John Blume

Trump Shares a Personal Story About the Unabomber That Doesn't Make Any Sense

not to be One Of Those Types but the sitting president made up a total nonsense story about the Unabomber yesterday—and kind of praised Kaczynski–and it barely made a ripple in the news cycle gizmodo.com/trump-shares...

Opinion | Don’t call it ‘Alligator Alcatraz.’ Call it a concentration camp. This facility’s purpose fits the classic model, and its existence points to serious dangers ahead for the country.

Don’t call it ‘Alligator Alcatraz.’ Call it a concentration camp.

This facility’s purpose fits the classic model, and its existence points to serious dangers ahead for the country.

Trump and Elon made massive cuts to all US weather tracking and warning systems in the spring of 2025.

Jul. 4, 1933 | White Mob Lynches Norris Dendy and Leaves His Body in a Churchyard Learn more about our history of racial injustice.

On this day in 1933, a white mob broke into a jail cell in South Carolina, lynched Norris Dendy, a Black man, and left his body in a churchyard.

there's a culture of fear in the median ranks of media to report and comment on this because journalists believe it would jeopardize their chances of working at the new york times

Jul. 2, 1822 | Denmark Vesey Executed in South Carolina for Planning to Help Free Enslaved People Learn more about our history of racial injustice.

On this day in 1822, Denmark Vesey, a Black carpenter, was executed in Charleston, South Carolina, for planning to emancipate enslaved people.

Cannot emphasize enough that, if you dislike doing the things academics do (reading, writing, developing and expressing opinions about things you've read) enough to try to make a chatbot do them for you, there are lots of actual humans who would be happy to take that unpleasant job off your hands

I think a critical posture towards the role of judges vis-a-vis law schools is a generational project that needs to happen.

Trump officials reverse guidance exempting farms, hotels from immigration raids ICE agents have been told to continue conducting enforcement operations at agricultural businesses despite concerns about effects on the food industry.

TACO isn’t just about tariffs, alas www.washingtonpost.com/immigration/...

Jun. 16, 1944 | Fourteen-Year-Old George Stinney Executed in South Carolina Learn more about our history of racial injustice.

On this day in 1944, George Stinney Jr., a 90-pound, 14-year-old boy, was executed in the electric chair in Columbia, South Carolina. He remains the youngest person executed in the U.S. in the 20th century.

Your torts exam writes itself. I am here to tell you there are elephant cases!

I agree with Josh’s take on the title.

If the person reading it doesn't immediately get the Arendt reference, it's gonna come across as highly offensive.

And if they do get the Arendt reference, it'll depend on their take on Arendt ...

Stop the Execution of Stephen Stanko in South Carolina South Carolina scheduled its 6th execution in 9 months. Stephen Stanko, 56, is scheduled to be executed on June 13, 2025 for the murders of Laura Ling and Henry Turner. Stephen has spent nearly twent...

actionnetwork.org/petitions/st...

On Memorial Day, I remember & honor America's fallen warriors--as well as Humphrey's Executor (which upheld independent agencies), the rule that lower courts can't anticipatorily overrule SCOTUS precedents, and constitutional democracy, all of which the Court undermined last week in the Wilcox case.

Trump Administration Halts Harvard’s Ability to Enroll International Students

Just utter lawlessness from the Trump Administration, with no goal other than to punish institutions for refusing to bend the knee. www.nytimes.com/2025/05/22/u...

Bonus 152: Judge Ho, Due Process, and "Disrespect" Some thoughts on Judge Ho's rather galling claim that the Supreme Court "disrespect[ed]" the district court and the President in Friday's ruling in the "A.A.R.P. II" Alien Enemies Act case.

Today’s bonus issue of “One First” takes a closer look at Judge Ho’s galling concurring opinion on remand in the A.A.R.P. Alien Enemies Act case—which accused #SCOTUS of showing “disrespect” to the district judge and President Trump by … protecting due process:

www.stevevladeck.com/p/bonus-152-...

May 10, 1740 | South Carolina Passes Negro Act of 1740, Codifying White Supremacy Learn more about our history of racial injustice.

On this day in 1740, South Carolina barred enslaved Black people from learning to read, earning money, and gathering, and authorized white enslavers to whip and kill them for being "rebellious."

Here's the long form:

bsky.app/profile/stev...

Research at risk: Life-saving heart pumps for babies | Cornell Chronicle After receiving a stop-work order from the federal government, the future of a device to help children with heart defects is uncertain.

One of grants frozen at Cornell: $6.7M (4 yrs) to develop heart pumps for babies born w/ heart defects.

It took decades of work to get to point of prepping device for in-human clinical trials. No private company could do this.

The cruelty of the Trump administration is heartbreaking. So to speak.

Cornell, MIT, CalTech, Princeton, Michigan and the U of R joined in on this one

It challenges the DOE indirect rate cap under the APA, among other arguments

Filed today: storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...

The fundamental legal reason immigrants can be expelled with few protections (no Gideon right to an attorney, less due process, etc.) is that deportation and removal are considered "regulatory" and not "punitive" actions. That distinction collapses when they are sent directly to a prison.

I'm pleased to share my latest article, "Gender-Based Violence at Sea," out now at the Cornell International Law Journal. In it, I highlight the pervasive gender-based violence and harassment that female seafarers endure at sea, notwithstanding maritime labor law. papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.... 1/X

South Carolina Executes Inmate by Firing Squad The last time such an execution took place was 15 years ago, in Utah. The inmate in South Carolina chose the method because of his concerns about lethal injection, his lawyer said.

South Carolina Executes Inmate by Firing Squad www.nytimes.com/2025/03/07/u...

Even the thin rationale for prosecutors not taking notes (that they will be obtainable by the defense) doesn't apply in this case becaue the defense was IN THE ROOM. They just didn't want a record of their blatant corruption.

sreenshot from the new york times reporting that Stanford University’s provost is talking about how the loss of funding from national institutes of health funding will cost the university $160 million. that’s not the way to get this changed — the people think “stanford is rich; no big deal.” leaders need to talk about what this will cost the public

for pity’s sake, I am BEGGING university leaders to stop framing this issue in terms of what this will cost the university. people dont care!

EXPLAIN WHAT THIS WILL COST THE PUBLIC: closed hospitals and clinics, skipped treatments, loss of access to experimental drugs, unemployment, recession

As a Crim Prof, it's hard to see Harry Connick Jr. without thinking about all the truly awful things his dad did. Just a horrible namesake.

The official mug shot of George Stinney. The photo depicts a front and side view of a 14 year old Black child wearing prison stripes.

Black History Month Stories.

George Stinney was executed in South Carolina 06/16/1944 at age 14.

He was convicted of murdering two white girl by an all-white jury after his appointed counsel (a politician running for office) asked no questions of witnesses and presented no case on his behalf.

There is simply no plausible argument that the president has the constitutional authority to refuse to spend appropriated funds because he doesn’t like how the money is being spent.

The legality of policy impoundments is just not a close question.

Donald Trump’s New Executive Order to Expand the Death Penalty Misses Key Details The order shows the president’s desire for more executions. But it’s unclear how the administration will carry out its plans, legal experts say.

@themarshallproject.org team putting out some great stories today. One is on the death penalty EO I mentioned yesterday: www.themarshallproject.org/2025/01/22/t...