Republican states have asked the Supreme Court to block sweeping federal regulations limiting methane emissions.
It's the latest legal challenge to Biden's Environmental Protection Agency, which has pursued an aggressive regulatory agenda targeting oil and gas producers. The EPA claims the plan would reduce methane emissions by up to 80% within a decade.
Biden's climate agenda has faced pushback from the Supreme Court before, most notably in the 2022 case West Virginia v. EPA, in which the court ruled that the EPA cannot force power plants nationwide to shift away from using coal.
In their emergency appeal to the Supreme Court, 24 Republican states blasted the methane rule as a repeat of the EPA's past efforts to "revolutionize" the Clean Air Act.
“Given its effort to revolutionize that unassuming provision to shut down power plants in favor of other sources of generation, and then to impose an impossible-to-meet standard to achieve that same result, EPA’s use of this provision to attack unlawfully the oil and gas industry comes as no surprise,” the states wrote.
The EPA's methane reduction plan gives states an "unrealistic" two-year window to regulate hundreds of thousands of existing facilities, the states said.
"The Rule’s imposition of detailed 'presumptive standards' for hundreds of thousands of facilities, coupled with an unrealistic two-year deadline, forces State-Applicants into an untenable position."
"For example, in Oklahoma, the Rule requires the State to regulate over 200,000 existing oil and gas facilities, although Oklahoma had previously only regulated about 10,000 such facilities," the petition reads.
States that attempt the "monumental task" of developing their own EPA-compliant plans risk massive, non-recoverable economic costs if the rule is ultimately struck down.
The alternative is for the states to give up their lawful control over emissions standards and adopt the EPA's "presumptive standards" in their entirety.
"For example, Kentucky expects it will need to hire at least 100 new employees 'immediately,' while Oklahoma projects it will need to increase its existing permitting and compliance staff by 50%. Meanwhile, Ohio’s EPA projects it may need up to $16,375,000 per year to comply with the Rule."
“The rule effectively forces the states to accept EPA’s ‘presumptive standards,’ thereby limiting the states’ authority to adopt their own standards of performance for regulating methane and VOC emissions from existing facilities,” the states wrote.
A unanimous three-judge panel of the D.C. Circuit rejected the Republican states' request in July.
The president of the University of Texas at Dallas, Richard Benson, is resigning after eight years leading the university.
Beson's decision to step aside came as a shock to the university. The school is already one week into the fall semester.
During his tenure, Benson oversaw the university's expansion as a research institution and the implementation of the state's ban on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) in higher education.
Earlier this year, Benson cut 20 positions after Texas banned Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs in its colleges. Previously, Benson had said no one would lose their positions over the ban.
“Our actions ensured that we were fully compliant with SB 17 as of January 1, 2024, the effective date of the legislation,” Benson wrote to the campus.
Like many universities, UT Dallas was rocked by controversy over the Israel-Hamas war. When some students and faculty were arrested for setting up an encampment, Benson wrote an op-ed defending the response.
Michael Kesden, physics professor and faculty speaker of the UTD Academic Senate, credited Benson with navigating challenging situations on campus.
“A lot of these things are certainly challenging situations,” Kesden said. “I can certainly say that if I had been in President Benson’s shoes, I would have struggled to handle them any differently than he did.”
Benson, who has a background in mechanical engineering, oversaw the expansion of the school's research budget, with expenditures growing from $113 million to $174 million, according to a press release.
"We have been so fortunate to have had someone with Dick Benson’s intelligence, experience, integrity, and passion as president of UTD,” Chancellor of the UT System James B. Milliken said.
Benson will stay on until a new president is chosen by the UT System Board of Regents. The process could take much of the 2025 academic year.
“The pinnacle of my career has been the opportunity to serve as the president of The University of Texas at Dallas. What a privilege it has been to lead this dynamic, fast-rising university!" he wrote.
“Although my time as president draws to a close, I will continue to be a proud member of the UT Dallas faculty, and I hope that there may yet be other ways for me to contribute to the life of this university.”
