Middleboro Review 2: The dark theme emerging from this Supreme Court term

Friday, May 24, 2024

The dark theme emerging from this Supreme Court term

May 24, 2024

We still have a few weeks before the Supreme Court wraps up its current term. But a theme has already emerged: Let's shred democracy.

That laser-focus message is all over Thursday's decision upholding a South Carolina congressional map previously found to be an unconstitutional racial gerrymander. "The decision is an invitation to lawmakers around the country to disempower Black and brown voters, an outcome at odds with equal voting rights for all," my colleague Pema Levy writes today, in a piece examining the Supreme Court's apparent eagerness to "rewrite basic legal principles in order to achieve a certain outcome."

The theme is expected to make an appearance again when the high court decides whether the right to ban abortion overrides the federal government’s interest in ensuring women’s safety. The decision could upend the health and safety of countless people, denying pregnant people the same medical protections that are guaranteed to everyone else.

This would be an attack on democracy, yes. But make no mistake: It would also be downright cruel and, in many cases, very likely lethal.

—Inae Oh

This Supreme Court Term Was All About Undoing Democracy

The justices made racist gerrymandering easier—and that's just the start.

BY PEMA LEVY

SPONSORED POST

Navigating Farm and Ranch Transfers to a New Generation

An ambitious program supports land access as many farmers approach retirement, posing challenges for America’s food system.

THIS CONTENT WAS PAID FOR AND SPONSORED BY AMERICAN FARMLAND TRUST.

Trump doubles down, seeking fossil fuel cash at private Houston lunch

BY DHARNA NOOR

Moms for Liberty is coming for the swing states

BY JULIANNE MCSHANE

Trial of Steve Bannon–linked Chinese mogul set to begin with anonymous jury

BY DAN FRIEDMAN

Here come the Russians, again

BY DAVID CORN

excerpt:

Editor’s note: The below article first appeared in David Corn’s newsletter, Our Land. The newsletter comes out twice a week (most of the time) and provides behind-the-scenes stories and articles about politics, media, and culture. Subscribing costs just $5 a month—but you can sign up for a free 30-day trial of Our Land here.

Sometimes I’d rather not be right. In January, reacting to Donald Trump affectionately referring to the trio of tyrants Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, and Kim Jong Un as “very fine people,” I wrote that two constants in the Trump Era are his affection for murderous authoritarians and Russian efforts to screw with American politics. The former is well-known, the latter, less recognized. Moscow mounted information warfare operations to boost Trump during both the 2016 election—most notably, the hack-and-leak attack in which Russian cyber-operatives swiped Democratic emails and documents and WikiLeaks released them—and the 2020 election, when Russian intelligence operatives spread disinformation about Joe and Hunter Biden and Ukraine. The first op helped the Putin-friendly Trump reach the White House; the second failed to keep him in office, but it had the side-benefit of fueling the House Republicans’ baseless (and now fizzling) impeachment crusade against President Biden. Putin went one for two.

I noted in that Our Land issue: “[I]t’s a good bet that Putin this year will try once again to mess in an American election…[As Putin] continues to commit horrendous war crimes in Ukraine, he has even more reason to clandestinely boost Trump and win the rubber match.” At long last, official warnings have arrived.

America's BBQ grills create as much carbon as a big coal plant (From the archives)

Yeah, gas too.

BY MADDIE OATMAN

MOTHER JONES MEMBERSHIP UPDATE

How about something different?

That’s how we’ve been thinking about things lately, because when it comes to democracy and journalism, two things we care deeply about, crisis has become the new normal, and it’s time to try doing something new.

We merged with the Center for Investigative Reporting. It’s such a strong pairing, and it’s been inspiring. So instead of all the doom and gloom in the news these days, and thanks to a reader’s comment, we’re focusing on our real sense of optimism as we kick off our first big push for the donations we need since taking that exciting, but also kind of scary, step forward.

There’s more in “Less Dreading, More Doing,” but if you just want to feel the excitement like we do, here’s video correspondent Garrison Hayes in a video from late last year that we’re just now sharing widely. And here’s a link to pitch in if you can.