It is definitely the policy of this administration and it’s flunkies but yes I was struck by that too - if taken to its logical conclusion it likely means the DOJ won’t defend Roe or Casey in future litigation against any state restrictions on abortion too, which is scary.

And spending 20 million of already limited funding to search and validate alternatives to using that material just to rub salt in the wound. This is plainly more base pandering (Trump clearly doesn’t care about science in any respect) but that kicker really infuriates me knowing how hard real scientists have to…

It can accurately be called the largest amphibious landing in history, but why should Trump get hung up on a detail like that. Overall the legend of Normandy not only obscures what the Soviets did but also the contributions of the troops who had retaken North Africa, Sicily and much of Italy by that point and wholly…

That poll is not an indication of support. In super early polling on whether Trump should get another term he's running similar to his approval numbers - low 40s, and only commanding a clear majority with registered Republicans. This poll is a mix of those people - almost all of who think he will win - and…

Beyond biological studies there is also a glaring blind spot for research that addresses gender and socialization in many fields. Outside of feminist and critical scholars who are typically marginalized in academia very little work in my field (judicial politics) examines how things like evidence law were likely…

Counterpoint - per other, longer cycles (Skowronek’s Presidential Leadership for example) we are due for a disruptive President who is at odds with/riding a shift in his own party and the nation but will flame out after one term. The last two examples were Jimmy Carter (last Democrat who could rely on the old “Solid…

What’s odder is how we haven’t adjusted to the reality that we no longer a) live in an agrarian society and b) for the most part don’t have a strong allegiance to states as such, and finally realized that the gross inefficiencies of retaining state based governance are a roadblock to us having much better policies and…

Historically this isn’t a fact for West Point graduates. While all are trained in leadership, a large component of the class will go into non combat arms like engineering and logistics. The USMA has been more tilted towards combat arms since the First Gulf War but even now actual battlefield command is an exceptional…

The thing about Trump though is that the true Masters of the capitalist universe have always known him to be, and treated him as, an annoying but occasionally useful poseur. No one was inviting him to Davos to hear his brilliant insights on the world economy. He wasn’t hanging out in Bohemian Grove with the real…

This is defamatory as is the whole BS about Comey, McCabe, Stroke and Page committing treason. I want some lawsuits because frankly I need to see this Supreme Court either endorse the idea that Nixon was right and nothing is illegal if the President does it or draw a line where the cowards in the GOP will truly have…

It is the second time, and along with declaring a faux national emergency at the border, using alleged security threats as a basis for tariffs on Canada and everything else, he’s getting away with it for a few reasons - 1) no one but Congress can really call him on this in the short term (by much more clearly…

But notably those charges are all tied to Chelsea Manning, not Wikileaks fucking around with the DNC e-mails. I hope the Mueller report will eventually lead to a further set of charges linked to that conduct, but without it these charges (which are leading to a whole debate about where Wikileaks fits in First…

It actually has been looked into in the legal sphere. The pieces I read/commentary I heard was that it was less of a payout or blackmail situation, and more of creating a blindspot for Kennedy when it comes to Trump’s mendacious nature because his son liked the Trump family/knew them at a social level (and there are a…

I don’t know about your fields but I’ve seen the best rated teachers let go for “poor teaching”, the smartest lawyers I know get shitcanned because they didn’t know how to schmooze clients and the very brightest most ethical public servants I’ve ever met be made the fall people for narcissistic assholes. There’s no…

Of course, what almost everyone forgets is that Machiavelli only recommended that for rulers as a basis of commanding others to action and therefore a means of furthering the interests of the state as a whole (such as the security of the people) not for us lowly everyday folks being pedantic on the internet or even…

Did you see what happened in OC in the last election?  Almost all the districts turned blue because Hispanics actually voted and white people have been moving out (especially out of state, although that wasn’t the OP’s point).  Rural California isn’t even that white but it is the most white dominated at this point.

Hi Ellie. Please stay angry. We need writers with fire to rouse the complacent masses from their slumber. Personally I’m seething over the disconnect between our supposedly humming economy and our historically high rate of homelessness. Raging at the NIMBYites in my city who would deny others the basic human dignity…

Polling on support for abortion restrictions depends on the restriction but in fact 50 percent in the latest Gallup poll said it should be “legal in only some circumstances” - ie they support restrictions of some kind. A smaller group -roughly 18 percent - would ban it outright but those people vote GOP consistently…

I really love this take by Ms. Jones. Hate knowing though that something like half of Americans are cool with restricting women’s bodily autonomy to a significant degree if not as far as Alabama took it and a smaller but dedicated group (who will vote on this issue and this issue alone to reelect Trump and his support…

Having been on the academic job market for a couple of years, my only advice is to be proactive. They may be assessing their future in light of the new law or may just be distracted but a polite inquiry isn't going to hurt your chances of getting the interview.