The Conversation -- December 16, 2024

Mariana Alfaro of the Washington Post: "More than 120 House Democrats have signed a letter asking President Joe Biden to urge the nation’s archivist to recognize the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment by publishing the amendment first proposed 101 years ago — a move they believe would finally enshrine sex equality into the Constitution. If the president does as the Democrats ask, the publication of the ERA would probably spark legal challenges over the validity of the amendment, which, despite having met all the constitutional requirements, has not been added to the Constitution because not enough states ratified it in time to meet a Congress-mandated deadline. The push is led by outgoing Rep. Cori Bush (D-Missouri) and Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Massachusetts), co-chairs of the Congressional Caucus for the Equal Rights Amendment..... In the letter, the Democrats say the ERA met all the requirements to become an amendment to the Constitution once it was passed by both chambers of Congress and ratified by three-fourths of states.... The Democrats insist that because the ERA has met all the requirements for adoption outlined by the Constitution, the president must now issue a mandate for certification and publication...." The Hill's report is here. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Essentially, the Democrats are arguing (elliptically) that the 1982 deadline imposed by the Congress in the early 1970s was outside the bounds of their authority because the amendment met the Constitutional requirements when Virginia became the 38th state to ratify the amendment in January 2020. But you can see where Congress would not want to officially lift the arbitrary deadline because barefoot and pregnant. ~~~

     ~~~ The Democrats' letter to President Biden is here. Via the House.

Jennifer Rubin of the Washington Post: "Without minimizing the many factors responsible for reelecting the most unfit presidential candidate in U.S. history, we must not forget the singular role played in 2021 by Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky) in preventing ... Donald Trump’s removal from office in his second impeachment trial, thereby enabling his return to office. It is therefore grotesquely hypocritical for McConnell now to bemoan the danger to the nation posed by the revival of Trump’s 'America First' foreign policy."

Thanks for Encouraging Trump, ABC News! David Enrich of the New York Times: A "small flurry of threatened defamation lawsuits is the latest sign that the incoming Trump administration appears poised to do what it can to crack down on unfavorable media coverage. Before and after the election, Mr. Trump and his allies have discussed subpoenaing news organizations, prosecuting journalists and their sources, revoking networks’ broadcast licenses and eliminating funding for public radio and television. Actual or threatened libel lawsuits are another weapon at their disposal — and they are being deployed even before Mr. Trump moves back into the White House.... On Saturday, ABC News said it had agreed to give $15 million to Mr. Trump’s future presidential foundation and museum to settle a defamation suit that Mr. Trump filed against the network and one of its anchors, George Stephanopoulos.... The deal set off criticism of ABC News by those who perceived the network as needlessly bowing down to Mr. Trump. And it led some legal and media experts to wonder whether the outcome would embolden Mr. Trump and others to intensify their assault on the media...." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

      ~~~ Steve M. argues that Trump will be sorry when he's managed to force every media outlet to heel and "there are no media outlets left for Trump to sue because they're all self-censoring? Who'll be left for him to crush if they're all courtiers and sycophants?... If Trump neutralizes all opposition, it will eventually be clear that bad things going on in America are his fault." MB: I'm not convinced. Although it's technically possible Trump can shut up the opposition by jailing or executing everyone who persists in criticizing him (what would it take to shut up Lawrence O'Donnell?), the right is very good at identifying "enemies of the people," and they certainly aren't all media figures or entities. In fact, most are cultural "enemies," from Black Lives Matter activists to feminists to teachers and librarians. Apparently if you watch Fox sporadically, you'll find out there are so many bad guys out there that you'll want to lock yourself up to avoid them.

Lena Sun, et al., of the Washington Post: "... Donald Trump has tapped the 71-year-old [Dave Weldon] former Army doctor [and former Congressman] to run the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.... Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the longtime vaccine skeptic..., proposed Weldon for the job.... Weldon’s past record of promoting the disproven link between vaccines and autism in the face of overwhelming scientific evidence attesting to the safety and efficacy of vaccines raises concerns among some public health experts about his ability to run the CDC. If confirmed, Weldon could undermine confidence in the lifesaving shots at a time when infectious-disease threats such as measles and whooping cough are on the rise, they say. A Washington Post review of Weldon’s public comments, media appearances and congressional letters along with accounts of those who worked with him reveal a portrait of a politician and physician who emphasized the experiences of individuals while dismissing dozens of studies based on data from hundreds of thousands of patients that showed no link between vaccines and autism." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: The plan, it appears, is to knock the CDC back to the Dark Ages. But, hey, maybe potions and incantations will control diseases just as well as vaccines.

