#Maryland Question 1

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Nathalie Baptiste at HuffPost:

Reproductive rights have emerged as one of the most important issues this election, and millions of voters in 10 states will decide on ballot measures that would enshrine abortion rights in their constitutions. In Hail-Mary attempts to defeat these amendments in Missouri, Maryland and New York, where they seem likely to pass, conservative groups are falsely claiming that pro-choice ballot measures are really efforts to perform gender-affirming surgeries on minors without parental consent. At the Moms for Liberty annual summit in August, former President Donald Trump claimed children were getting gender reassignment surgeries at schools. There is no truth to the comment, but it plays into Republican fearmongering about trans people — and especially trans youth — that has ramped up over the last few years. The Trump campaign has spent $20 million on anti-trans ads despite polling showing that it’s not a major concern for the American public. Some conservative organizations seem to hope that sparking fears about children getting surgeries without parental consent will sink ballot measures that are actually about abortion rights, an issue that generally enjoys broad support on both sides of the political aisle. In Missouri, voters will decide on Amendment 3, which would protect the right to an abortion in the state, effectively reversing the current ban that’s in place. The Thomas More Society, a Catholic legal organization that recently sued to keep Amendment 3 off the ballot and lost, claims in its voter guide that the amendment pertains to “gender transition treatments and surgeries,” including for minors.

“I would love to hear a credible argument that replacing one’s reproductive organs is not a matter relating to reproductive health care,” Mary Catherine Martin, a lawyer for the group, told the Missouri Independent. “Because that’s the only way it’s not covered by this.” Advocates and legal experts have said the amendment has nothing to do with gender-affirming care for minors. (Missouri banned gender-affirming care for minors last year.)

[...] But even in states where abortion remains legal and reproductive advocates are looking to expand those rights further, anti-choice activists have been muddying the waters with outlandish claims about trans youth and parental rights. In Maryland, the reproductive choice amendment is Question 1. It would amend the state constitution to include the right to reproductive freedom, which further cements the right to an abortion in the reliably blue state. The measure is likely to pass. But still, Health Not Harm, a committee made up of parents, medical professionals and faith leaders, is sending text messages that claim voting “yes” would allow minors to get gender-affirming surgeries without parental consent. “VOTE NO on deceptive MD Question 1. ‘Reproductive Freedom’ = gender transitions on kids without parent consent!” read one text message signed by the group. The group’s website has similar language about voting no on the measure to protect children from gender transitions. Under Maryland law, minors do not need parental permission to get an abortion. Health Not Harm claims the same would be true for minors seeking gender-affirming care, although legal counsel for the Maryland state legislature has stated clearly that it would not.

[...] Voters are hearing similar claims in another blue state. New York is preparing to consider Proposition 1 — a state-level version of the Equal Rights Amendment, anti-discriminatory legislation that has been stalled in Congress for decades. New York’s Prop 1 expands already-existing statutes that ban discrimination based on race and religion to include sex, gender identity and pregnancy status. Coalition to Protect Kids, a right-wing group in the state, is spreading rumors that voting “yes” would harm children and women, and would allow doctors to perform gender-affirming surgeries on children without parental consent.

With abortion rights amendments likely to succeed in various states, right-wing groups are making desperation attacks on such referendums to wage anti-trans fearmongering campaigns by falsely claiming that these abortion rights measures would lead to gender-affirming care services being provided to trans youths without parental consent.

[amaditalks]

Abortion Is On The Ballot

In ten states, there are ballot measures or questions which will be decided in the November election which will impact the future of abortion access in those states. Here’s what you need to know.

Arizona

Arizona Proposition 139 the Right to Abortion Initiative will amend the state constitution to provide for the fundamental right to abortion that the state of Arizona may not interfere with before the point of fetal viability unless justified by a compelling state interest.

To enshrine abortion rights protection in the state constitution Vote Yes

Colorado

Colorado Amendment 79, the Right to Abortion and Health Insurance Coverage Initiative will amend the state constitution to create the right to an abortion and authorize the use of public funds (Medicaid) to pay for abortion care.

To enshrine abortion rights protection in the state constitution Vote Yes

Florida

Florida Amendment 4, the Right to Abortion Initiative, will amend the state constitution to declare that "no law shall prohibit, penalize, delay, or restrict abortion before viability or when necessary to protect the patient’s health, as determined by the patient’s healthcare provider.” The current constitutional provision requiring parental consent for minors' abortions will not be affected.

To enshrine abortion rights protection in the state constitution and overturn the current six week abortion ban Vote Yes

Maryland

Maryland Question 1, the Right to Reproductive Freedom Amendment, will amend the state constitution to establish a right to reproductive freedom, defined to include "the ability to make and effectuate decisions to prevent, continue, or end one's own pregnancy."

To enshrine reproductive rights protection in the state constitution Vote Yes

Missouri

Missouri Amendment 3, the Right to Reproductive Freedom Initiative will amend the state constitution to provide the right for reproductive freedom, which is defined as "the right to make and carry out decisions about all matters relating to reproductive health care, including but not limited to prenatal care, childbirth, postpartum care, birth control, abortion care, miscarriage care, and respectful birthing conditions," and providing that the state legislature may enact laws that regulate abortion after fetal viability.

To enshrine broad reproductive rights protection including abortion in the state constitution and overturn the current complete abortion ban Vote Yes

Montana

Montana CI-128, the Right to Abortion Initiative will create a constitutional "right to make and carry out decisions about one’s own pregnancy, including the right to abortion," and allow the state to regulate abortion after fetal viability, except when "medically indicated to protect the life or health of the pregnant patient."

To enshrine broad reproductive rights protection including abortion in the state constitution Vote Yes

Nebraska

The Nebraska Prohibit Abortions After the First Trimester Amendment will amend the state constitution to elevate the current twelve week abortion ban law to a constitutional provision with limited exceptions for medical emergencies or in cases of rape.

To prevent the current legislative abortion ban from being enshrined in the state constitution Vote No

Nevada

Nevada Question 6, the Right to Abortion Initiative will amend the state constitution to create a constitutional right to an abortion, providing for the state to regulate abortion after fetal viability, except where medically indicated to "protect the life or health of the pregnant patient."

To enshrine abortion rights protection in the state constitution Vote Yes

New York

New York Proposal 1, the Equal Protection of Law Amendment will amend the state constitution to provide that people cannot be denied rights based on their "ethnicity, national origin, age, and disability" or "sex, including sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, pregnancy outcomes, and reproductive healthcare and autonomy."

To enshrine equal rights protection for pregnant people and abortion patients in the state constitution Vote Yes

South Dakota

The South Dakota Constitutional Amendment G, the Right to Abortion Initiative will amend the state constitution to protect the right to an abortion based on a trimester framework, with no restrictions permitted in the first trimester, only limited medical need restrictions permitted in the second trimester and allowing deeper restrictions in the third trimester except "when abortion is necessary, in the medical judgment of the woman's physician, to preserve the life and health of the pregnant woman."

To enshrine abortion rights protection in the state constitution and overturn the state's current full abortion ban Vote Yes

If you live in one of these ten states and abortion rights matter to you, get registered or double check your registration and make your voting plan today. Every single vote matters significantly in amendment questions.

