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Our 14th Amendment / “Birthright Citizenship” — At The Supremes, This Morning…

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Here is the very capable brief arguing this morning that Tangerine’s Black Sharpie cannot strip the Constitution.

It will win the day.

…Being directed to follow the law as it has been universally understood for over 125 years is not an emergency warranting the extraordinary remedy of a stay. This Court should deny the federal government’s request.

Many aspects of constitutional interpretation are hotly debated, but not the merits question in this case. For over a century, it has been the settled view of this Court, Congress, the Executive Branch, and legal scholars that the Fourteenth Amendment’s Citizenship Clause guarantees citizenship to babies born in the United States regardless of their parents’ citizenship, “allegiance,” “domicile,” immigration status, or nationality.

President Trump, however, seeks to unilaterally upend this longstanding consensus by executive order. Unsurprisingly, every court to evaluate the Citizenship Stripping Order has found it unconstitutional….

Now you know. Smiling… ever, smiling.

नमस्ते

China “Returns The Favor” — With 34% Taxes/Tariffs; Begins Anti-Dumping Probe Of Medical CT X-Ray Tubes

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Well… this was utterly foreseeable.

Mr. Xi has hit all US goods with an across the board 34 per cent matching tariff.

And of perhaps greater impact (to lithium supplies needed, for car batteries and computer parts) he’s imposed export controls on Chinese rare earth minerals. And hit out at medical suppliers as well. Here’s the rough impact of rare earth exports to the US from China last year:

…China’s exports of rare earth minerals rose 6% in 2024, customs data showed on Monday, as sputtering economic growth limited domestic demand.

The world’s largest producer of rare earths last year shipped 55,431 metric tons of 17 minerals used in the making of products ranging from electric vehicles to consumer electronics, General Administration of Customs data showed.

That was the highest volume since Reuters’ records back to 2014, but the total value of the exports slumped 36% to $488.8 million, the data showed, reflecting falling prices last year amid ample supply….

The penguins? They simply… “smiled, and waved boys”. Out.

नमस्ते

And A THIRD Big One, For Tomorrow: Mr. Khalil’s Habeas, In New Jersey…

~ condor ~ 1 Comment

Yes — much is likely to transpire in real time in the federal courts, tomorrow.

This one will be heard in Newark. But I cannot find a live link for the audio. We will see if someone is live-blogging from inside the courtroom tomorrow. Here is the bit of the excellent letter for Mr. Khalil, who is still being held in a private prison in rural Jena, Louisiana at the moment:

…As the Court explained, the gaping hole in [Tangerine 2.0’s / Noem’s] Respondents’ position is that it “does not reckon” at all with the clear text of a controlling federal statute. Op. 25. On appeal, Respondents would have no argument against the Court’s invocation of section 1631’s mandate to treat the petition “as if it had been filed in… the court to which it [wa]s transferred.” Op. 26. Given that statutory command, they would have no argument against the Court’s straightforward application of the Endo Rule. Op. 36–46. And they can no longer argue that the petition did not name Petitioner’s immediate custodian. Op. 56 n.32; see Second Am. Pet. (ECF forthcoming); see also Op. 46–63….

[Trump and Noem] Respondents claim that the Court’s opinion decided an issue of “tremendous and recurring importance.” ECF 157. But a 1292(b) motion is not a petition for certiorari. And besides, the order is most important to one person in unique circumstances. The Court’s decision does not “affect[] every habeas matter brought.” Gustafson v. Williams, 2010 WL 4316750, at *4 (D. Nev. Oct. 25, 2010). It disturbs no federal policy. It does not bind the government in other cases anywhere, including in this courthouse. It does not put “issues of national security… at stake.” Padilla ex rel. Newman v. Rumsfeld, 256 F. Supp. 2d 218, 222 (S.D.N.Y. 2003).

