirements were a burden to voters, and any ballot that was postmarked by 3 Nov and received by 6 Nov could be counted.
The democratic governor, Tom Wolf, attempted to make the changes to the voting laws in the keystone state, but failed to get the changes past the Republican led legislature.
About a week ago, the Supreme Court declined to issue a stay, by a 4-4 vote. The plaintiffs in this case have already refiled their petition for emergency relief. Will the Supreme Court issue an emergency stay now that there is a full bench? I don’t know, but seeing as the four conservative Justices all voted to issue a stay for the original petition, I’d say maybe.
Next up is a case out of Texas, where a US district court judge inserted his own judgement into the portion of texas Election Law that requires signature verification on absentee ballots. Judge Orlando L. Garcia, a Clinton appointee, decided his process for identifing, matching and/or rejecting signatures on absentee ballots was better than what the duly elected state legislature came up with. Fortunately, the 5th circuit court of appeals decided he went too far, and that rewriting election law really isn’t within the purview of a US district court judge. They issued an emergency stay, preventing judge Garcia’s order from going into effect.
Tennessee has one of the narrowest definitions of who can vote by absentee ballot in the country. The state has very strict signature matching requirements, and the NAACP and some union groups challenged them in US District Court. The judge there declined to issue a preliminary injunction preventing the state from enforcing those requirements, so the plaintiffs appealed to the 6th circuit. A three judge panel from that appeals court upheld the district judge’s ruling.
In a slightly weird case out of Indiana, a three judge panel of the 7th circuit struck down a district court judge’s ruling about a very narrow section of that states election law. The section in question allowed the extension of voting hours if and only if a very specific set of circumstances occured. The statute also limited who could sue for relief to the county board of elections, and only if the board voted unanimously to do so. Apparently, the case has been extant for more than a year, but the plaintiffs only requested an injunction in the last few weeks.
The last case of the day come from Wisconsin, where the Supreme Court upheld a ruling from the 7th circuit. I covered this case here, but the statements from the Justices in this case are very interesting.
“The Constitution provides that state legislatures — not federal judges, not state judges, not state governors, not other state officials — bear primary responsibility for setting election rules,” wrote Justice Neil Gorsuch.
It follows “that a State legislature’s decision either to keep or to make changes to election rules to address COVID–19 ordinarily ‘should not be subject to secondguessing by an unelected federal judiciary, which lacks the background, competence, and expertise to assess public health and is not accountable to the people.’” from Justice Kavanaugh’s concurrence. A deadline is not unconstitutional merely because of voters’ “own failure to take timely steps” to ensure their franchise. Voters who, for example, show up to vote at midnight after the polls close on election night do not have a right to demand that the State nonetheless count their votes. Voters who submit their absentee ballots after the State’s deadline similarly do not have a right to demand that the State count their votes.
Riots broke out in Philly last night after cops shot and killed an armed man. Philadelphia police officers were responding to a domestic call involving Walter Wallace Jr., when he refused to surrender his knife to law enforcement.
More than 30 police officers were injured during the overnight rioting, and several stores were looted.
Amy Coney Barrett has been confirmed as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court.
It is expected that she will be sworn in later this evening.
Today’s featured image is of Big Bay on Oneida Lake.
Ahahahahahaha. . . . .
(also, sorry. I know it’s close to dinner time for some of you. . . )
Best estimates for the timing of the ACB confirmation vote puts it at around 2100 eastern. It’s looking like a 52- 47 vote at this point, Susan Collins decided to commit political seppuku by commiting to a no vote.
While we’re on the subject, it’s been announced that Clarence Thomas will administer the oath of office to Amy Coney Barrett. The swearing-in is scheduled for shortly after the confirmation vote.
Buzz Aldrin has just endorsed Martha McSally in her bid to keep the Senate seat she was appointed to when John McCain passed.
Turns out there is water on the moon. Not much, but quite a bit more than scientists previously believed.
Ohio Attorney General David Yost announced the results of what he called the largest anti-human trafficking effort in state history. 45 missing children and 109 additional human trafficking survivors were rescued during “Operation Autumn Hope,” a joint taskforce consisting of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies.
See also: Propaganda Preparedness
The city of Irvine California is the site of an extremely fast moving wildfire. The so-called Silverado fire was first reported at about 0645 this morning was around 10 acres in size. Since then it’s grown to nearly 4,000 acres, pushed by gusty Santa Anna winds. As of the last official update, two firefighters have been injured, both suffering severe burns.
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I wrote about the attempted take-over of the Liberian flagged tanker Nave Andromeda off the southern coast of England yesterday. Today, there are more details to share.
Richard Meade, editor of the shipping intelligence website Lloyd’s List, said the seven stowaways were believed to have boarded in Nigeria. “They were discovered by the crew and while they were trying to detain them in a cabin they got violent,”
It is assumed the stowaways boarded the tanker via the rudder trunk while the vessel was in port at Lagos Nigeria.
The tanker made two stops while en-route to Southampton, but did not enter port at either stop.
The ships master raised the alarm around 1000 Sunday. Some of the crew of 22 made their way to the “citadel” in the engine room.
Around 2000 local time, a boarding team from the Royal Navy Special Boat Service boarded the tanker. The 16 troopers were inserted by helicopter fast rope and quickly took the hijackers into custody and ensured the crew was unharmed.
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“In response to a police request, the defence secretary and home secretary authorised Armed Forces personnel to board a ship in the English Channel to safeguard life and secure a ship that was subject to suspected hijacking,” the MoD said in a statement. “Armed forces have gained control of the ship and seven individuals have been detained. Police investigations will now continue. Initial reports confirm the crew are safe and well.”