Julianne McShane of Mother Jones: "Devin Nunes, the ex-California congressman and current head of Trump’s struggling social media platform, Truth Social, is getting his prize for being the next president’s long-serving yes-man. On Saturday, Trump announced that he would appoint Nunes as chairman of the President’s Intelligence Advisory Board.... Nunes will draw on a robust track record of foot entering mouth.... The Bee famously once called him 'Trump’s stooge.' That seems to be the main qualification needed for the next admin."

Tom Boggioni of the Raw Story: "CEO's and business execs hoping to dissuade Donald Trump from enacting what they and many economists believe will be ruinous tariffs are finding he won't budge and that has them scrambling to find a way to get through to him.... As the [Wall Street] Journal's Brian Schwartz wrote, 'Trump isn’t budging' before adding, 'So far, executives are facing setbacks as they canvass Trump’s aides for advice on how to influence the president-elect’s next steps. Trump is largely acting on his own, leaving his incoming team of advisers with few opportunities to shape his thinking.' The report adds that Trump's proposals often come late at night on his social media platforms leaving his advisors, who have been left in the dark, trying to catch up afterwards."

Astrid Galvan & Alayna Alvarez of Axios: "A handful of top U.S. universities are urging international students who travel home for winter break to be back in the country before ... Trump takes office.... Trump has vowed to crack down on both illegal and legal immigration, and school leaders are worried one of his first actions could be an executive order limiting entrance to the U.S. like he did with the Muslim Ban in 2017.... At least 10 universities, mostly on the East Coast, have told international students to be back stateside before the Jan. 20 inauguration. They include the University of Southern California, Brown University, University of Pennsylvania, MIT and others. USC [University of Southern California] in an email to students on special visas said they are expected to be in class when the semester starts on Jan. 13, and that this 'is especially important given that a new presidential administration will take office on January 20, 2025, and — as is common — may issue one or more Executive Orders impacting travel to the U.S. and visa processing.'"

What Could Possibly Go Wrong? Jackson Barton of the Washington Post: "Dallas-based start-up American Rounds rolled its first automated retail ammo [vending] machine into a Fresh Value grocery store in Pell City, Alabama, late in 2023, selling various brands of rifle, shotgun and handgun ammo. The company advertises its machines as a safer and more convenient way to buy ammo than at a large retail store or online. But public health experts have questioned whether the company’s suicide prevention efforts are sufficient, and elected officials in areas where machines were set up have worried that the easy availability of ammunition could lead to impulsive purchases by people who seek to do harm." (Also linked yesterday.)

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Israel/Palestine, et al.

The Washington Post's live updates of developments in Israel's wars are here: "Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he spoke with ... Donald Trump and discussed the 'need to complete Israel’s victory' and efforts to release hostages held by Hamas in Gaza. Calling Trump 'my friend,' Netanyahu said the conversation was 'very friendly, warm and important.' The two spoke Saturday night, Netanyahu said in a statement Sunday. The Israeli government approved a plan Sunday that would expand settlements in the occupied Golan Heights, a move that Qatar, Iraq and the United Arab Emirates criticized. Israel said it was acting 'in light of the war and the new front facing Syria,' as it uses the power vacuum next door to consolidate security on its border and advance its aims of growing settlements. In his video statement, Netanyahu said he wanted to clarify that Israel has 'no interest in confrontation' with Syria, saying that 'our policy toward Syria will be determined by the reality on the ground.'”

Hiba Yazbek of the New York Times: "Israel’s military said it carried out strikes and raids in northern Gaza on Sunday after days of deadly bombardments across the territory. The military said in a statement that it had targeted a 'terrorist meeting point' in the northern town of Beit Hanoun, among other actions. Wafa, the Palestinian Authority’s news agency, reported that Israeli forces had raided a school building in the town and forced displaced families sheltering there to evacuate in unsafe conditions, killing and wounding several amid bombardment and gunfire."

Vivian Yee of the New York Times: "Israel struck Syrian weapons depots and air defenses overnight, a group monitoring the conflict said Sunday, in what appeared to be part of an effort Israel says is aimed at depriving “extremists” of military assets after rebels seized power in Syria. In all, Israel struck its neighbor 75 times in attacks that began Saturday night near the Syrian capital, Damascus, and the cities of Hama and Homs, according to the group, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based organization that has long tracked the conflict in Syria. There were no immediate reports of casualties."

Isabel Kershner of the New York Times: "Israel announced on Sunday that it was closing its embassy in Dublin in light of what it described as 'the extreme anti-Israel policies of the Irish government.' The decision came days after Ireland announced that it would file an intervention in support of South Africa’s case against Israel in the International Court of Justice in The Hague. South Africa has accused Israel of committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, a charge Israel vehemently rejects. Israeli officials said shuttering the embassy in Ireland did not mean that Israel was severing diplomatic relations with Ireland. Officials from both countries noted that Ireland’s embassy in Tel Aviv will continue to function."