Steven L. Taylor is a Professor of Political Science and a College of Arts and Sciences Dean. His main areas of expertise include parties, elections, and the institutional design of democracies. His most recent book is the co-authored A Different Democracy: American Government in a 31-Country Perspective. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Texas and his BA from the University of California, Irvine. He has been blogging since 2003 (originally at the now defunct Poliblog).
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In December, the Greenville-based Holston sued the Biden administration for regulations that prohibit discrimination in programs funded by U.S. Health and Human Services grants “on the basis of religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and same-sex marriage status,” saying it violates its First Amendment rights.
So they think they have a 1st Amendment right to govt funds? Where in dawgs name did they find a lawyer to file this case?
At the Alliance Defending Freedom law firm who specialize in “protecting religious freedom, free speech, marriage and family, parental rights, and the sanctity of life” and specious readings of the constitution.
Someone over at TAC is slavering over the NYTimes vs. Sarah Palin case. Is absolutely convinced that it’s going to go up before SCOTUS and libel law will be completely overturned.
Quite a few commentators are pointing out that tightening up on public figure libel law may not have the results he wants (Fox News, Tucker)…
There have been a couple of looks in the news as to what it means if Sullivan were overturned or weakened, the big losers would be Faux News and the RW press as they are far more egregious in spreading rumor and innuendo than the mainstream press. Leftist press could also fall victim.
FWIW, I think this is just one of many stories we are going to hear about Adams, before and after his inevitable indictment. Spending hundreds or thousands of dollars a day at a private restaurant? Who’s paying for that, and why? And the fish thing is legit. Eric Adams has crafted this story of himself as some kind of near godlike figure, just waiting for his induction into the pantheon of fellow greats. Part of the story that he tells (and tells and tells and tells) is that he is a Vegan and that everyone should admire him for that.
One restaurant employee told POLITICO Adams usually dines on fish and salad, even though the mayor claims he’s on a plant-based diet.
Fish aren’t plants?
I know very little about Eric Adams other than his weird Vegan Stolen Valor thing, but I think it tells me all I need to know about him. Vegans are bad enough, but lying about being vegan? What an asshole.
(Vegans are mostly fine, but they don’t shut up about it. It’s like the newly religiously converted)
“The phenomenon of students sitting out of college seems to be more widespread. It’s not just the community colleges anymore,” says Shapiro. “That could be the beginning of a whole generation of students rethinking the value of college itself. I think if that were the case, this is much more serious than just a temporary pandemic-related disruption.”
The biggest advantage the colleges get is that they are correct about $15/hr (i.e. what I made 4o years ago when I bought a home for $56k that currently appraises at $425) is not good enough money in the long run. Where that advantage fails is that we’re still graduating more BA/BS/BBM holders than our economy can hire and kids seem to be starting to connect the dots. If the kid working at Amazon keeps his head and uses the time to avoid the student loan debt bomb and figures out a major that he likes and has good employability (not easy to forecast 4-6 years ahead of time BTW), he’ll be ahead of the game.
The first year I was teaching in Korea (2008) a couple of my middle-school students were telling me that lots of kids their ages were hearing from their older brothers and sisters that college didn’t offer the advantages that it had in the past anymore. My next job–only a few months later in fact–was at a technical college whose students were mostly 4-year degree holders seeking technical licensing that would make them more employable. Granted, this was just in the wake of the Great Recession. Subsequently, I worked at a Technical University (no particular liberal arts emphases) with departmental enrollment caps intended (hopefully at least) to minimize glutting the workforce with skill sets for which there was deficient demand, so I don’t really know how opportunities for traditional liberal arts degree holders evolved. Given that Korea holds effective GINI coefficients as a societal goal more that we do here, I try to stay optimistic for students.
@Gustopher: I know a guy in Portland (I know more than one person in PDX, so this isn’t Luddite) who is a vegan who occasionally eats fish, so I’m not quite ready to break out the tumbril for NYC’s mayor. The guy I know is also Buddhist, so he wouldn’t be making a big deal out of veganism anyway. That’s a strike against the mayor.
And yes, vegans are a lot like evangelicals in some ways.
Had my first ever attempt to take down one of my tweets – on Ukraine. Twitter denied the attempt. The administration has done a very smart thing in preemptively exposing Russian agitprop. At this point no one but anti-American Fox News hosts and fringe Lefties will fall for a manufactured provocation.
@Gustopher: My friend calls himself “mostly vegetarian, but also piscatorian.” It occurs to me that he also used to eat cheese and dairy but stopped at the suggestion of his naturopath.