[stevetoday]

Pro-Choice - Abortion Measures on The Ballot

Florida Amendment 4, the Right to Abortion Initiative A Yes vote with 60% will Establish a constitutional right to abortion until viability, with exceptions for later pregnancies. Arizona Proposition 139, Right to Abortion Initiative (2024) A "yes" vote supports amending the state constitution to provide for the fundamental right to abortion, among other provisions.

Colorado Amendment 79, Right to Abortion and Health Insurance Coverage Initiative A  "yes" vote supports creating a right to abortion in the state constitution and allowing the use of public funds for abortion. Maryland Question 1, Right to Reproductive Freedom Amendment A "yes" vote supports adding a new article to the Maryland Constitution's Declaration of Rights establishing a right to reproductive freedom, defined to include "the ability to make and effectuate decisions to prevent, continue, or end one's own pregnancy."

Missouri Amendment 3, Right to Reproductive Freedom Initiative A "yes" vote supports adding a fundamental right to reproductive freedom, defined to include abortion and “all matters relating to reproductive health care,” to the Missouri Constitution, among other provisions. Montana CI-128, Right to Abortion Initiative

provide a state constitutional "right to make and carry out decisions about one’s own pregnancy, including the right to abortion," and

allow the state to regulate abortion after fetal viability, except when "medically indicated to protect the life or health of the pregnant patient."

Nebraska Initiative 434, Prohibit Abortions After the First Trimester Amendment A "no" vote opposes amending the state constitution to prohibit abortions after the first trimester unless necessitated by a medical emergency or the pregnancy is a result of sexual assault or incest.

Nebraska Initiative 439, Right to Abortion Initiative A "yes" vote supports amending the state constitution to establish a right to abortion until fetal viability. Nevada Question 6, Right to Abortion Initiative A "yes" vote supports providing for a state constitutional right to an abortion, providing for the state to regulate abortion after fetal viability, except where medically indicated to "protect the life or health of the pregnant patient." New York Proposal 1, Equal Protection of Law Amendment A "yes" vote supports adding language to the New York Bill of Rights to provide that people cannot be denied rights based on their "ethnicity, national origin, age, and disability" or "sex, including sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, pregnancy outcomes, and reproductive healthcare and autonomy."

South Dakota Constitutional Amendment G, Right to Abortion Initiative A "yes" vote supports providing for a state constitutional right to abortion in South Dakota, using a trimester framework for regulation:

During the first trimester, the state would be prohibited from regulating a woman's decision to have an abortion;

During the second trimester, the state may regulate abortion, but "only in ways that are reasonably related to the physical health of the pregnant woman;" and

During the third trimester, the state may regulate or prohibit abortion, except "when abortion is necessary, in the medical judgment of the woman's physician, to preserve the life and health of the pregnant woman."

[hazbin-but-good]

another hazbin hotel rewrite/redesign?

yup! and i'm so serious about it that i made a whole blog for it. i'm a white queer ex-cath tran doing this as an art and writing exercise, so feedback from other creatives + jewish and/or racialized folks is especially welcome.

i'm putting this post and only this post in the main tags for visibility. also, not gonna link my main, but i do make my own original stuff, and i encourage fans and haters alike to do the same.

anyway, here's a mostly good-faith 1.7k-word essay on the original. i think it's pretty funny and brings up some less talked-about points. correct me on the facts, disagree with my opinions, and ask clarifying questions, but don't come at me with any piss-poor reading comprehension.

the hellaverse is garbage, and here's why

cw: strong language, stronger opinions, intersectional feminist critical discourse analysis

1. vivienne medrano, the person

medrano was born as a well-off white-passing latina (salvadoran-american) in bougieass frederick, maryland. while attending new york's top art school, she got popular on deviantart-tumblr-twitter by being a prolific multifandom fujoshi furry who's more into ornamental character design than storytelling. upon graduation, she leveraged her fanbase and industry connections to make the hazbin and helluva boss pilots, get helluva made for youtube, and get hazbin made for amazon prime.

like every woman online, she gets harassed for no good reason, and as a certified autist, i will defend her right to be dumb, weird, annoying, and bad with words. however, there are legit reasons to criticize her:

racism, misogyny, homophobia, fatphobia, some antisemitism, past transphobia, past ableism

shitty boss, bad friend

cowardly, vindictive, manipulative, thoughtless behavior

skeevy friends

sucks at taking criticism

in short, i think she desperately needs a PR person and someone to clean up her digital footprint.

2. medrano's art

incurious

inauthentic

noncommittal

creatively stagnant

overindulgent, and the indulgence isn't even fun

shallow and childish framed as complex and mature

bland and boring framed as shocking and subversive

to be clear, i'm at peace with the existence of suckass art like this; i just think the money, attention, and praise it gets are unearned and should go to more interesting works, of which there are infinite.

medrano's had the time, money, and social cache to grow as an artist, learn from the best, and take creative risks, but she hasn't. if she truly has nothing more to offer, she should let her collaborators take the wheel, but she doesn't do that either. instead, she keeps getting more and more resources to make the same baby bullshit, and that pisses me off. she could be the nicest person ever, and this fundamental arrogance would still make her art blow.

stop with the pointless guilt: liking medrano's work does not make you stupid or evil. however, if you stay in the kiddie pool of culture, if you refuse to engage with a diversity of art, if the hellaverse is your point of reference for anything media-related, you can't expect to have your opinions on art, media, or culture taken seriously. you have not earned a seat at the table. you gotta hit the books first.

i cannot emphasize enough how much incredible stuff is out there if you're willing to look further than what social media and streaming services put right in front of you. if you come away from this blog having learned about just one new artist or piece of art, i'll be a happy camper.

3. the hellaverse

a. empty and confused

hazbin and helluva's content and marketing has no clear target audience. the subjects are inappropiate for teens, but the execution is too childish for adults, and lemme tell you what i don't mean by that, first.

not inherently inappropriate for teens:

sex and sexuality

violence, including when it intersects with the above

politics and religion

not inherently childish:

animation (any style)

comedy

episodic writing and/or loose continuity

young characters

fun, happiness, optimism, the power of friendship, cuteness, tenderness, sincerity, etc.

what i mean is that these shows are literally about adult characters who fuck, smoke, drink, do drugs, go clubbing, work full-time, manage their own finances, and deal with stuff like bureaucracy, sexual violence, domestic abuse, marriage, divorce, late adoption, and family estrangement.

however, none of these "adult" things are given enough specificity to create drama or comedy. it's all too stock, vague, flat, weirdly sanitized, and thus utterly banal—pure aesthetics on top of bad saturday morning cartoons. it's exactly what i'd expect from a sheltered disney kid who needs to log off and get into their local gay scene ASAP so their only contact with things like poverty, policing, addiction, and sex work stops being facile movies and TV.

if the shows were aware of this and played with it, that could be amazing, but they're not. they give you the mickey mouse version of the world with a straight face and then play looney tunes sound effects to try to make you laugh and sad_violin.mp3 to try to make you cry. now that's funny.