It will not subject the government to discovery into war efforts, nor arguably affect military detention policy, after a court’s application of a brand-new Supreme Court constitutional test to a far-away theater of war. Al Maqaleh v. Gates, 620 F. Supp. 2d 51, 56 (D.D.C. 2009). True, the Court’s ruling might subject Respondents to litigation that it has a long shot of wiping out. But litigants raise jurisdictional objections and lose them all the time….

These Noem people are… utterly shameless. And Un-American in their attempts to circumvent the rights we all possess — to access the federal courts of this land. Onward.

नमस्ते

[U: Bonding out, next week!] And Another Big [Potential] Release Hearing, Tomorrow At 11 AM In Manhattan — Mr. Panton.

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The Judge is going to rule that he may be detained, for now. Counsel for Panton will move for release/bail/bond. Hearing is adjourned. If more than a few weeks elapse, she will revisit this decision.

“As a human being, not a judge“, she encouraged the Noem-ites to allow for release/bond by mid-next week — so that his health care needs may be addressed. End update.

This is another case we’ve not mentioned before, but it seems likely Mr. Panton may win his release as soon as tomorrow at 11 am, Eastern.

The Kristi Noem-ites are trying to deport him to Jamaica, I think. And I think they will fail. The able USDC Judge has indicated (as you can see below) that she is likely to rule from the bench tomorrow. Here’s the audio link / detail, for tomorrow’s hearing:

…Minute Entry for proceedings held before Judge Katherine Polk Failla: Show Cause Hearing held on 4/3/2025:

Petitioner present with attorneys Charles Roth, Ruben Loyo, Sarah Telo Gillman, and Olivia Abrecht. AUSA Anthony Jan-Huan Sun representing Respondents present.

The Court anticipates issuing its ruling tomorrow, 4/4/2025, at 11:00 a.m., via video conference (using the same link as today’s conference). The conference will be accessible to the public via an audio-only line at (855) 244-8681, access code 2315 780 7370.

The recording and/or rebroadcasting of the conference is prohibited. (Video Conference set for 4/4/2025 at 11:00 AM in telephone or video conference before Judge Katherine Polk Failla)….

Do stay tuned — tomorrow will be full of all kinds of news, again. Onward.

नमस्ते

Big Hearing In Baltimore, Tomorrow In The Social Security Data Access TRO Matter Before The Able USDC Judge Hollander.

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The number of places where the Musk/Tangerine 2.0 teams are being “handed their John Brown hindparts“… is now approaching triple digits. Flawless!

Tomorrow, in Baltimore — Musk will learn (again) that his minions are not free to filch Social Security data — since they’ve articulated no legitimate need for such personal information — as individuals’ earning histories. Here’s the latest — we will try to find a live feed or live blog, tomorrow:

…The Court has received the Administrative Record submitted by the defendants. See ECF 86; ECF 86-1 to ECF 86-6; ECF 100; ECF 100-1, ECF 100-2. The submission was provided to the Court, under seal. See ECF 85, ECF 88.

Nevertheless, it contains substantial redactions. See, e.g., ECF 86-2 at 6–8, 10, 14–17. Given the extensive redactions, the grounds for sealing are unclear.

Today, plaintiffs moved to supplement the administrative record. ECF 96. The motion is supported by a memorandum (ECF 96-1) (collectively, “Motion to Supplement”). Alternatively, plaintiffs seek limited discovery. Id. In addition, plaintiffs filed an opposition (ECF 94) to the motion for protective order that the government filed yesterday. ECF 84.

As you know, by Order of April 2, 2025 (ECF 91), I arranged a telephonic hearing for tomorrow to address the government’s motion for protective order (ECF 84). But, with the growing number of disputes, I believe a hearing in court is appropriate. Therefore, in lieu of a telephone hearing, I will hold the hearing tomorrow in Courtroom 5B, beginning at 10:00 a.m.

As of now, I will consider the Motion for Protective Order (ECF 84); the Motion to Seal (ECF 85); and the Motion to Supplement (ECF 96).

