Today’s Supreme Court decision effectively guts a key pillar of the Voting Rights Act, freeing state legislatures to gerrymander legislative districts to systematically dilute and weaken the voting power of racial minorities - so long as they do it under the guise of “partisanship” rather than explicit “racial bias.” And it serves as just one more example of how a majority of the current Court seems intent on abandoning its vital role in ensuring equal participation in our democracy and protecting the rights of minority groups against majority overreach.
The good news is that such setbacks can be overcome. But that will only happen if citizens across the country who cherish our democratic ideals continue to mobilize and vote in record numbers - not just in the upcoming midterms or in high profile races, but in every election and every level.
BREAKING: Experts SOUND ALARM after Trump issues memo that could allow his staff to delete millions of White House emails in violation of record preservation laws.
The timing alone should set off alarm bells. The Trump administration is currently being challenged in court over its preservation of government documents. And this week, it issued new internal guidance that a leading archives expert says gives White House staff "license to do the exact opposite" of preserving records.
The memo, issued by White House Counsel David Alan Warrington to Executive Office of the President staffers, represents a "significant departure from historical practice" — Warrington's own words. It quietly rewrites the rules around which communications need to be saved and how.
University of Maryland professor Jason R. Baron, who specializes in archives and the law, read the memo and sounded the alarm immediately. The new guidance, he told the Washington Post, provides nothing that "prevents the White House from directing the transfer or destruction of White House records, including tens of millions of emails, either before or after the end of the president's second term in office."
The key sleight of hand is buried in the language. The memo says EOP components are "free to retain" previous record-preservation policies. As Baron points out, that also means they are free not to. Text messages now only need to be preserved "when they are the sole record of official decision-making" — and staffers are merely "encouraged" to memorialize those exchanges in another format rather than preserving the original exchange directly.
Translation: if someone decides a text isn't the "sole record" of something, they can delete it. And nobody has to take a screenshot.
Federal law is unambiguous. Presidents and their staff are required to preserve records related to government activity and turn them over to the National Archives at the end of each administration. Warrington’s memo, however, doesn't clarify whether these records will actually be turned over, and doesn't specify how Trump or Vance will personally preserve their own records.
This is the administration that used Signal to discuss active military strikes in a chat that included a journalist. The administration that has fired numerous inspectors general. The administration that is fighting records requests in court while issuing internal guidance that makes destruction discretionary.
"While paying lip service to the need to preserve White House records," Baron said, "the memo actually gives EOP staff license to do the exact opposite." Nixon erased 18 minutes of tape. Trump's team may be preparing to erase tens of millions of emails.
Please like and share this post if you believe the American people have a right to know what their government did — even after it leaves office.
I am still dying to know how did they allow this POS to run for president after Jan 6??!!! He won't let go ppl.. I thought once you commit a crime, you can't vote let alone run for president??
Did you know that Dr Hussam Abu Afiya, the heroic doctor who stayed until the last moment in his bombed out hospital saving lives, and who the Israeli army abducted illegally, is STILL kept in chains? Now, Israel seeks to extend his illegal detention. Speak out!
I wonder who will be linked to that alleged shooter who had an arsenal of weapons and was smart enough to get through the lax security and when he shot someone he was dumb enough not to know they wear bullet proof vests and would get to him before he proceeds further.. How stupid does Dumb Trump think we are?
@piersmorgan We all know the timing everything is just a stunt to get his ratings up .. But we all know better now.. Hope we don't have too many stupid ones out there who would buy this crap. Suddenly ALL of them right there First time ever attending correspondents meeting?! 😹
تسريب خطير من فلسطين المحتلة اليوم
لحظة قيام مجموعة من المستوطنين الاسرائيليين بإشعال النيران في منزل يعود لعائلة فلسطينية في محاولة لقتلهم جميعاً
جميع من بالمنزل خرجوا مصابين !
افضحوا الارهاب الحقيقي.
The people who write these tweets and the people who employ them don’t deserve to have jobs in journalism.
Israel killed the Lebanese journalist Amal Khalil.
Just say that.
A Palestinian man was shot in the head today while riding his bicycle, reportedly by Israeli forces.
He was known in his community for feeding cats every day.
We don't hate them enough.
“I received direct threats targeting me on my phone from the Mossad, from the Israelis, and they threatened to kill me.”
Lebanese journalist Amal Khalil speaking before she was killed by Israel.
Israel will try to force us back into the war b/c their objective is regime change/decapitation. They can’t do this without us.
POTUS has made it clear that our military objectives have been met, it’s essential we restrain Israel to ensure we aren’t sucked back in.
Super PACs like AIPAC, AI and crypto are buying elections with billionaire money.
We'll never address the major crises facing our country as long as that continues.
We must overturn Citizens United and kick billionaire-funded super PACs OUT of Democratic primaries NOW.
Ana Kasparian: “We don't actually live in a true democracy here in the US. It doesn't matter how many Americans are against US support toward Israel. Our government, is going to carry out the wishes of the Israeli because they control our government...”
Calling them 'settlers' gives them dignity they don't deserve.
How about renaming them for what they are: Murderers, land thiefs, occupiers, war criminals, thugs, fascists.
Whatever they're called, they belong in the Hague standing trial for their atrocities.