b. old and tired

let's make like americans and pretend that the rest of the world doesn't exist. even within the confines of the USA, home of the hays code, the red scare, and reaganite propaganda, this neopuritan fascist state ruled by 1000 megachurches in a trenchcoat, the indie/underground animation scene has been doing crazier shit for decades. anti-war films in the 60's, bakshi movies in the 70's, the simpsons shorts and r-rated movies in the 80's, adult swim and MTV in the 90's, flash/newgrounds/youtube in the 00's, streaming in the 2010's—so what are we doing in the 2020's with this wet white rice drowned in expired ketchup? i feel crazy making this point because it's obvious if you've watched these things, but if you haven't, you're gonna be like "well, there's gotta be something new here". no! there isn't! in the words of jimmy "the scot" jordan, nothing, nothing, NOTHING!

c. ideological purgatory

actually, there is one thing in these shows i've never seen before: the presbysterianism. shout out some interesting or at least intentional presbysterian art in the comments, because the way these ideas are presented here is not compelling. it just makes the rainbow neoliberalism even more confusing and contradictory.

i guess the big presbysterian things are protestanism, calvinism, and, uh, big church government? presbysterians, get your shit together. get your brand down. catholics have BDSM and vampires, evangelicals have TV and corporatism; what do you have? celtic crosses? no wonder medrano has such uninspired ideas on divinity.

d. queer deficiency

when i look at a piece of art, i ask myself: "what does this give me that i can't get from the hunchback of notre dame (1996)?" if the answer is as limp as "uhh, gay people, i guess", i can probably look for my gay shit elsewhere and rewatch the hunchback of notre dame (1996) in the meantime.

but let's say that you have no standards. you've been waiting for ages for a show about gays by the gays for the gays, and by god you're gonna get it. this is it! here we go! time for some

generic twink obliteration

male sexuality as aggression and dominance displays

WLW (sex and chemistry not included)

a couple straight femdoms

and the stalest sex jokes known to man

...yeah, it's not very queer. and by "queer", i mean "questioning or subverting gender norms (including sexual roles) within a given cultural context regardless of creator identity and intent". i'm not a queer studies scholar so LMK if there's a more specific term for this, but whatever you call it, it's not in the hellaverse much.

there's not even any transness, literal or metaphorical, just ancient drag jokes. i guess the writers thought we would've been too controversial. so much for an indie animation studio that prides itself in the diversity of its staff both above and below the line, bakshi-style. i wonder how medrano, a bisexual woman, would've felt if told that a lesbian main couple in hazbin would be "too controversial".

4. spindlehorse and the vivziepop brand

spindlehorse toons underpays its overworked staff and keeps outsourcing more and more labor to even more overworked freelancers overseas to cut costs. a rainbow sweatshop is still a sweatshop, and just because these practices may be "industry standard" doesn't make them any more ethical.

the studio has also been repeatedly accused by current and former employees and contractors of creating a hostile and abusive workplace. AFAIK, it still has no dedicated HR person, and victims are too afraid of retaliation like blacklisting and online harassment to speak out.

this is exactly the stuff that unions exist to prevent. as i'm writing this, the IATSE (the parent union of TAG, which is the parent union of all US animation unions) is negotiating with entertainment industry executives for better working conditions, and if the execs fuck around like last year, it's strike time again. so watch this space, voice your support, and don't cross any picket lines.

i hope spindlehorse unionizes, but until then and for these reasons, i don't think you should give money to the company.

first of all, all content on amazon-owned platforms is ok to pirate, and all youtube ads are ok to block. everyone involved in making the episodes has (or should have) been paid upfront, so you're not taking the bread out of anyone's mouth.

next, let's look at the succulent offerings of the official vivziepop merch shop:

$10 pins and keychains

$15 sticker packs

$20 mugs and acrylic cutouts

$25 shirts

$30 metal cards (not even tarot)

$40 lounge pants

$50 mini backpacks

random $80 skateboard deck

forgive my latin americanness, but this is all stuff you can get made by a local metalsmith, print/sublimation shop, or just crafty people in your life. it's cheaper, customizable, and better for the environment to skip all the shipping and packaging. also, not painting your own skateboard is poser shit.

the hazbin website also has $15 pins, one $20 keychain, and $6 trading card packs. people are weird about trading cards, so if for some reason you wanna gamble for a mass-produced bit of cardboard, plastic, and tinfoil, at least bulk-order for all the vivziepoppers in your area so it's less of a huge waste. better yet, trace the designs and make infinite bootlegs.

at the end of the day, buying merch is not activism. your bulk order of trading cards will not save any wage slaves from getting evicted from their overpriced studio apartments. however, the shop links you to all the credited artists/designers, and more of your bucks will actually reach them if you buy their designs directly, then turn them into body pillows or life-sized bronze statues or whatever the fuck.

go through the credits of any episode of helluva or hazbin, and you'll find even more creatives you might wanna support. get jinkx monsoon's albums on CD. subscribe to actually good artist, animator, and composer gooseworx. lots of voice actors now have patreon, cameo, or self-hosted pages where you can write better lines for their characters and have them read it. these things may not look as shiny as Official Merch™, but we all need less plastic shit and more culture anyway.

[luckydiorxoxo]

––If you vote in one of these ten states, abortion rights are on your ballot!

NEW YORK *flip your ballot* and vote YES on Prop 1, Equal Protection of Law Amendment.

ARIZONA vote YES on Prop 139, Right to Abortion Initiative.

COLORADO vote YES on Amendment 79, Right to Abortion and Health Insurance Coverage Initiative.

FLORIDA vote YES on Amendment 4, Right to Abortion Initiative.

MISSOURI vote YES on Amendment 3, Right to Reproductive Freedom Initiative.

MARYLAND vote YES on Question 1, Right to Reproductive Freedom Amendment.

MONTANA vote YES on Constitutional Initiative 128, Right to Abortion Initiative.

NEBRASKA vote YES on Nebraska Initiative 439 Right to Abortion Initiative ** and vote NO on 434 (this second anti-abortion measure was drafted specifically to confuse voters!)

NEVADA vote YES on Question 6, Right to Abortion Initiative.

SOUTH DAKOTA vote YES on Constitutional Amendment G, Right to Abortion Initiative

[homocidalpotat]

100 followers milestone!

First off, I want to thank everyone who has got me to this number! I really appreciate every one of you and I'm glad I have created a blog that not only I enjoy, but all of you can too :3

As a celebration of my 100+ beloved followers, I'm making an ask game! I will separate it into two sections- followers and mutuals. If you follow me, you can send me an ask with some of the options in the follower section. If you're a mutual of mine, you can send me an ask from both sections. You can send me as many asks as you want.

I've themed it on European forests, with followers getting object and plant themes and mutuals getting animals.

Followers

Tree bark: I will give you a compliment

Fly agaric: Just get to know me a little bit! You can ask what my favourite colour is or something, tame questions like that

Pinecone: Assign me to a disney character

Maple leaf: I will pick a sweet treat to virtually give you that I think you'd like

Chicken of the woods: I will tell you whatever I'm thinking of at the time I respond to your ask

Tree sap: Recommend a fandom for me to get stuck into

Oak leaf: I will assign a totally random, off-the-top-of-my-head historical figure to you

Moss: I will tell you something reassuring

Pine needle: Give me some constructive criticism on anything

Mutuals

Red-crested woodpecker: We can chat/shout/hc/etc about a shared interest

Great tit: I will tell you an embarrassing story

Fox: Ask me a random question about me (if I don't feel comfortable asking, you can always ask me a different question)

Rabbit: I will send you a picture of Toby or one of my rabbits (Snuggles and Peter)

Squirrel: I will give you a random fact

Song thrush: I will assign a song to you that I think you will like/will fit your vibe. This might end up as me recommending a random song from my playlist...

