Liberals Concerned SCOTUS May Take Up ‘Climate Change’ Case

Which, obviously, would lead to Democrats whining about the right leaning court which dares to follow the law and the Constitution, rather than their own feelings

Supreme Court signals interest in hearing a major climate change case that could be a ‘nightmare’ for liberals

climate cowThe Supreme Court seemed to signal interest this week in taking up a challenge launched by Hawaii against big oil companies to hold them liable for climate change, and some Democrats are suggesting the high court is “captured” for the fossil fuel industry.

The Supreme Court on Monday asked the Justice Department to weigh in on a petition to hear a lawsuit brought by the City of Honolulu against major fuel companies including Sunoco, Exxon and Chevron, claiming the companies’ products cause greenhouse gas emissions and global warming without warning consumers about the risks.

The city employed a series of state laws like public nuisance and trespass measures and said the companies should pay billions to the state to abate the effects of climate change like weather events, sea level rise, heat waves, flooding and global warming generally.

Will any of the justices ask if the state of Hawaii has given up their own use of fossil fuels? It wouldn’t survive as with all the planes, boats, cars, and helicopters bringing in and ferrying around all the tourists, not too mention bringing all the goods and food. Did the state government stop using them?

The high court gave DOJ no deadline for the solicitor general’s input, but its request indicates a high likelihood the court wants to hear the case. (snip)

But some Democrats and liberal advocates have begun preemptively criticizing the court.

Last week, Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., who sits on the Senate Judiciary Committee, posted on X saying, “[t]his captured Court’s delays of and interference in fossil fuel emissions regulations have already saved the polluters hundreds of billions — way more than they spent to capture it. But there is no end to fossil fuel polluters’ greed and entitlement.”

Lisa Graves, the executive director at the left-wing watchdog group True North Research, told the Rolling Stone that fossil fuel companies’ “efforts to evade legal accountability are being aided by… the very same groups that helped the majority of justices on the U.S. Supreme Court get their seats on the bench.”

In fairness, these same people and groups constantly whine about SCOTUS and fossil fuels companies, they are just trying to link them now. But, weirdly, none of them mention having given up their own use of fossil fuels. How many times a year does Sheldon fly to and from Rhode Island to D.C.? He could easily take the train.
But Fox News Digital has previously reported that the Hawaii litigation has been pushed by liberal dark money groups and legal partners.

Hawaii Supreme Court Chief Justice Mark Recktenwald, in his opinion rejecting the energy companies’ arguments, wrote, “Defendants knew of the dangers of using their fossil fuel products, ‘knowingly concealed and misrepresented the climate impacts of their fossil fuel products,’ and engaged in ‘sophisticated disinformation campaigns to cast doubt on the science, causes, and effects of global warming,’ causing increased fossil fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, which then caused property and infrastructure damage in Honolulu.”

I still fail to understand why the sued companies do not simply stop operating in Hawaii, or at least stop selling to the government.

Read: Liberals Concerned SCOTUS May Take Up ‘Climate Change’ Case »

If All You See…

…is horrible concrete causing lots of carbon pollution, you might just be a Warmist

The blog of the day is Irons In The Fire, with a post noting that some FBI agents are honest.

Read: If All You See… »

Biden Tells Influencers At White House Gather That He’s “Pressuring Israel”

First of all, I want to throw something every time I hear the term “influencer”, which denotes a bunch of youts with no experience thinking they know everything. But, I settle for rolling my eyes. People like James Carville and Glenn Beck don’t call themselves influencers, eh? Anyhow, before a long diatribe, it’s funny that Biden doesn’t tell the youts that he’s pressuring Hamas

‘I’m pressuring the Israelis’: Biden says he warned Israel to follow US instructions

Joe Biden Ice Cream AfghanistanUnited States President Joe Biden, said at an event for influencers at the White House last week that he sent $26 billion in aid to Israel to bolster security for the Jewish state. The president added that he was also putting pressure on Israel.

“First of all, Israel’s security in the region is essential,” Biden said. “I am pressuring the Israelis to withdraw and open more humanitarian transits, and I think we are getting closer.”

“I have made very clear to the Israelis what they have to do in the near term and if they don’t, what’s going to happen,” Biden told one of the participants at the event.

The video cut off after the videographer questioned whether Biden intended to end aid to Israel if the Israelis did not do as the president asked.

The United States repeatedly made clear that it did not support IDF operations in Rafah, where many Palestinian civilians fled to escape the war.