Democrats have privately admitted that Kamala Harris' price control plan is dead on arrival - with insiders admitting it's just a ploy to get votes with no serious chance of becoming policy.
Behind the scenes, Democrats have told allies that Harris' price control plan is a messaging strategy to blame inflation on corporations, insiders told Politico.
“It’s clear to me these are very general, very lofty goals,” one lawmaker said anonymously.
The price control proposal is one of a handful of policy ideas that Harris' campaign has released. The idea has faced skepticism even among left-wing media outlets that are highly supportive of her campaign.
The Washington Post rebuked Harris for embracing "populist gimmicks," and one of the newspaper's columnists warned that Harris' plan could help Trump paint her as a communist.
Harris has blamed inflation on corporate price gouging, despite a lack of evidence for the trend. While Republicans warn that Harris' plan would cause Soviet-style food shortages, Democrats are secretly reassuring allies in Congress and the food industry that her plan isn't going anywhere.
“I honestly still don’t know how this would work,” said a second Democratic lawmaker.
Democrats agree that the price control theme is meant to be a "messaging tactic — a way to show that she understands food prices remain an economic burden for many Americans and to redirect voters’ anger about inflation to corporations," Politico noted.
Harris has avoided taking clear policy positions, basing most of her messaging around broad themes like "joy."
Democrats have embraced Harris' vagueness as she continues to dodge tough questions, raising complaints from Republicans that she is trying to hide her real agenda. She has yet to sit for a major media interview or hold a press conference.
“I think people are reading too much into what has been put out there,” Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) said of Harris' proposed price controls.
Inflation is the top issue in the election, with grocery prices up 20% since Donald Trump left office. A food industry official said Harris' price control proposal is an obvious talking point, rather than a real policy.
“I’m sure it polls well,” the person added. “But it’s an obvious effort to deflect blame from her administration on inflation.”
A massive Second Amendment-based legal victory was handed down last week by a federal judge regarding a machine gun-related case.
According to MSNBC, a federal judge appointed by former President Donald Trump tossed out criminal charges for machine gun possession in a case involving the prosecution of Tamori Morgan.
Morgan had been charged with two counts of possessing a machine gun under federal law.
The Trump-appointed U.S. District Judge John Broomes quashed the charges, citing both the Second Amendment and a U.S. Supreme Court ruling, scoring a potentially massive victory for gun rights activists.
Fighting for their innocence, Morgan argued that the charges should be thrown out on Second Amendment grounds. They cited the Bruen ruling issued by the high court in 2022 as the basis for their defense.
Morgan and their attorney were successful in that argument, as Broomes dismissed the charges.
A machine gun possession charge was dismissed by a district court in Kansas yesterday on Second Amendment grounds.
The court found that machine guns are clearly bearable arms, and in this case at least, the government failed to show a historical tradition to justify their ban. pic.twitter.com/tCou5USFmE
— Kostas Moros (@MorosKostas) August 22, 2024
MSNBC noted:
The Kansas federal judge wrote that in Morgan’s case, the government failed to meet its burden “to demonstrate through historical analogs that regulation of the weapons at issue in this case are consistent with the nation’s history of firearms regulation.”
The ruling could have a nationwide, profound effect if the government doesn't ultimately win the case on appeal, which some believe is somewhat likely to happen.
MSNBC added:
The vast implications of Broomes’ ruling might not be fully realized if the government gets it reversed on appeal. The judge noted that the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which covers Kansas and neighboring states, had yet to apply Bruen to the law at issue in Morgan’s case.
Users across social media had plenty of reactions to the bombshell Second Amendment ruling.
"Absolutely amazing to see a court actually got this right! We'll see if it holds up through appeals and scotus, I guess," one X user wrote.
Another X user wrote, "Another massive win made possible by President Trump."
Many are hoping the conservative majority Supreme Court will ultimately rule in Morgan's favor, as the case could very likely end up there when the dust settles.
A bombshell Inspector's General report was published last week that revealed the disturbing fact that hundreds of thousands of migrant children have gone missing in the United States.