Roe deer: I will make you a moodboard

Barn owl: I will show you a picture of something cool in my hoarde of stuff

Badger: Play a word game with me (20 questions, word association, etc)

Hedgehog: Give me a headcanon about me

Frog: I will give you a headcanon about you

BONUS FOR MUTUALS I INTERACT WITH A LOT

Nymph: I will plan out a day spent with you! (Or longer, you can specify) (e.g. we go to the mall and then we go to KFC or something)

(Credit to @strangergraphics and @saradika-graphics for the dividers)

Tagging my mutuals: @almosthumanjessi @animal-lover-forever @anglptera @anything-for-my-moony-1971 @bleep-bloop-boo @calypso10191 @chaoticgremlin-1 @cheekyboybeth (btw, thanks for helping me with setting this up, mum!) @dandelionflowery @dracosleftarsecheek @green-001 @here-am-i-sitting-in-a-tin-can @i-eat-so-much-grass @klondyke-the-bear @legaltrashgoblin @lemmeeatacrylicpaint @littlegayduck @maryland-officially @monarchofthequeerpotatoes @mushroom-music @nanochittle @names-confuse-me (love u ducky x) @nyx-taylors-version @onceinalifetimexperiencebuttwice @osmoticneuron @potato276 @ravenwordss @saintperseus @savj2003 @schistostegapennata @sentientballofpeas @silentprincessofhyrule @someone-kill-the-ej @that-dam-heartstopper-fan @touslin @thecrazyalchemist @theetherealraphael @unstableunicornsofasgard @uhmmmmaixllezhere @yourlocalbadgerscales @2xhbergggg @26mayflowers

LINK TO MAIN INTRO POST HERE!!!!

[mariacallous]

Just before the recent advance of Ukrainian forces into Russian territory, there were signs that Americans were becoming somewhat less confident about Ukraine’s prospects in the war with Russia. Add to this that the United States is in the middle of a heated election season where Republican politicians have been less supportive of backing Ukraine, one might have expected a drop in American public support for Kyiv.

Yet, our new University of Maryland Critical Issues Poll with SSRS shows robust, even increasing, support for Ukraine.

The poll was carried out by SSRS among a sample of 1,510 American adults from their probability-based online panel, in addition to oversamples of 202 Blacks and 200 Hispanics, July 26-August 1, just before the Ukrainian incursion into Russia’s Kursk region. The margin of error is +/- 3.0 %.  Here are some key takeaways.

Americans across the partisan divide are far more sympathetic to Ukraine than to Russia

A strong majority of Americans across the political spectrum sympathize more with Ukraine than Russia in the ongoing war: 62% of respondents express more sympathy with Ukraine than Russia, including 58% of Republicans and 76% of Democrats. At the same time, just 2% of respondents said they sympathized more with Russia in the conflict, including 4% of Republicans and 1% of Democrats. Republicans (20%) were more likely than Democrats (7%) to say they sympathized with neither side, while equal numbers of Republicans and Democrats (5%) said they sympathized with both sides equally.

More Americans want the United States to stay the course in supporting Ukraine as long as it takes

The percentage of respondents who said they want the United States to stay the course in supporting Ukraine grew from our October 2023 poll, reaching the highest level in our tracking since the spring of 2023. In our latest survey, 48% of all respondents said that the United States should support Ukraine as long as the conflict lasts, including 37% of Republicans and 63% of Democrats. All these numbers are new highs in our four polls since March-April 2023.

This shift among Republicans is especially striking considering recent campaign statements by the Republican candidates for president and vice president, Donald Trump and J.D. Vance. Both members of the Republican ticket have made statements opposing further U.S. military aid to Ukraine.

Fewer Americans say Ukraine is winning and Russia is losing

Since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, our polls have tracked the American public assessment of Russia’s and Ukraine’s performance and prospects in the war, as we had reason to think that this assessment might influence the degree of public support for backing Ukraine. In the previous three polls, since March-April 2023, we found little change in that assessment. In the latest poll, there was a marked drop in the assessment that Ukraine is winning and Russia is losing.

Overall, 30% of respondents said Russia is failing in the latest poll, compared to 37% in October; and 21% said Ukraine is succeeding, compared to 26% in October. A plurality of about one-third said each side was neither winning nor losing. Democrats were more likely to think Ukraine (29%) is winning compared to those who said the same about Russia (9%). Republicans were more likely to express equal attitudes about the extent to which Russia (17%) and Ukraine (17%) are winning.

Fewer Americans view current levels of Ukraine funding as about right

American public attitudes on the level of funding for Ukraine remain highly partisan, with more Republicans saying the level is “too much” (52%) and more Democrats saying it’s about “the right level” (39%). Fewer respondents to the question about the level of U.S. support said, “they didn’t know” (26% compared to 33% last October). At the same time, there was an increase in the overall respondents who said the United States is spending too much (35% compared to 29% in October), and there was a simultaneous increase among those who said it is spending too little (15% compared to 10% in October).

The percentage of respondents saying that U.S. support for Ukraine is at the right level has dropped from 28% last October to 24% in July-August, with Republican support dropping from 18% to 15% and Democratic support dropping from 41% to 39%.

Americans support encouraging Ukraine to engage in conflict-ending diplomacy

We asked: “How much would you support or oppose the United States urging Ukraine to engage in diplomatic negotiations with Russia and the United States as soon as possible to end the war in Ukraine?”

We found strong bipartisan support for American urging of Ukraine to engage in diplomacy with Russia, though Republican support is more intense. Overall, 77% of respondents were supportive of diplomacy, with 40% saying they “strongly support” and 37% supporting “somewhat.” Republicans were more “strongly” supportive (53%) compared to Democrats (33%).

Conclusion

Before the recent advance of Ukrainian forces into Russian territory, the American public was growing less confident about Ukraine’s prospects in the war. Surprisingly, this has not undermined overall public support for Ukraine, especially the expressed commitment to stay the course for as long as it takes, which increased since last October. However, attitudes toward the level of support, while partisan, indicated some decline: A 6-point increase among those who say the support is too much, compared to only a one-point increase among those who say either that support is at the right level or too little (from 38% in October to 39% in July-August).

The most striking finding is the degree of bipartisan overall sympathy with Ukraine that encompasses majorities of Republicans and Democrats. The significant increase in the percentage of Republicans who want to see the United States stay the course in its support for Ukraine for as long as takes is especially notable as it occurs in the middle of a presidential campaign where the presidential candidates have taken contrasting views that might lead to a deeper partisan public divide. Early reports about the success of the Ukrainian advance into Russia may have impacted U.S. public support for Ukraine further, as in our previous studies, we found a positive correlation between the degree of perceived Ukrainian success on the battlefield and the degree of public willingness to support Ukraine.

[allthegeopolitics]

https://www.cbsnews.com/baltimore/news/maryland-ballot-question-1-abortion-amendment-2024-election/

[study-with-aura]

Tuesday, September 10, 2024

I didn't have time to work on my reflective essay today, but that's okay. I can work on it Sunday if I need to. A lot is going on Sunday, but I will have a bit of time here and there to take a look at it.