Israel has continued with the Rafah operations, noting that Hamas has built significant terror infrastructure embedded within civilian communities. Additionally, Israel has highlighted concerns that some of the over 250 hostages may have been held there.

Seriously, has anyone noted Biden castigating Hamas, which is a US State Department designated terrorist group? He barely mentions them. Most of his yammering is about Israel not going after the group that attacked the nation on October 7th, injuring, raping, torturing, kidnapping, and killing Jews. And you can bet that most of these …..grrrrrr…influencers are certainly far left Democrats who hate Israel and Jews and now support Hamas.

Meanwhile

Biden’s $320 Million Gaza Pier Removed From Area Again After Costly Repairs

President Joe Biden’s pier off the shore of Gaza experienced another blow this week and has to once again been relocated due to weather conditions.

The pier, which estimates have said costs up to $320 million, was forced offline late last month after it fell apart amid stormy sea conditions and sections of it washed up on the shoreline.

“Today, due to expected high seas, the temporary pier will be removed from its anchored position in Gaza and towed back to Ashdod, Israel,” said U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) in a statement. “The safety of our service members is a top priority and temporarily relocating the pier will prevent structural damage caused by the heightened sea state.”

$22 million in repairs, then it has to be removed again because it cannot take some waves. Who would have thought that the Mediterranean would have waves. Seas don’t do that. It’s always super calm, right?

Remember that? $700. What’s the government doing for Maui? Some have pointed out that it would have meant just an extra $600 for each resident. But, if that $320 million had been used for direct assistance it would have helped Americans.

Read: Biden Tells Influencers At White House Gather That He’s “Pressuring Israel” »

Ford Ends Expensive EV Requirements For Deals

I wonder why?

Ford ends controversial EV program, shocking dealers

Electric vehicleDetroit Big Three automaker Ford is changing the way the brand sells its battery-electric vehicles, with its latest move placing the automaker’s EVs within easy reach of nearly 90% of Americans.

Though the new move can translate to more sales and increased foot traffic for dealers, Ford retailers have mixed reactions, as it involved the axing of a controversial and expensive program that the Blue Oval hung over their heads.

In an announcement on June 13, Ford announced that it will be ending its Model e certification program, a program that enables dealers to sell the automaker’s electric vehicles at their stores.

In a statement to Automotive News, Marin Gjaja, COO of Ford Model e, Ford’s electric vehicle division, said that the evolving EV market required them to change the way it sells its cars.

“At this point, we’re basically saying we want to lower the bar to let people get in,” Gjaja told AutoNews. “We’ll probably have to continue to evolve from here, but we wanted to get everyone in because what we’re seeing is a market that is evolving and the customer needs support. We’d rather have more dealers in helping us with that. Before we tried to create focus because we were supply-constrained. But we aren’t anymore.”

What did dealers have to do before?

Those who wanted into the program could choose one of two certification “levels” that required extensive investment in EV infrastructure equipment and training.

Dealers that wanted to be a Model e Certified dealer needed to invest up to $500,000 in training and charging equipment, while those that opted to be a Model e Certified Elite dealer were looking at an investment of up to $1.2 million. Ford executives said that actual costs for dealerships turned out much lower than their estimates.

And the dealers who spent all that money are now hosed. All the other dealers can choose to sell if they want. Which is around half of them. Could it be that Ford is having trouble selling EVs, because people do not really want them? Ford was trying to comply with the government, rather than producing the best car like Tesla.

Read: Ford Ends Expensive EV Requirements For Deals »

SCOTUS Strikes Down Bumpstock Ban, Elected Officials Forget Their Job

There was a massive, collective freakout on the gun grabbers side

Supreme Court strikes down Trump-era federal ban on bump stocks

The Supreme Court on Friday ruled that a “bump stock” attachment does not convert a semiautomatic rifle into a “machine gun,” which is prohibited under federal law. The 6-3 vote aligned with the conservative supermajority’s previous decisions in gun cases, such as its 2022 decision to expand gun rights.

The court found that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives overstepped its authority by enacting the ban on bump stocks when it determined that the devices were classified as machine guns. Civilians now have access to bump stocks again.

In the aftermath of the 2017 Las Vegas mass shooting that killed dozens of people, the ATF issued a rule that said rifles equipped with bump stocks should fall under the legal definition of machine guns, which have been banned since 1986.