Despite the informal nature of this letter, it is an Order of the Court and shall be docketed as such….

Like I’ve said earlier today — there are LOTS of balls in the air. Onward. I did get a call from some penguins though — and they remain puzzled as to why their Eskimo Pies now cost double what they did… yesterday. Ugh.

नमस्ते

Now BOTH Scott And John Admit It: They KNOWINGLY-Elected A Fecklessly “Econ Illiterate” — To The White House. Damn.

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As we noted yesterday, Hinderaker has already confessed it: Trump would have failed out of Wharton, had his sister NOT turned in all his exams. He can barely read at a fifth grade level — and he clearly — by now literally everyone’s admission… CANNOT grasp basic macro-economics.

Scott Johnson today admits that people working closely with him have confirmed he doesn’t get how tariffs actually work. He thinks if a country doesn’t buy from us as much as we buy from them — they are stealing from us. He cannot grasp that each side is bargaining for things of value, when the trade occurs.

And Scott puts it on front street, quoting Toomey — a Trump confidant.

But far from apologizing to the nation for handing us this moronic reprobate… both he and Hinderaker just shrug and say “oh well”. Too bad. So sad.

WTAF, guys?

You have likely shoved the USA into a recession — and certainly exacerbated inflation rates… all because none of you were man enough to stand up and confront Tangerine’s lunacy.

My bet? Trump hisself will tuck tail and run, on it all in a few weeks — when new RAM pickups cost over $100,000 at retail in the US.

What a deplorable dipsh!t show this all is — but especially the Powerline dipsh!t show.

Out.

In First Three Months Of ’25, Africa Has Seen SIX Months’ Worth (Of 2024 Mpox Case Levels): Ominous Signs Dept.

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CIDRAP has done the analysis — and the trend is… deeply disturbing.

It is all the more troubling, because we are led by luddites who are ignorant of the science behind pandemic abatement — and have largely defunded it altogether. Damnation. Here’s the latest:

…Mpox activity continues to fluctuate among different countries in Africa, but as a whole the situation continues to escalate, with the region in the first 3 months of the new year nearly reaching 50% of the cases reported for all of 2024, the head of Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) said today at the agency’s weekly briefing.

Uganda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) accounted for 95% of the confirmed cases last week, but Africa CDC Director Jean Kaseya, MD, MPH, said the full picture in the DRC is hazy, because test coverage is low, at 18.4%, due to ongoing conflict in the eastern part of the country and problems collecting samples and transporting them to labs owing to foreign aid cuts….

Now you know — and there are many balls in the air at the moment — we must keep our eye on all of them. They are all… critical. Onward.

नमस्ते

Pharma Spared Tariff Pain For Now… And Why Were Russia, And North Korea NOT Added — If The Penguins On Heard Island… Were?!

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Sure — those countries are on sanctions lists… but if Trump is going to place tariffs on… penguins (uninhabited frigid islands), then at least go “global”, man. More substantively, he has left multinational (but US domiciled-) pharma off the naughty list. For now, at least.

This is causing a temporary “relief rally” of sorts in pharma and life science names like Merck, Lilly, Amgen and Pfizer. But the man is… irrational. So it may not last. Moreover, I expect he will fold his tent in a few weeks, when car- and truck- prices in the US go up by 20%. We shall see — but this is pathetically stupid.

Yesterday, he claimed that the Great Depression of the 1930s was due to a lack of tariffs. Sheesh. Economists almost universally agree that the Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act of 1930 in fact exacerbated, and extended — that nearly decade-long depression. What an economically-illiterate dolt. Here’s a bit:

…Drugmaker stocks gained a temporary reprieve on Thursday as U.S. President Donald Trump spared pharmaceutical products from reciprocal tariffs, but executives and analysts warned it was premature to celebrate as tariffs may still come. . . .

Trump imposed a 10% tariff on most U.S. imports, as well as much higher levies on dozens of rivals and allies alike, but temporarily exempted some goods, including pharmaceuticals, benefiting major exporters including India, Japan and Ireland….