Maybe I have too much in a day that I need to get done along with my extracurriculars. Then again, if my day wasn't packed, I would be lost. That happened some this summer, which is why outside of camp weeks, I kept adding things to do and creating schedules. Yes, I am a schedule and list person. I do allow room for flexibility, but I really love my lists and color coded schedules!

The next three days are my busiest, so if I do not post, that is why. I will do my best as I enjoy writing about the day!

Tasks Completed:

Algebra 2 - Completed worksheet on applications of systems of linear equations

American Literature - Copied vocabulary terms + read about Henry David Thoreau's "Civil Disobedience" + read an excerpt from "Civil Disobedience" + typed up a response to literature (30/30)

Spanish 3 - Practiced reading my dialogue from yesterday + read the dialogue out loud to my dad (25/25)

Bible 2 - Read 1 Kings 7

Early American History - Read about Maryland, Carolina, and Georgia + read more about the original 13 colonies + read excerpt from The Maryland Toleration Act of 1649 + answered question + explored a world major historical event timeline for this period of history

Earth Science with Lab - Answered questions from yesterday's reading

Music Appreciation - Watched the listening guide on Lutosławski's Concerto for Orchestra + listened to the concerto + wrote out a music description using music vocabulary

Khan Academy - Completed US History Unit 2: Lesson 2.7-2.8

Duolingo - Studied for approximately 30 minutes (Spanish + French + Chinese) + completed daily quests

Piano - 60-minute piano lesson + practiced for two hours

Reading - Read pages 154-180 of The Do-Over by Lynn Painter

Chores -  Laundry + took trash and recycling out

Activities of the Day:

September Study (John 14:13-14, 2 Corinthians 5:20, Matthew 28: 18-19, Galatians 5:22-23, 2 Peter 1:4-7, 1 Corinthians 2:16, Jude 1:24)

Personal Bible Study (Luke 1)

Ballet

Pointe

Journal/Mindfulness

[essaysbyciara]

someone wanted to get into my business 💗

Someone asked me to answer all of the even-numbered questions and I like a challenge, so… here it goes. 

A picture of me: just posted some here :) 

Last time i cried and why: yesterday, watched the scene from Lion King when Mufasa left Earth. Started thinking about my Dad. that’s all it takes, sometimes. Miss my guy. 

Favorite band: Mint Condition counts as a band, for sure. Falling in love with Bootsy Collins and ‘em too. 

Top 5 (insert subject): i’ll do my top five favorite sports: 1) NFL, 2) football (the real stuff, i watch Serie A when I can but I’m more locked in during international tourneys), 3) NBA, 4) College football, 5) MLB

Biggest turn ons: jesus, well … passion; passionate about the things you love. Oh you love turtles? You can’t stop talking about turtles? *ummph*. I’m a sucker for a set of juicy lips. I have a thing for bratty boys too. I saw this fine-ass Black man roll his eyes once and it lit up something WILD inside of me lol.

Ideas of a perfect date: I’m a museum date girl. And we go get ice cream after. 

Piercings i want: I want ear gauges, small ones. I do want to get my nipples pierced too. 

Favorite movie: I really don’t have a favorite. I just have movies that hold a shitton of sentimental value. One of those is Alien v. Predator. Again, my Dad. 

Phobia: not really afraid of anything but just the unknown lmao. I need to learn how to live on the edge a bit more. 

Height: 5’6

What’s your shoe size? 8.5/ 6 (GS) 

Do you smoke, drink, or take any drugs? Don’t smoke, only drink a few times a year (special occasions, kicking with my homegirl).  never taken a hard drug in my life. I’m hella green lol

What’s one thing you regret? I regret not being more fiscally responsible in my twenties. Lessons learned though. 

Favorite ice cream? Mint chocolate chip. 

What my last text message says: cool. Thank you! 

Have you ever painted your room? Nope. 

Have you ever slept naked? Yep. For mad years. I was dealing with this dude and he would never let me put my clothes back on after we had sex so I built a habit, I guess. I no longer do. Choosing to no longer do that broke a tether he had to me, weird to say. 

Have you ever had a crush? HEH! Come on, now lmao. I have three huge Spotfiy playlists for all of my crushes. 

Have you ever stole money from a friend? Nope. 

Have you ever been in a fist fight? Yes. 8th grade. Talked shit and got hit. Never got in a fight ever again lmao. 

Have you ever had feelings for someone who didn’t have them back? See the answer about having crushes. Unrequited love is my speciality lmao. 

Have you ever made out with a stranger? Yes lmao. In a club. That’s another regret lmao. 

Have you ever left your house without telling your parents? Nope. again, hella green lol. 

Have you ever ditched school to do something more fun? I think ‘senior skip day’ counts lol. Only day I ever skipped school. Me and my girls went to the mall and then I went home. I lied to my Mom and said that there was an early dismissal I didn’t know about lmao. 

Have you ever seen someone die? I haven’t but I’ve been the one to find dead bodies. 

Have you ever kissed a picture? Boog from B2K count? lmao. 

Have you ever loved someone or miss someone right now? Oh God, yes. Right now, I miss my parents. 

Have you ever made a snow angel? Yes. I’d make one now if I could lol. 

Have you ever cheated while playing a game? You ain’t a real winner if you haven’t lol. 

Have you ever fallen asleep at work/school? Fell asleep in a work meeting. 

Have you ever felt an earthquake? Oh, man. Yes. The earthquake that hit DC/Maryland ten or so years ago. I was at work when it happened. My co-worker thought the Rapture was happening and ran out the office. 

Have you ever ran a red light? Nope. Again, green. 

Have you ever had detention? Yes, for forgetting my homework. First and last time because, yep … Ciara is green. 

Have you ever hated the way you look? *SIGH* 

Have you ever pole danced? No but I want to! 

Have you ever been to the opposite side of the country? Nah. I haven’t traveled much. That’s changing in the new year. 

Have you ever cried yourself to sleep? All the time. 

Have you ever done something you told yourself you wouldn’t? Yeah. They all seem to be sexual things. I won’t elaborate further lmao. 

Have you ever slept with someone at least 5 years older or younger? Five years older, yes. He was in his 50s. I was in my late 20s. It was serviceable lol. 

Have you ever sang in the shower? I’m Deborah Cox in there. 

Have you ever dream that you married someone? Yes. Just recently too. I hope dude is well. 

Have you ever got your tongue stuck to a flag pole? A la “A Christmas Story”?! Nope.  Sounds fun though. 

Have you ever been a cheerleader? Nope. A lot of my friends in high school were though. 

Have you ever brushed your teeth? Duh. 

Have you ever played chicken? Sure I have. 

Have you ever been told you’re hot by a complete stranger? Can’t say that I have. I did have a man tell me that he liked my outfit today. I’ll take that lmao. 

Have you ever been easily amused? Always. I started laughing the other day thinking about my old days in the streets of DC. 

Have you ever mooned/flashed someone? Flashed, yes. Went full wet t-shirt a few times too. 

Have you ever forgotten someone’s name? The way this brain is set up?! Yes. 

Give us one thing about you that no one knows. I own five  different versions of the Bible: NIV, NKJV, KJV, CEV, NRSV. 