That report sparked anger from millions of Americans, and rightfully so. It also triggered serious responses from GOP congressmen, including Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO).
According to The Post Millennial, Hawley had strong feedback for Biden-Harris Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas in the wake of the report being published.
The primary concern regarding the massive number of missing children is that many of them are thought to have been used by human traffickers for unthinkable reasons.
Another primary reason as to why so many children are unaccounted for is that when they show up to the border, many are handed off to unvetted "sponsors."
"The Harris-Biden open border has created the largest child trafficking ring in US history - and now Harris & Co have lost track of nearly 300,000 migrant children. I want to know how this happened - and what they’re doing to fix it," Hawley posted on his X account.
The Harris-Biden open border has created the largest child trafficking ring in US history - and now Harris & Co have lost track of nearly 300,000 migrant children. I want to know how this happened - and what they’re doing to fix it pic.twitter.com/pAll6BiXMt
— Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) August 21, 2024
While the numbers are not known, many of the so-called sponsors are thought to have been bad people that use the children for sex-trafficking rings and other horrible circumstances.
Hawley penned a letter to the DHS secretary, in which he held nothing back.
"Unaccompanied migrant children are some of the most vulnerable individuals in America. They are routinely trafficked for sex, forced into illegal labor, burned with chemicals, and subjected to countless other atrocities by cartels," Hawley wrote.
Hawley added:
A recent report published by DHS’s Inspector General—that is to say, an internal review of your own agency—has revealed catastrophic failures in your agency’s ability to protect unaccompanied migrant children, right up to the present day. This is despite your testimony in an October 2023 Senate committee hearing in response to my question on this exact topic. At the time you said, 'we actually have prioritized the rescue of children who have been human trafficked.'"
Users across social media agreed with Hawley's anger.
"The corrupt establishment and media protect these traffickers who have infested our government and corporate America," one X user wrote.
Another X user wrote, "This is heartbreaking! Please don’t let this go. Stay on it for the sakes of these precious innocent children."
The left-wing Washington Post admitted that Joe Biden's inner circle conspired to hide his cognitive decline, a striking reversal after the mainstream media spent years downplaying concerns about his fitness.
Without naming her, the Washington Post also indirectly implicated Vice President Kamla Harris in the cover-up.
"The 81-year-old had shown signs of slipping for a long time, but his inner circle worked to conceal his decline," the paper's editorial board wrote.
Of course, many will see the Washington Post's change in tone as a cynical shift from a newspaper that had long supported Biden throughout his presidency.
But Biden faced mounting pressure to drop his re-election campaign following a disastrous debate with President Trump on June 27.
The Wall Street Journal published a damning report about Biden's condition in early June that was widely dismissed by the mainstream media.
After the debate, mainstream media outlets and Democrats who had long dismissed Biden's cognitive decline suddenly started clamoring for his exit.
The Washington Post showered Biden with obliging praise, describing his dropout decision as "profoundly selfless" despite his spirited fight to stay in the race. Biden eventually caved and endorsed vice president Kamala Harris to replace him on the ticket.
The Democrat credited with pushing Biden out, Nancy Pelosi (Ca.), praised Biden in her speech at the Democratic National Convention this week, where Harris formally accepted her party's nomination for president.
Biden insisted he did not hold any grudges in his farewell speech, which was pushed past primetime on the first night of the convention.
The Washington Post argued that Biden would have been better off not seeking re-election at all - although hardly any mainstream media were lobbying for him to step aside before June.
"In retrospect, Mr. Biden should not have sought reelection. The June 27 debate was worse than just a bad night, as the president maintained afterward. The 81-year-old had shown signs of slipping for a long time, but his inner circle worked to conceal his decline."
"He and the country would have been better off if Mr. Biden had kept his implied promise from the 2020 campaign to be a 'transitional' figure, perhaps by bowing out after the Democrats’ surprisingly good showing in the 2022 midterm elections."
The chief justice of Nebraska's Supreme Court, Michael Heavican, is stepping down in the fall.
After 18 years on the bench, Heavican, 77, will retire effective October 31.
The chief justice shared the news of his retirement with court staff in a brief letter.