Justice Clarence Thomas wrote in the majority opinion that a semiautomatic rifle equipped with a bump stock does not make it a fully automatic machine gun. A machine gun is defined as a weapon that can fire more than one shot “by a single function of the trigger,” which is not the case for rifles with bump stock attachments.

In her dissent, Justice Sonia Sotomayor said the majority opinion would have “deadly consequences,” and said the decision complicates “the government’s efforts to keep machine guns from gunmen like the Las Vegas shooter.”

I’m no fan of bumpstocks, however, the ATF had no legislative authority to implement a ban. It doesn’t matter a whit what Sotomayor’s opinion is

Your feelings are irrelevant, unless you can convince the duly elected Legislative Branch to pass a law

We are either a nation of Law or a nation of Men, meaning the ATF had no authority from Congressional legislation to implement the bumpstock. Nancy, Eric, and others can actually introduce legislation. That’s their job. That’s the job they ran for, right?

Read: SCOTUS Strikes Down Bumpstock Ban, Elected Officials Forget Their Job »

G7 Wants Other Wealthy Nations To Pay For Hotcoldwetdry

Um, aren’t the G7 already wealthy? Of course, Germany is melting down economically, partly from allowing too many migrants from Muslim extremists nations in and their climate crisis scam laws. Of course, this is not what they are pushing

G7 to demand wealthy developing nations pay up on climate change

G7 leaders are set to call for richer developing countries such as China and Saudi Arabia to pay up for climate change, after UN negotiations failed to make progress on a new funding target to help poorer nations deal with global warming.

The move by the leaders of the richest countries of the world as they meet in Italy this week will put them on a collision course with countries including China, Saudi Arabia and India, who argue developed nations should have to pay for the effects of historical emissions.

The UN discussions in Bonn, held over two weeks and attended by hundreds of national delegates, concluded on Thursday and were marked by divisions and entrenched positions, resulting in little progress on a new deal.

The pressure to take climate action now falls on G7 leaders who are meeting in Italy. The UN has to replace the $100bn annual goal to fund poorer nations at the next UN COP29 climate summit in Baku.

A G7 draft communique, seen by the Financial Times, indicates the world’s largest economies will agree they need to provide financing for poorer nations, but will also call on states that are classed as developing but are more advanced economically to pay up.

I have an idea: all the people pushing for this should be forced to pay more out of their own pocket. Let them pony up. Let’s pass laws that restrict their use of fossil fuels, only allow bugs and veggies to be served for official functions. As a start.

Anyhow, do you actually think those “richer developing countries” will pay? LOL. Socialism is great until you run out of Other People’s money.

Read: G7 Wants Other Wealthy Nations To Pay For Hotcoldwetdry »

If All You See…

…is a horrible fossil fueled boat, you might just be a Warmist

The blog of the day is Geller Report, with a post on a major terrorist caught near La Guardia airport.

Read: If All You See… »

Federal Judge Puts Temporary Hold On Biden’s School Transgender Rules

The judge provides some sanity in noting that Title IX is about protecting women, not people with mental illness

Federal judge delivers first blow to Biden’s protections for transgender students

A federal judge has temporarily blocked the Education Department’s final Title IX rule, which prohibits discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation.

The ruling: Western District of Louisiana Chief Judge Terry Doughty in an order Thursday declared that Title IX, a federal education law that bars sex-based discrimination, “was written and intended to protect biological women from discrimination.”

“Such purpose makes it difficult to sincerely argue that, at the time of enactment, ‘discrimination on the basis of sex’ included gender identity, sex stereotypes, sexual orientation, or sex characteristics,” Doughty, a Trump appointee, wrote. “Enacting the changes in the Final Rule would subvert the original purpose of Title IX.”

He also stated the case “demonstrates the abuse of power by executive federal agencies in the rulemaking process.”

It is all so simple. Title IX was about preventing sex discrimination against women in federally funded schools and activities. Humans with two X chromosomes. This whole trans fad, and that’s what it mostly is, a fad, harms actual women. It erases them. It takes their wins away. It can damage their chances for scholarships. Or, just, simply destroys all the work they put in when a stronger male wins.

The Education Department said it is reviewing the ruling and that “Title IX guarantees that no person experience sex discrimination in a federally-funded educational environment.”

“The Department stands by the final Title IX regulations released in April 2024, and we will continue to fight for every student,” a department spokesperson said.

Well, every student but the women.

Key context: The preliminary injunction blocks the Education Department’s rule from taking effect in August in Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana and Idaho — a suite of states that filed one of at least seven lawsuits being pursued by Republican attorneys general.