[max--phillips]

Anyway I just saw a post saying that the protests here in the US are “taking away attention” from what’s actually happening in Gaza and “LARPing oppression” as if 1) the whole point of the protests is to put attention on Gaza and call for a ceasefire and 1.5) shows they’re exclusively getting their news from mainstream cable networks and 2) it’s not the fuckin media’s own fault they’re more interested in covering protests than the actual genocide, and 3) the students are somehow not facing oppression ???????

For one, what’s the solution here? Tell these students who feel very strongly (and rightfully so!) about this issue to just give up and go home? Who exactly does that benefit? Oh, right, the universities who are benefiting from this genocide, as well as the federal government. Good plan.

For two, I realize that the university at the center of this is an Ivy League school, and that the students who are there are privileged in many ways. However, that does not change the fact they are facing violence from the university and from police. That does not change the fact many of these students are Palestinian, Jewish, or other minorities. Beyond that, Columbia is not the only school where protests are happening. Emerson, USC, Yale, Harvard, MIT, Tufts, Cal Poly Humboldt, NYU, Vanderbilt, Brown, University of Michigan, UC Berkeley, Emory, Indiana University, Purdue, George Washington University, UCLA, Northeastern, Ohio State, UT Austin, Arizona State, Washington University St Louis, Cornell, University of Pennsylvania, Stanford, University of Georgia Athens, Sonoma State, San Francisco State, Sacramento State, University of Washington, Virginia Tech, Princeton, University of Minnesota, UConn, USC, University of Illinois, University of Utah, McGill, Portland State, UNC Chapel Hill, Tulane, University of Florida Gainesville, University of Colorado Denver, Case Western Reserve, City College of New York, Rutgers, Johns Hopkins, University of Maryland College Park, Barnard College, Pomona College, DePaul, Georgetown, University of Delaware, University of Arizona, University of New Mexico, University of Wisconsin, Virginia Commonwealth University, Oberlin, UC San Diego, University of San Diego, and I’m sure many others have or are currently participating in protests. Many of these schools are not elite universities only the best of the best (or the most money) get in. For crying out loud, my ass got into Indiana University.

That begs another question as well. Yes, these students at Ivy League schools have privilege. How else would you prefer they use it? When one has privilege, it is imperative to utilize it for the benefit of those one has privilege over.

Anyway. Free Palestine. Defund the police.

“Taking away attention from what’s actually going on” this is like saying the university protests against the Vietnam War were taking away attention from what’s actually going on in Vietnam. (Which I’m realizing now was probably an actual talking point at the time, but sounds ridiculous now.)

[ever-growing-system]

Hello!!!

DNI: PROSHIPPERS, ANTI-ENDOS, PEDOS, MAGA BASTARDS, TERFS, AND ANTI-ALTER/NONHUMANS

The hosts (the main ppl talking and taking care of the others) are Jinx and Mike! Jinx's intro is before the cut and Mike's is right under it.

Our friend @maryland-officially (or one of the other 100 Maryland blogs lol) is very good at explaining systems and has a bunch of resources! (like this one for how endogenic systems form!) So if you have any questions, POLITELY ask them!

This blog is gonna be for everyone running around in my head! this post will update a lot lmao

@fnaf-answers has most of the fnaf dudes in the intro post

#mike, #william, #jeremyF, #vanessa, #Lizzy, Cassidy, #henry, #Charlie, #gregory (some have not talked yet, more of them on the fnaf blog)

@theposttaster has some non-fnaf dudes on the intro post there

#ash, #kai, #jeremy2, #sam, #violet (some have not talked yet, more of them on the post taster blog)

Others under the cut (Gravity Falls, Lolbit, Undertale AND Deltarune, The Owl House, and The Amazing Digital Circus)

Jinx (host w/Mike):

Me!

I lost count of how old I am when I hit 200

Shapeshifter.

Can be anything but it always has a shifting galaxy print! (mostly just a blob)

can be a frog (image 1)

or a dragon (image 2)

or a humanoid! (image 3)

Used to be friends with Bill but the bill in the system is not the same one.

Bill erased my memories of the Euclidian kids I adopted when I met him so we got into a bad fight.

Constantly tired as the host with Mike.

They/it #Jinx

Mike (Host w/Jinx)

I was one of the first (and am more connected with Jinx for some odd reason

I'm 56

I'm married to Jeremy Fitzgerald (from the FNaF blog)

Gregory is my son

I have a weird relationship with William

I take care of most of the kids while Jinx makes sure the Adults don't fight.

Zaerrug: An interdimensional Plague Doctor. Jinx's first friend after the argument with Bill. They/them.

#Zaerrug

Chara: Mischievous. NOT EVIL. They have neater hair than Frisk because they were taken care of by Toriel and were royalty. They/them #chara

Kris: Quiet. They are very deadpan when talking to or about anyone or anything other than their friends. Friends with Chara, Frisk, and Susie. Close with Spamton. They/them #kris

Cyn: Creepy... She Has the same voice. It is far too active and keeps trying to physically hurt us. She/it #cyn

Uzi: WON'T STOP FUCKING SCREAMING AND SWEARING. She misses N. HATES CYN. Sarcastic. She/they #uzi

Kinger: A little kooky but bc most of our time is spent in the dark in our room, he has sense sometimes. He misses his wife, tails /ref. He/him. #kinger

Lolbit: Constantly laughing. Very comedic. think the fanmade ucn voicelines. They/them #lolbit

Frisk: Only knows the pacifist route. Friends with Chara and Kris. The soul is separate, like with Kris, but they didn't want it removed because it helped in their route. Genderfluid. Any pronouns #frisk

Azzy: Asriel. small child. Loves Chara so so so so much. He/him #Azzy

Flowey: Same as in the game. not asriel. We don't know where he came from. #Flowey

Sans: So tired he didn't add an intro. Jinx had to. Knows what you did. Has the coolest bro. Has a... complicated relationship with Gaster. He/him (tried to find art he liked of himself but OH GOD) #sans or #UTsans/#UT sans

Deltarune Sans is a different person. He doesn't know nearly as much but is in contact with UT Sans. #sans or #DRsans/#DR sans

Susie: Same as in the game mostly, just a bit less aggressive to most. Has a soft spot for Kris and Lancer. She/they #susie

Jevil: Same as in the game. CHAOS CHAOS! Hates spamton. they/it. #jevil

Spamton: Doesn't have a typing quirk. Acts pretty canon. Knows about snowgrave. Hates Jevil. Close with Kris. He/it #spamton

Hunter: Obsessed with Willow. Mostly the same as the show. He/him #hunter

Amity: LOVES COSPLAYERS and anyone who looks like her because it's so cool! Obsessed with Luz. considers Alador and Darius her parents. She/her #amity

Bill: Same as the show. Aroace (platonic billford but flirty). It/its #bill

Ford: MONSTERFUCKER. Ace (platonic billford but flirty) He/him #Ford

Stan: Exactly like he is in the show lmao. Dating fiddleford, Pansexual. He/him #Stan

Current Fiddleford: A little kooky, VERY VERY GAY, dating Stan, hates Bill, hated his marriage, He/him #Fiddleford

Past fiddleford: Simps so hard for stan (and Ford before that), is jealous of Bill, Ford just went missing, was working with stan to get him back but gave up. Closeted. He/him #fiddleford P

Pomni: Very panicky, has no idea what's going on, Imminently started touching my face when she appeared, She/her. dating Ragatha and sees Kinger as her father figure. She has a plushie from Ragatha (not pictured) #Pomni

Ragatha: GAY GAY HOMOSEXUAL GAY (pansexual). dating pomni. Will kill a hoe for the ppl she cares about. Has been so aggressive sometimes that Jax better be grateful he can't die. Necklace is from ponmi. She/her #ragatha

Jax: Asshole. He/him (secretly liked kaufmo and the bracelets are from him) #jax

[nerdieforpedro]

Get to Know Me Tag Game

I was tagged so I'm doing it. I'm malleable that way, you know?

