Radley Balko

Scenes from a personalist regime

Screenshot of excerpt from opinion that reads: "Despite this, the New York courts refused to stay the trial court’s order. After that highly questionable injunction was issued, the applicants filed appeals in both the Appellate Division (the State’s intermediate appellate court) and the Court of Appeals (its highest court) challenging the trial court’s order on federal constitutional grounds. At the same time, applicants asked both courts to stay the trial court’s order. The Appellate Division refused to issue a stay, and by order issued on February 11, the Court of Appeals sent the appeal filed in that court to the Appellate Division and dismissed applicants’ motions for a stay."

With nowhere else to turn, the applicants asked us to issue a stay, and we have jurisdiction to entertain their application. Title 28 U. S. C. §1257(a) gives us jurisdiction to review “[f]inal judgments or decrees” that are rendered by a State’s highest court and adjudicate federal constitutional claims, and the Court of Appeals’ February 11 order falls within that category.

1/9: In the New York redistricting case, Justice Alito's justification for why #SCOTUS even had *jurisdiction* to issue a stay is based upon a remarkably misleading portrayal of the state court proceedings.

I realize this is technical, but I wanted to write a short thread to explain the shadiness:

This really ought to be terrifying. We literally have people making decisions to drop bombs in the grips of apocalyptic fantasies.

This president has called members of the WHCA "scum", "fake news," "enemies of the people," and a female reporter "piggy." Just a year ago, the WHCA was criticizing Trump for undermining "the independence of a free press in the United States."
Now they're "happy" to host him.

It's interesting that filing an amicus brief supporting the interpretation of birthright citizenship that has existed for over a century is a point for partisanship, but setting up a farm system for exclusively conservative judges is not

Noem refuses to retract statements calling Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti domestic terrorists Durbin asked Noem if she would like to retract her previous statements falsely calling Good and Pretti, who were both fatally shot by immigration agents in Minn

Noem refuses to retract statements calling Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti domestic terrorists

CBP Tapped Into the Online Advertising Ecosystem To Track Peoples’ Movements An internal DHS document obtained by 404 Media shows for the first time CBP used location data sourced from the online advertising industry to track phone locations. ICE has bought access to similar t...

New from 404 Media: CBP tapped into the online advertising ecosystem to track peoples' movements, according to an internal DHS document. Shows for the first time DHS tracked phones via process for putting ads in ordinary apps—video games, fitness apps, many more www.404media.co/cbp-tapped-i...

Because she was working with a federal task force, she was considered a federal officer, and thus protected by SCOTUS rulings making it all but impossible to sue federal cops, even for egregious abuse.

Now consider what this means for Trump's immigration thugs.

Democrats had two years to fix this.

Jim Jordan: "When people step back and evaluate it, they say, 'This was the right decision. This was consistent with what the president told the American people when we the people elected him. He said he was going to do this.'" (Trump literally campaigned on no war with Iran!)

'UNIMAGINABLE CRUELTY': Judge Gary Brown, a Trump appointeee from NY, thrashes DHS' treatment of a man who came to the US at 9 as an abuse/neglect victim, has no criminal record and became a college grad.

"The laws of decency condemn such villainy." storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...

Brave

Periodic reminder: Since Trump was re-elected, @forbes.com estimates—

💰His net worth is up $2 billion, to $6.3 billion

💰Eric’s has increased tenfold, to $400 million

💰Don Jr.’s has increased sixfold, to $300 million

💰19-year-old Barron Trump is worth $150 million

The peace president makes the case for forever wars

They were right. Crime spiked during the pandemic, as did traffic fatalities, substance abuse, mental illness, domestic violence, and blood pressure. A generational crisis that kills a million people will do that. Caving to demagoguery and walking back reform was cowardly and destructive.

Maybe it’s a bad idea to put people in charge of government who are eager for the rapture.

How have crime rates in the United States changed over the last 50 years? Both violent and property crime are far below their 1990s peak, but some crimes see periodic rises.

Looking at the 2024 crime figures, it's absolutely insane how Trump, tech billionaires, and centrist pundits fooled everyone into thinking Biden had turned the U.S. into some Hobbesian hellscape.

50-year lows for violent crime, armed robbery, property crime. Second-lowest homicide rate.

U.S. Troops Were Told Iran War Is for “Armageddon,” Return of Jesus Advocacy group reports commanders giving similar messages at more than 30 installations in every branch of the military

EXCLUSIVE: At more than 30 installations, U.S. commanders told troops the war on Iran is a Christian war.

The Military Religious Freedom Foundation has been “inundated” with more than 110 complaints.

One NCO said they were told the U.S. war is to bring about Armageddon and the return of Jesus…

A disturbing and hypocritical ruling on so many levels. Especially the due process holding.

The court JUST said there’s no deeply rooted right for women to control their own bodies. But there is a deeply rooted right for parents to know if their kids question their gender at school? Come on.

She's like an old samurai whose great battles are behind her but every once in a while she kills a man with piece of paper just to prove a point

Bombing elementary schools I guess.

DC journalists have a golden opportunity.

Just say something like "since they will be honoring an avowed enemy of free speech and a free press, I will not be attending the Correspondents' Association dinner this year."

It's telling how many will not, even when handed to them on a silver platter.

Trump/Hegseth operational security: at Joe’s Stone Crab, a restaurant a 2-minute walk from the White House, someone was having a conversation about the attacks on Iran that were going to start in 6 hours. Loud enough for the founder of @TMZ.com to recount it in real time with his podcast cohost.

⚡️ Witnesses Describe Horror Scene After “Double-Tap” Bombing Kills Over 20 at Popular Tehran Square In Iran, the U.S. and Israel are employing tactics used in Israel’s genocide in Gaza, the “War on Terror” and Trump’s recent attacks on alleged drug boats in the Carribean. Story by @SayahTweets and @MazMHussain for Drop Site News

⚡️ Witnesses Describe Horror Scene After “Double-Tap” Bombing Kills Over 20 at Popular Tehran Square

In Iran, the US & Israel are employing tactics used in Israel’s genocide in Gaza, the “War...

Story by Reza Sayah & @mazmhussain.bsky.social for Drop Site News

www.dropsitenews.com/p/tehran-ira...

The inference they seem to have drawn from “coercive nation building rarely works out well” is “therefore just create a massive power vacuum and cross your fingers.”

"Flying shards of a better tomorrow" vibes.

of course

Woman sues Kenbridge, police after chief allegedly tipped off shooting suspect The town of Kenbridge and its police department are facing a lawsuit of more than $140 million.

A woman’s ex boyfriend, who is a cop, threatens to shoot her

Women are at the highest risk for being killed when they try to leave a relationship.

She calls 911 for help & the Police Chief WARNS the boyfriend instead.

Boyfriend opened fire on her car

We aren’t angry enough.

Trump took a break from war planning on Friday to hear about Mar-a-Lago guest James O'Keefe's latest scheme.