“Thanks to all of you for the great work you do every day in delivering justice in our courts and fulfilling for all Nebraskans our State’s motto: ‘Equality Before the Law,’” Heavican wrote.
"Your accomplishments over the last 18 years have made me proud to serve as Chief Justice. I will be forever grateful to you for all your hard work and dedication."
All but one of the court's seven justices were appointed by Republicans. Heavican was seated in 2006 by Republican governor Dave Heineman.
Current Republican governor Jim Pillen will choose his successor.
“I have enjoyed getting to know Chief Justice Heavican and I often repeat to others the observation he made to me about walking into the Supreme Court Chamber,” Pillen said in a statement. “He noted that each time felt like the very first — conveying a wonderment, love and appreciation for a career that has resulted in immense satisfaction and fulfillment.”
Before serving on the court, Heavican was appointed U.S. Attorney in Nebraska by President George W. Bush. He served in that position from 2001 to 2006, and before that, was a Lancaster County attorney from 1981 to 1991.
Lt. Gov. Joe Kelly, who worked with Heavican at Lancaster County, called him "the perfect example of all that a public servant should be.”
U.S. Senator Deb Fischer praised Heavican for his "unwavering dedication to Nebraska and to the law."
Congratulations to my good friend Chief Justice Heavican for a long, distinguished career of service to Nebraskans. Your unwavering dedication to Nebraska and to the law has strengthened our judiciary and reached all corners of our state.
— Senator Deb Fischer (@SenatorFischer) August 23, 2024
Republican attorney general Mike Hilgers also applauded Heavican and his "immense impact on our State." He noted Heavican would make regular rounds of the state's courts to meet with employees.
"His honesty, thoughtfulness, and pursuit of fairness and justice are second to none,” Hilgers said. “We will miss his leadership.”
A judicial nominating commission will screen candidates for Governor Pillen to choose from.
Michelle and Barack Obama left Democrats in raptures on the second night of the Democratic National Convention, as the party deployed its biggest stars to create excitement and "joy" for Kamala Harris.
In an obvious attempt to recreate the enthusiasm behind her husband's campaign in 2008, Michelle claimed that "hope is making a comeback."
But the response the Obamas received in Chicago served as a reminder that Harris does not have anything close to their popularity.
Prior to Harris' stunning rise to the top of the ticket, she was widely seen as charmless, inarticulate, and a liability to her party.
In fact, speculation had long swirled that Michelle Obama might replace Joe Biden as the nominee for president. Harris' sudden and rapid rise has left Democrats scrambling to "reintroduce" her to the American people.
The Obamas stuck to the message Tuesday night, lavishing praise on their nominee with platitudes about "hope." Michelle Obama spoke of a "magical feeling" spreading across the nation since Harris replaced Biden in a ruthless coup.
"My girl, Kamala Harris, is more than ready for this moment," Michelle said.
"She is one of the most qualified people ever to seek the office of the presidency. And she is one of the most dignified," Michelle said.
While extolling Harris in vague terms, the Obamas took sharp jabs at Trump.
Michelle Obama, who famously said, "when we go low, they go high," hit below the belt with inflammatory racial attacks, claiming Trump is "threatened" by successful black people.
"For years, Donald Trump did everything in his power try to make people fear us," she said, alluding to Trump's role in sowing doubts about Obama's birth certificate.
"See, his limited, narrow view of the world made him feel threatened by the existence of two hard-working, highly-educated, successful people who happen to be black."
Michelle also ginned up outrage over Trump's use of the term "black jobs" to describe the impact of illegal immigration on the employment prospects of working-class blacks.
"Who’s gonna tell him that the job he’s currently seeking might just be one of those “black jobs”?
In his own speech, Barack Obama took a shocking jab at Trump's manhood. Of course, Obama's vicious attacks came paired with a lofty lecture about unity.
Democrats are obviously desperate to resurrect the energy of 2008, but they are spiteful and obsessed with Trump, and clearly not inspired by Harris, try as they might to feign enthusiasm for her.