Thank you @bitchwitch1981 for the tag 😎

1. Were you named after anyone?

I was named after a voodoo priestess from the movie "Angel Heart." The character Lisa Bonet played. My mom is a special lady. 🤣

2. When was the last time you cried?

Sometime in the last week of 2023 when I wrote that post about my mental health journey. It was...good to write out, but a lot.

3. Do you have kids?

I have none of the tiny humans.

4. What sports do you play/ have you played?

I was allergic to them, they made me itch. I read and played video games instead like the recluse I am.

5. Do you use sarcasm?

I may, at times. Usually people don't take me seriously when I'm being direct, and they think I'm being sarcastic.

6. What is the first thing you notice about people?

Eyes, nose and stance. Tells me if I need to keep myself between them and the exit. 👀

7. What's your eye colour?

Light brown, similar to honey. 🍯

8. Scary movies or happy endings?

Happy endings. It's sappy, but I like them. I will mock both horror and happy ending equally.

9. Any talents?

I can have my fingers inside you, while asking you follow-up questions, also a knack for calming sick elderly people and finding that tricky spot where the catheter goes. 🤣🤣 (I described my job in the worst way possible)

I can sing a little. I'm funny. I teach fairly well.

10. Where were you born?

United States - Maryland

11. What are your hobbies?

Listening & singing to music, writing and reading fics, day dreaming about Pedro Pascal & Oscar Isaac, watching TV, going to the movies, burning candles, reading manga, playing video games, painting my nails.

12. Do you have any pets?

The state of my houseplants have indicated to me that no matter how much I wish it, that alone will not sustain life for a dog or a cat. 😞

13. How tall are you?

5 foot 3 inches (I'm short and round, like a rolo or peppermint patty.)

14. Favourite subject in high school?

Science (Anatomy and Physiology)

15. Dream job?

Professional fanfic writer who gets paid in the number of WIPs I have. (So I would be making millions by never finishing any work.)

NP tags: @maggiemayhemnj @for-a-longlongtime @legendary-pink-dot @megamindsecretlair @mysterious-moonstruck-musings @goodwithcheese @secretelephanttattoo @avastrasposts @angelofsmalldeath-codeine @rhoorl @laurfilijames @alltheglitterandtheroar @avastrasposts @atinylittlepain @beefrobeefcal

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Sam Levin at The Guardian:

A group of leading Democratic governors offered words of support for Joe Biden on Wednesday as pressure mounted on the president to leave the race. The governors, including Tim Walz of Minnesota, Wes Moore of Maryland, Gavin Newsom of California and Kathy Hochul of New York, held a closed-door meeting with Biden in Washington as he sought to reassure his party – and the public – that he is up to the job after a shaky debate performance. Biden met for more than an hour at the White House in person and virtually with more than 20 governors from his party. The governors told reporters afterward that the conversation was “candid” and said they expressed concerns about Biden’s debate performance last week. They reiterated that defeating Donald Trump in November was the priority, but said they were still standing behind Biden and did not join other Democrats who have been urging him to withdraw his candidacy.

“We, like many Americans, are worried,” Walz of Minnesota said. “We are all looking for the path to win – all the governors agree with that. President Biden agrees with that. He has had our backs through Covid … the governors have his back. We’re working together just to make very, very clear that a path to victory in November is the No 1 priority and that’s the No 1 priority of the president … The feedback was good. The conversation was honest.” “The president is our nominee. The president is our party leader,” added Moore of Maryland. He said Biden “was very clear that he’s in this to win it”. “We were honest about the feedback we’re getting … and the concerns we’re hearing from people,” Moore said. “We’re going to have his back … the results we’ve been able to see under this administration have been undeniable.”

The meeting capped a tumultuous day for Biden as members of his own party, and a major democratic donor, urged him to step aside amid questions over his fitness for office. Two Democratic lawmakers have called on Biden to exit the race, and a third Congressman said he had “grave concerns” about Biden’s ability to beat Trump. The White House, meanwhile, was forced to deny reports that Biden is weighing whether his candidacy is still viable. Biden, for his part, has forcefully insisted that he is staying in the race. “Let me say this as clearly as I possibly can, as simply and straightforward as I can: I am running … no one’s pushing me out,” Biden said on a call with staffers from his re-election campaign. “I’m not leaving. I’m in this race to the end and we’re going to win.”

Kamala Harris has also stood by his side, despite some insiders reportedly rallying around her as a possible replacement. “We will not back down. We will follow our president’s lead,” the vice-president reportedly told staffers on Wednesday.

At yesterday’s hybrid conference with Democratic governors with President Joe Biden, governors are largely rallying behind the incumbent President even as they have expressed worries.

[lesbioniclepod]

Episode 7: The Mata Nui Online Game but the AI is Self-Aware

Spotify/iTunes

(episode recorded in May 2023, as the incredibly topical British monarchy jokes will show)

Breakroom 95 Theses

Charles’ Coronation

Regular Hessian vs. Canadian Revolutionary

Taipu and Nausicaä Experience the Beauty of Le-Koro

Blue Mask Gender Thesis

it is with heavy heart that I must announce: we did not do an “of course you have a blue mask and pronouns” joke, but we should’ve.

Kongu Backstory

Gukko Piloting

Dinotopia Reminisces

the skybax rider game has later been confirmed to be a dream

Lewa’s Calm Me Down From Possession Kink

Taipu’s Transgender Allegory

Spraying Kids With The Podcast Hose

Tren Krom Mind Break

The Toa Mata Hold An Intervention

Nac Mac Feegle Gender vs. Matoran Gender/Tiffany Aching’s Bionicles

Nokama’s Vtuber Gimmick

Makuta and the Franklin Expedition

we have now both since watched the terror

Do Bionicles Cook?

The Ultimate Question

Bionicle Amaat

We Learn About the Great Spirit

Incredible Crab Violence

Maryland v. Maritimes

Canceled For Crab Crimes

Kinnie Nui

Moushley and Stuart Little

Revachol-Metru

Tantalizing Glimpses of Bionicle Cuisine

The Jeb Bush of Mata Nui

Crab-Based Horrors Within Our Comprehension

Trans-Supportive Whenua

Kapura Autism Powers

The Chronicler’s (Autistic) Company

THE TOA ARE HERE

Disquisition on Bionicle Yuri v. Yaoi

Every Matoran And Also Nausicaä Is Gay For Gali

Live Reporting From The MNOG Trenches, 1:51:00 to 2:01:30

Thigh Gaps, But Not In The Way You Think

Bionicle Philosophy

Makuta Is Medium-Aware

ET IN ARCADIA VRISKA

We Both Get Really Emotional About The End Of MNOG

[mariacallous]

so what's next in American Judicial Antics? 5th circuit issuing a nationwide injunction requiring everyone to vote for trump? SCOTUS ruling that corporations have a constitutional right to poison the water?