So other states will have to comply with making women second class citizens for the time being. When will women finally see that the insanity pushed by Democrats hurts their lives more than it helps?

Newly-crowned Miss Maryland USA is first Asian American and transgender woman to win pageant

Obviously not related to Title IX, but, women were erased.

Trans woman wants uterus transplant so she can be first ever to have abortion

Insane people. Complete wackos.

Sorority members lose appeal against admitting trans woman

Will the sorority decide to disband? How many women will want to join when a dude with mental illness is waving his pecker around?

Read: Federal Judge Puts Temporary Hold On Biden’s School Transgender Rules »

IDF Uses Low Carbon Weapons To Fight At Lebanese Border

Will the Warmists, who are mostly Leftists who hate Jews, applaud them for this?

Israeli troops use medieval-style trebuchet weapon in fighting at Lebanon border

Israeli troops stationed on the Lebanese border fired a medieval-style siege weapon known as a trebuchet amid recent fighting against Hezbollah militants, an Israeli military official confirmed to NBC News.

Video of the weapon hurling a fireball emerged Thursday, sparking equal measures of confusion and amusement in Israel, even as Israeli troops and Hezbollah were locked in some of the most intense fighting of the war.

The six-second video shows Israeli troops looking on as the trebuchet — which largely disappeared from the battlefield in the 15th century — fires a flaming projectile over a fortified wall. One soldier is seen holding a fire extinguisher in case something were to go awry.

An Israeli military official, speaking on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly, said the weapon is not part of the IDF’s standard arsenal and is believed to have been built by reservist soldiers stationed on the border.

The official said that while the weapon was not sanctioned by military leadership, the troops were fulfilling a legitimate military task of burning away thick shrubbery along the border where Hezbollah fighters sometimes hide.

The weapon will not be used again, the official added. The Israel Defense Forces did not respond to a request for a formal comment.

Seriously, clearing a free-fire zone around a defensive position is a common practice in most militaries. This is not unusual but the cleverness makes me smile. And it is almost carbon neutral!

Read: IDF Uses Low Carbon Weapons To Fight At Lebanese Border »

As Homeless Skyrockets In Chicago, City Leaders Celebrate A New Migrant Center

Are the citizens of sanctuary cities learning that the Democratic Elites care more about illegals than low income Americans? Democrats know they have the low income vote in the bag in these cities

Homelessness skyrockets in sanctuary city as migrants surge into shelter

illegal alien DemocratChicago saw a massive increase in the number of homeless people in the city over the past year, fueled by the ongoing migrant surge into shelters in the sanctuary city, according to new data.

The city, which will host the Democratic National Convention in August, released a snapshot of homeless numbers in the Windy City, which showed there were 18,836 homeless people one night in January, up from 6,139 the same day a year before.

The point-in-time count estimates the number of people in shelters, transitional housing, encampments and other “unsheltered” locations. The estimate noted the pressures the migrant crisis poses to the city.

“Since August 2022, Chicago has welcomed over 40,000 New Arrivals arriving from the southern border, many of whom have needed shelter and services,” it said.

“The largest increase in this year’s Shelter Count was due to the continued influx of New Arrivals to Chicago in 2023.”

So, not all the homeless are Americans, but, if we stopped the illegals and helped Americans in distress, that would work out well, eh? Cities like Chicago didn’t even attempt to surge money and aid for Americans like they did for illegals.

Chicago officials celebrate new migrant shelter opening

Mayor Brandon Johnson and Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle stood among Northwest Side elected officials Tuesday night hailing the opening of a shelter for newly-arrived migrants in the Portage Park neighborhood as the city approaches the second anniversary of receiving buses of migrants from the southern border.

About 43,330 asylum-seekers have arrived in Chicago since Texas Gov. Greg Abbott began sending them from the southern border in August 2022, according to a city census conducted daily. The city has at times struggled to house and keep up with the needs of the arriving people, but on Tuesday, officials had an unequivocal welcoming message.

“You are our neighbors now,” Johnson said to a crowd of volunteers, migrants and elected officials. “I know that your journey here has been long and difficult, but today we welcome you.”

They treat illegals better than American citizens residing in Sanctuary City Chicago. But, hey, you voted for this, so, suck it up, buttercups.

Read: As Homeless Skyrockets In Chicago, City Leaders Celebrate A New Migrant Center »

Pirate's Cove