It's not a good sign for her campaign that she is being overshadowed at her own coronation ceremony. How will she hold up once the fanfare subsides, and the real campaign starts?
Phil Donahue, the pioneering daytime television host who paved the way for Oprah Winfrey and others, has died. He was 88.
The Cleveland, Ohio native died of an undisclosed illness, ABC News reported.
Donahue started his TV career in Ohio, where he launched his famous and influential talk show.
The Phil Donahue Show started in Dayton in 1967 and entered nationwide syndication three years later.
The show ran for 29 seasons from 1967 to 1992, covering subjects as varied as break dancing and abortion. His first guest was atheist activist Madalyn Murray O'Hair.
The show is credited with setting the template for modern daytime TV. Audience members on Donahue's show were invited to participate in the discussion, which was innovative at the time.
Oprah Winfrey praised Donahue as a trailblazer in a statement on Instagram.
"There wouldn't have been an Oprah Show without Phil Donahue being the first to prove that daytime talk and women watching should be taken seriously," Winfrey wrote. "He was a pioneer. I'm glad I got to thank him for it. Rest in peace Phil."
Donahue didn't shy away from interviewing pariahs like the white supremacist and KKK member David Duke.
"You don't fix racism by throwing a blanket over the people who are racist. Put them on, let's hear them," Donahue said.
Donahue was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in May, which is the highest civilian honor an American can receive. He also received numerous Daytime Emmy Awards throughout his career.
The host had five children with his first wife, Margaret Mary Cooney, before divorcing in 1975. He married actress Marlo Thomas in 1980.
"As a man who spent his career loving his audiences, Phil got such a kick out of our cozy little community here, and I know he would be very touched by the heartwarming thoughts and memories you've been sharing," Thomas wrote to her Instagram followers.
"I wish you good health and happy days in the company of family and friends, and I hope that you will continue to hold close those you cherish most, just as I was blessed to do with my beloved Phillip."
Donahue is survived by his wife, as well as "his sister, his children, grandchildren and his beloved golden retriever Charlie," his family said.
The chief justice of the Arizona Supreme Court is not recusing herself from a controversial case that could change how judicial power works in the swing state.
This week, the state Supreme Court will decide on a legal challenge to Proposition 137, a Republican-backed ballot measure that would allow most judges to serve indefinitely, unless they do something bad.
Under the current "retention" system, judges must be elected again by voters when their term expires. Judges for the Supreme Court are appointed by the governor.
Proposition 137 would raise the bar for retention, allowing voters to unseat sitting judges only if they are convicted of a felony, declare bankruptcy or fail to meet judicial standards.
The controversy is part of a broader national battle on judicial power and abortion. The two Arizona Supreme Court justices facing retention this year, Clint Bolick and Kathyrn King, voted to uphold an 1864 abortion ban.
Democrats want to channel abortion backlash to unseat Bolick and King, whose replacements would be handpicked by Democratic governor Katie Hobbs, an abortion supporter.
But the results of the retention races would be nullified if voters approve Proposition 137, which applies retroactively to October 31.
Bolick and King are the only justices on the bench to recuse themselves from the case.
Progress Arizona, a leftist group, sued to keep the amendment off the ballot. The Supreme Court will decide the controversy this week after the lawsuit was rejected by a lower court.
Chief Justice Ann Scott Timmer told a local outlet that she can weigh the retention case without a conflict. Any benefit that she stands to gain from Proposition 137 is "speculative" because she is not facing retention this year.
“It may not even occur that I stand for retention,” she told Capitol Media Services. “I think that is too attenuated in my mind to make for a conflict of interest.”
The state Supreme Court has seven justices who serve six-year terms. All seven sitting justices were appointed by Republican governors.
The new retention rules would allow judges to serve indefinitely "during good behavior," which is the same standard used by the U.S. Supreme Court.
President Biden has pushed for sweeping reforms, including term limits, to weaken the Supreme Court's conservative majority. Democrats have blasted the court's conservatives as extreme and out of touch, citing controversial rulings such as the decision to repeal Roe v. Wade.