Here's the cases SCOTUS agreed to hear (so far) and will issue rulings on by next June:

Williams v. Washington, No. 23-191

Issue(s): Whether exhaustion of state administrative remedies is required to bring claims under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 in state court.

Glossip v. Oklahoma, No. 22-7466

Issue(s): (1) Whether the state’s suppression of the key prosecution witness’ admission that he was under the care of a psychiatrist and failure to correct that witness’ false testimony about that care and related diagnosis violate the due process of law under Brady v. Maryland and Napue v. Illinois; (2) whether the entirety of the suppressed evidence must be considered when assessing the materiality of Brady and Napue claims; (3) whether due process of law requires reversal where a capital conviction is so infected with errors that the state no longer seeks to defend it; and (4) whether the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals' holding that the Oklahoma Post-Conviction Procedure Act precluded post-conviction relief is an adequate and independent state-law ground for the judgment.

Garland v. VanDerStok, No. 23-852

Issue(s): (1) Whether “a weapon parts kit that is designed to or may readily be completed, assembled, restored, or otherwise converted to expel a projectile by the action of an explosive” under 27 C.F.R. § 478.11 is a “firearm” regulated by the Gun Control Act of 1968; and (2) whether “a partially complete, disassembled, or nonfunctional frame or receiver” that is “designed to or may readily be completed, assembled, restored, or otherwise converted to function as a frame or receiver” under 27 C.F.R. § 478.12(c) is a “frame or receiver” regulated by the act.

Lackey v. Stinnie, No. 23-621

Issue(s): (1) Whether a party must obtain a ruling that conclusively decides the merits in its favor, as opposed to merely predicting a likelihood of later success, to prevail on the merits under 42 U.S.C. § 1988; and (2) whether a party must obtain an enduring change in the parties’ legal relationship from a judicial act, as opposed to a non-judicial event that moots the case, to prevail under Section 1988.

Bufkin v. McDonough, No. 23-713

Issue(s): Whether the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims must ensure that the benefit-of-the-doubt rule in 38 U.S.C. § 5107(b) was properly applied during the claims process in order to satisfy 38 U.S.C. § 7261(b)(1), which directs the court to “take due account” of the Department of Veterans Affairs’ application of that rule.

Royal Canin U.S.A. v. Wullschleger, No. 23-677

Issue(s): (1) Whether a post-removal amendment of a complaint to omit federal questions defeats federal-question subject matter jurisdiction pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1331; and (2) whether such a post-removal amendment of a complaint precludes a district court from exercising supplemental jurisdiction over the plaintiff’s remaining state-law claims pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1367.

Medical Marijuana v. Horn, No. 23-365

Issue(s): Whether economic harms resulting from personal injuries are injuries to “business or property by reason of” the defendant’s acts for purposes of a civil treble-damages action under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act.

Bouarfa v. Mayorkas, No. 23-583

Issue(s): Whether a visa petitioner may obtain judicial review when an approved petition is revoked on the basis of nondiscretionary criteria.

City and County of San Francisco v. Environmental Protection Agency, No. 23-753

Issue(s): Whether the Clean Water Act allows the Environmental Protection Agency (or an authorized state) to impose generic prohibitions in National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permits that subject permit-holders to enforcement for violating water quality standards without identifying specific limits to which their discharges must conform.

Delligatti v. U.S., No. 23-825

Issue(s): Whether a crime that requires proof of bodily injury or death, but can be committed by failing to take action, has as an element the use, attempted use, or threatened use of physical force.

Advocate Christ Medical Center v. Becerra, No. 23-715

Issue(s): Whether the phrase “entitled ... to benefits,” used twice in the same sentence of the Medicare Act, means the same thing for Medicare part A and Supplemental Social Security benefits, such that it includes all who meet basic program eligibility criteria, whether or not benefits are actually received.

Facebook v. Amalgamated Bank, No. 23-980

Issue(s): Whether risk disclosures are false or misleading when they do not disclose that a risk has materialized in the past, even if that past event presents no known risk of ongoing or future business harm.

E.M.D. Sales v. Carrera, No. 23-217

Issue(s): Whether the burden of proof that employers must satisfy to demonstrate the applicability of a Fair Labor Standards Act exemption is a mere preponderance of the evidence or clear and convincing evidence.

Kousisis v. U.S., No. 23-909

Issue(s): (1) Whether deception to induce a commercial exchange can constitute mail or wire fraud, even if inflicting economic harm on the alleged victim was not the object of the scheme; (2) whether a sovereign’s statutory, regulatory, or policy interest is a property interest when compliance is a material term of payment for goods or services; and (3) whether all contract rights are “property.”

NVIDIA Corp. v. E. Ohman J:or Fonder AB, No. 23-970

Issue(s): (1) Whether plaintiffs seeking to allege scienter under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act based on allegations about internal company documents must plead with particularity the contents of those documents; and (2) whether plaintiffs can satisfy the Act's falsity requirement by relying on an expert opinion to substitute for particularized allegations of fact.

Wisconsin Bell v. U.S., ex rel. Todd Heath, No. 23-1127

Issue(s): Whether reimbursement requests submitted to the Federal Communications Commission's E-rate program are “claims” under the False Claims Act.

Feliciano v. Department of Transportation, No. 23-861

Issue(s): Whether a federal civilian employee called or ordered to active duty under a provision of law during a national emergency is entitled to differential pay even if the duty is not directly connected to the national emergency.

Republic of Hungary v. Simon, No. 23-867

Issue(s): (1) Whether historical commingling of assets suffices to establish that proceeds of seized property have a commercial nexus with the United States under the expropriation exception to the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act; (2) whether a plaintiff must make out a valid claim that an exception to the FSIA applies at the pleading stage, rather than merely raising a plausible inference; and (3) whether a sovereign defendant bears the burden of producing evidence to affirmatively disprove that the proceeds of property taken in violation of international law have a commercial nexus with the United States under the expropriation exception to the FSIA.

Seven County Infrastructure Coalition v. Eagle County, Colorado, No. 23-975

Issue(s): Whether the National Environmental Policy Act requires an agency to study environmental impacts beyond the proximate effects of the action over which the agency has regulatory authority.

Dewberry Group v. Dewberry Engineers, No. 23-900

Issue(s): Whether an award of the “defendant’s profits” under the Lanham Act can include an order for the defendant to disgorge the distinct profits of legally separate non-party corporate affiliates.

Stanley v. City of Sanford, Florida, No. 23-997

Issue(s): Whether, under the Americans with Disabilities Act, a former employee — who was qualified to perform her job and who earned post-employment benefits while employed — loses her right to sue over discrimination with respect to those benefits solely because she no longer holds her job.

U.S. v. Miller, No. 23-824

Issue(s): Whether a bankruptcy trustee may avoid a debtor’s tax payment to the United States under 11 U.S.C. § 544(b) when no actual creditor could have obtained relief under the applicable state fraudulent-transfer law outside of bankruptcy.

U.S. v. Skrmetti, No. 23-477

Issue(s): Whether Tennessee Senate Bill 1, which prohibits all medical treatments intended to allow “a minor to identify with, or live as, a purported identity inconsistent with the minor’s sex” or to treat “purported discomfort or distress from a discordance between the minor’s sex and asserted identity,” violates the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment.