Odds and Ends As Spring Ends

Today's the last full day of spring and various things happened.

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I finished Starstruck: A Memoir of Astrophysics and Finding Light in the Dark by Sarafina El-Badry Nance.  She is a thirty-year-old scientist who has advocated for multiple issues, including science and women's health.  

She had the same protective double mastectomy after being found to be prone to certain cancer as people like Christina Applegate.  The book also talks about her troubled relationship with her mother, anxiety issues, and an abusive boyfriend.  Her life is so full already that it didn't even include her Sports Illustrated swimsuit pictorial.  A viral tweet where she talked about the importance of failure also is not included.  

It is well written (no "as told by" apparently) and covers a lot of ground. Each chapter has an opening science discussion.  

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The Order List today was nothing much of note, including one case granted for full argument.  Justice Jackson didn't take part in deciding one matter and didn't say why.  It seems like she was involved in the case in the court of appeals.  Only Kagan so far (with Alito and Jackson the two I recall having a chance) in recent weeks decided to flag why.  

A federal appeals court will get another chance to decide if a state can deny a Planned Parenthood affiliate Medicaid payments for non-abortion related care, thanks to the US Supreme Court. It is an application of a near-unanimous recent case, showing the implications might not always be positive.  Two opinion days Thursday and Friday.

Julie Rikelman, of Dobbs advocacy fame, was confirmed as a First Circuit Court of Appeals judge.  This took over an hour.  It is rather ridiculous how many minor offices go through this process.  It is appropriate for a position like this to get Senate confirmation. Still, it shouldn't take this long.  It should just be a simple vote on the record.  

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It might shock you, but a close family member of an elite politician has benefited from his family connections.  Oh, I don't the wife of Mitch McConnell or the son of Antonin Scalia.  Surely not Jared Kushner or Ivanka Trump, both of who held official jobs in the Trump administration.  

Hunter Biden, who did not, and who the Republicans might be wary about after Trump's impeachment-related attempts to use him to help win a presidential election (he lost, just to be clear).  A Trump-appointed U.S. attorney has been on this case for FIVE years.  WITCHHUNT! 

What did this result in? Two minor tax charges and a gun charge which he can avoid if he promises not to violate the rules.  Darn threat to the Second Amendment.  I can see why Republicans are crying foul though it is basically a mix of just wanting it hard enough and their usual vibe.

The "partisan Justice Department" that indicted Trump since he just couldn't stop criming is so crooked it is prosecuting Biden's own son. But, it's a sham, of course, since the charges are so minor.  Not that even then would it be likely a non-Biden would get charged criminally. Roger Stone (pardoned after being prosecuted in the Mueller investigation), for instance, avoided criminal charges for tax wrongdoing.  

I should have noted originally but will add now, that a major thing this whole thing shows (and people have noted this) is President Biden's humanity.  He has repeatedly said he loves his son, who basically is the "troubled" one (one person reminded us of his early tragedy of surviving the crash that killed his mother and young sister) in various respects.  

This is normal behavior, and though he wears his emotions on his sleeve at times as much as Bill Clinton (though it comes off as less fake), it isn't even truly novel among presidents. Still, it underlines why he is such a comfortable choice.  

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Meanwhile, those who just want to find a reason to bash Garland, even after (they assured us it would not happen) Trump is indicted, have some fodder.  But, those who respond to such things point out that the case is stacked and there are reasons for their approach.  And, to the degree the FBI (head by a Trump pick) has issues, we know that.  Not the same as the "DOJ" or "Garland." 

As to the link, my response is that granting the importance (obviously) doesn't really change the argument the approach taken made sense (see also).  And, maybe there is some argument about the need to speed things up somehow, but the blame to me is systematic. For instance, Congress ignored emoluments, and 14A, sec. 3 legislation potential when Democrats still had control.  

I have not gone into the weeds in this thing, to be completely above board, but I'm still not on board with the Garland bashing.  I will repeat that if you don't like him, blame President Biden.  And, We the People too.