Politics Plus

Yesterday, There was a fair amount of news which was not all that encouraging. One exception was Tucker Carlson’s departure (and I put up a news alert on that as soon as I saw it). But another exception was in an EarthRights International email. There is a Big Oil accountability case going on in Colorado, and Exxon abd Suncor had petitioned SCOTUS to hear it. SCOTUS just told them to pound sand. That doesn’t mean the case is over, but it does mean that it will be proceeding in Colorado’s State Court system. And that is good news. i’m sorry I don’t have a short take which is as good, but it is what it is.

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Short Takes –

Letters from an American – April 23, 2023
Quote – About 100 U.S. troops used three helicopters to evacuate about 70 U.S. personnel from the [U.S. Embassy in Khartoum], getting them out of Sudan to Ethiopia without major incident. Such a military evacuation is unusual, but the fight between two rival Sudanese leaders has closed the main international airport and given armed fighters control of the roads leading out of the country, making it impossible for U.S. personnel to leave by civilian routes. Ethiopia, Djibouti, and Saudi Arabia helped to get the Americans to safety. There were no major incidents associated with the evacuation. Other nations have also evacuated their embassies, and the United Nations staffers left by road on a 19-hour trip.
Click through for details and more. Been there, done that, and yes, this is a major undertaking, not just for the evacuators and those being evacuated, but for support personnel in more stable areas who contribute in various ways to readying the team. I had no idea it was this bad.

NBC News – Capitol rioter shot at local deputies after FBI informed him of Jan. 6 charges
Quote – Nathan Donald Pelham, of Greenville [TX], who initially faced four misdemeanor charges tied to the insurrection, faces an additional felony charge of being a felon in possession of firearm after the incident April 12, a criminal complaint filed this week shows. An FBI special agent wrote in a filing that he had called Pelham on April 12 and asked him to surrender in a few days. That evening, according to the agent, local authorities went to Pelham’s home after his father requested a welfare check. When the deputies arrived, Pelham fired several shots toward them, prosecutors said.
Click through for story. Pro tip: Shooting at law enforcement when you are already under indictment will never make things better for you.

Slate – Chief Justice John Roberts’ Mockery of Stalking Victims Points to a Deeper Problem
Quote – The reasonableness of that fear was vividly illustrated by the Supreme Court oral arguments in Counterman v. Colorado on Wednesday morning, as members of the highest court of the land joked about messages sent by a stalker to his victim, bemoaned the increasing “hypersensitivity” of society, and brushed aside consideration of the actual harm of stalking to focus on the potential harm of stalking laws.
Click through, but have antacid at hand. This was an egregious stalking case whch happened in Colorado. It had gotten to the point where a message of “Hi. Have a nice day” would be perceived as a threat by any rational person.

Food For Thought