The International Committee of the Fourth International (ICFI), also known as the World Party of Socialist Revolution, was officially founded in November 1953 by devoted followers of revolutionary Marxist, Lev Davidovich Bronstein, aka Leon Trotsky. In their own words, “The International Committee of the Fourth International is the sole representative of the historical continuity of the struggle waged by Trotsky, dating back to 1923, to defend the principles, program and heritage of the 1917 October Revolution.”
Their international mission: thwart the Stalinist, Pabloistic, nationalist influences diluting and dissecting Trotsky’s programme to eliminate capitalist systems from all nations and achieve global socialism. ICFI developed their Trotskyite orthodoxy from a piece published in the May-June 1938 edition of Biulleten’ oppozitsii, trans., Bulletin of the Opposition (BO). Authored by the man himself – The Transitional Program: The Death Agony of Capitalism and the Tasks of the Fourth International – is the Trotsky Manifesto, in a manner of speaking. (click bolded title if interested in pdf and/or text versions)
Trotsky founded, edited and nearly single-handedly authored all content for BO after Stalin banished him from the Soviet Union in 1929. The defeated leader of the Bolshevik Revolution used Bulletin of the Opposition for propaganda distribution and as an organisational tool. It kept his dreams alive and his followers working for the realisation of same. Today, the ICFI “works in political solidarity” with the Socialist Equality Party.
Also See: Hijack Attempt Near Isle of Wight
An article published by the ICFI via their digital disinformation distribution outlet, World Socialist Web Site (WSWS), serves to reinforce something Liberty lovin’ people have also determined; the New York Times‘ 1619 Project is utter bunk.
In case you’ve fortunately missed the news, the 1619 Project is a revisionist history treatise, published by the New York Times, constructed to be part of classroom study materials when our children are learning about the genesis of the United States of America. Chief Architect of the falsehood-riddled “educational” series is Nikole Hannah-Jones who has been awarded the Pulitzer Prize, Commentary, for this widely discredited and discarded effort teaching new “truths”; including an unsupportable assertation that slavery was the basis for the American Revolutionary War. The New York Times has concocted a piece so preposterously deviant from known history, traditional enemies of capitalism also find the series – as well as excuses being offered for the untruths, secret edits and denials of authorship that have ensued since publication – ridiculous.
While odd to suggest taking a read at something produced in an enemy print shop, the ICFI angle on the 1619 Project saga is interesting and informative. As WSWS writers effectively expose the New York Times‘ collection of malignant myth, they also offer a glimpse of their own class-based, international socialist impressions of U.S. history. It is alarming how both these fantastical stories – one, born a century ago in Russia to launch a socialist revolutionary quest for an anti-capitalist utopia; the other, a modern manifestation of socialist degradation and intolerance known as revisionist history – have found their way into our classrooms, and our children’s heads. If interested, click to read, It is all just a metaphor: The New York Times attempts yet another desperate defense of its discredited 1619 Project.
Looks like Liberty and Oppression share a common antipathy; blatant stupidity.
Today’s featured image is of Lakeview pond. The pond is located near Ellisburg in Jefferson county NY.
Biden called a lid shortly after this massive rally.
I really like Tom Cotton. The Arkansas Senator seems like a straight shooter to me. It doesn’t hurt that he takes no guff from anyone. Here’s a perfect example. He recently had an interview with CNBC’s Squawk Box. When one of the hosts got all smug about the media not covering the Hunter Biden laptop scandal, he blasted him with the Russian collision and the Steele ‘dossier’. Watch:
Cloture has been called on debate over the ACB nomination. Expect a floor vote some time tomorrow afternoon/evening. As Lisa Murkowski said she was voting against the procedurals and for the nomination going forward, all the suspense is over.
A quick update on the hijacking story from earlier today. The British Special Boat Service intervened, all the crew is safe and the 7 stowaways/hijackers are in custody at this point.
See also: Blasphemy on CNN
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Any questions, comments, suggestions or tips can be directed here. We’ll get back to you as soon as we can.
British authorities are responding to what appears to be a hijacking attempt just off the Isle of Wight. The Nave Andromeda, a Liberian flagged, Greek owned tanker left Lagos Nigeria a little over two weeks ago and was scheduled to arrive at Southampton today. The Nave Andromeda was commissioned in 2012 and is carrying 42,000 tons of crude oil.
A distress call was made after seven stowaways were discovered on board and they attempted to take control of the vessel.
Hampshire Police confirmed: “We are aware and dealing with an ongoing incident on board a vessel which is situated south of the Isle of Wight.”
Two coastguard helicopters have been scrambled to the scene and were spotted circling the ship on Sunday afternoon, and an exclusion zone was set up in the area south of Sandown.
A Coastguard spokeswoman said: “We are currently assisting Hampshire Constabulary with an incident on board a vessel situated off the Isle of Wight. The search and rescue helicopters from Lee on Solent and Lydd are in attendance.”
A spokeswoman for the Home Office said it is aware of the incident.
A Ministry of Defence spokesman confirmed there was no military involvement in the incident.
Bob Seely, Conservative MP for the Isle of Wight, said the incident would be treated as a “marine counter-terrorism” incident. He told reporters:
“Despite being told not to drop anchor, the skipper has dropped anchor and the ship may be now under the control of stowaways on the ship. I suspect because of the nature of this it will be treated as marine counter-terrorism and the number of people in the UK who do that are very limited and the relevant units will be looking at options no doubt as to what we could be doing.”