Well… it would all be… comical, were it not so profoundly moronic. Onward, just the same — and no, Chicago Bulls jerseys are not co-terminous with… Venezuelan gang membership. Dammit Trump, shut your pie-hole.

नमस्ते

Hinderaker Now Must Suck The Spittle, Off Trump’s Boots — The Green Stuff He Left There, Last Week. Gross.

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Hinderaker defended tariffs, 2017 to 2021. But only now — now, that he sees Trump is killing the US economy, and the GOP anew… will he speak up, against the world trading dynamics doofus, and this truly illiterate, wrinkly orange old loon:

…I watched some of President Trump’s speech today. It included at least one howler: he blamed the Great Depression on a lack of tariffs. This was simply bizarre. Most economists say that the Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act of 1930, which drastically increased tariffs, was one of the principal causes of the Depression in the U.S. [This is simply] Trump’s… gross historical ignorance… since whatever afflicted the early 1930s, it certainly was NOT a lack of tariffs….

Japan is actively angling to become the world’s gold standard / reserve / haven currency — since Tangerine 2.0 is hell-bent on destroying the US dollar’s might. Even so, Japanese stocks are falling now, during the now open and regular Asian trading day.

[Trump apparently — and vacuously so — thinks he can have some form of crypto-(?!) take the US dollar’s place — and that would be a “currency” he might try to control, outside any governmental structure.

But that — like his “build the wall; get Mexico to pay for it!”, in his iteration 1.0 (2017-2020) — is a fools’ errand. It will never happen.]

So, yes — the Japanese Yen may be a haven of safety for the next few months — if Trump is stupid enough to leave these tariffs in place, John.

It sure would have been better if Hinderaker and the boys at Powerline — and Ringside — had walked Trump back, off of this insanity.

But only now… as they see their net worth in the stock markets evaporating… will they admit they backed a barking madman.

Geez.

[Update: “You’re FIRED”?!?] Not Only Did Elon’s Millions Tank A MAGA WI Sup. Ct. Candidate — It May Win Him… Bribery Charges!?

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Oh my — that junior-size “stable genius” Elon Musk — over the weekend, on video in Wisconsin, at public rallies, was heard boasting about “giving” $1 million each to people who registered to vote GOP… and then a president of one of the college GOP clubs… won. Imagine that.

But that wasn’t nearly the half of it. Of course, Crawford won by 10 points — wiping the floor, with Elon’s attempted bribes — and Brad Schimel.

Now it seems a woman who sells… various things… made a video on X-itter, since deleted, that said Elon paid her to vote GOP/MAGA.

That may well end in a visit from the FEC, and the revocation of his PAC’s status. Couldn’t happen to a nicer guy.

From the local Milwaukee paper of record, then:

…On Tuesday, Musk’s super PAC, America PAC, pulled a video from X featuring $1 million giveaway winner Ekaterina Deistler in which she said she received the money, in part, to “vote.” X is owned by the tech billionaire.

“My name’s Ekaterina Deistler,” she said in a video posted Monday morning. “I did exactly what Elon Musk told everyone to do: sign the petition, refer friends and family, vote, and now I have a million dollars.”

But the video was taken down yesterday, and America PAC posted a new video of Deistler on X on Tuesday afternoon.

“My name’s Ekaterina Deistler, and I’m from Green Bay, Wisconsin,” she said in the new video. “I did exactly what Elon Musk told everyone to do: sign the petition, refer friends and family, and now I have a million dollars….”

Yeah — hang out with mutts — you get… fleas. Take heed those of you who think the mid-terms are going to help MAGA/Tangerine/Musk. Don’t bet on it.

They aren’t smart enough to avoid… being indicted, even. Again.

Hilarious. Out — with high praise for the good people of Wisconsin who will not be fooled — or bribed, it seems. And so ends… the Bromance.

नमस्ते