From the Tennessean article:
So they think they have a 1st Amendment right to govt funds? Where in dawgs name did they find a lawyer to file this case?
At the Alliance Defending Freedom law firm who specialize in “protecting religious freedom, free speech, marriage and family, parental rights, and the sanctity of life” and specious readings of the constitution.
“New York mayor holds court in swanky restaurant alongside friend with checkered past”
I guess Politico has hired the ghost of Walter Winchell.
What garbage.
Someone over at TAC is slavering over the NYTimes vs. Sarah Palin case. Is absolutely convinced that it’s going to go up before SCOTUS and libel law will be completely overturned.
Quite a few commentators are pointing out that tightening up on public figure libel law may not have the results he wants (Fox News, Tucker)…
@grumpy realist:
There have been a couple of looks in the news as to what it means if Sullivan were overturned or weakened, the big losers would be Faux News and the RW press as they are far more egregious in spreading rumor and innuendo than the mainstream press. Leftist press could also fall victim.
That type of article opening always inspires my confidence in the administration. 🙁
Or (probably) some anti-bias training.
@OzarkHillbilly:
There’s a whole network of law firms that handle cases for right-wing evangelicals.
@Kingdaddy:
FWIW, I think this is just one of many stories we are going to hear about Adams, before and after his inevitable indictment. Spending hundreds or thousands of dollars a day at a private restaurant? Who’s paying for that, and why? And the fish thing is legit. Eric Adams has crafted this story of himself as some kind of near godlike figure, just waiting for his induction into the pantheon of fellow greats. Part of the story that he tells (and tells and tells and tells) is that he is a Vegan and that everyone should admire him for that.
@Kingdaddy:
Fish aren’t plants?
I know very little about Eric Adams other than his weird Vegan Stolen Valor thing, but I think it tells me all I need to know about him. Vegans are bad enough, but lying about being vegan? What an asshole.
(Vegans are mostly fine, but they don’t shut up about it. It’s like the newly religiously converted)
The biggest advantage the colleges get is that they are correct about $15/hr (i.e. what I made 4o years ago when I bought a home for $56k that currently appraises at $425) is not good enough money in the long run. Where that advantage fails is that we’re still graduating more BA/BS/BBM holders than our economy can hire and kids seem to be starting to connect the dots. If the kid working at Amazon keeps his head and uses the time to avoid the student loan debt bomb and figures out a major that he likes and has good employability (not easy to forecast 4-6 years ahead of time BTW), he’ll be ahead of the game.
The first year I was teaching in Korea (2008) a couple of my middle-school students were telling me that lots of kids their ages were hearing from their older brothers and sisters that college didn’t offer the advantages that it had in the past anymore. My next job–only a few months later in fact–was at a technical college whose students were mostly 4-year degree holders seeking technical licensing that would make them more employable. Granted, this was just in the wake of the Great Recession. Subsequently, I worked at a Technical University (no particular liberal arts emphases) with departmental enrollment caps intended (hopefully at least) to minimize glutting the workforce with skill sets for which there was deficient demand, so I don’t really know how opportunities for traditional liberal arts degree holders evolved. Given that Korea holds effective GINI coefficients as a societal goal more that we do here, I try to stay optimistic for students.
@Gustopher: I know a guy in Portland (I know more than one person in PDX, so this isn’t Luddite) who is a vegan who occasionally eats fish, so I’m not quite ready to break out the tumbril for NYC’s mayor. The guy I know is also Buddhist, so he wouldn’t be making a big deal out of veganism anyway. That’s a strike against the mayor.
And yes, vegans are a lot like evangelicals in some ways.
Had my first ever attempt to take down one of my tweets – on Ukraine. Twitter denied the attempt. The administration has done a very smart thing in preemptively exposing Russian agitprop. At this point no one but anti-American Fox News hosts and fringe Lefties will fall for a manufactured provocation.
@Michael Reynolds: oops. Thought I was in the other thread.
FTFY, free of charge for a first time customer.
It seems the Palin trial will come to a swift conclusion, as the judge orders it dismissed.
@just nutha: But, does he describe himself as Vegan, or “mostly vegan” or “I usually eat vegan”?
Huge world of difference. The little modifier shows a world of self-reflection and answers countless questions you might have.
(“I mostly snort cocaine,” however, brings up more questions that it answers)
@Gustopher:
Like all things with Eric Adams, his Veganism is incredibly important, more important than anyone else’s veganism and fundamental to his core values.
@Gustopher: My friend calls himself “mostly vegetarian, but also piscatorian.” It occurs to me that he also used to eat cheese and dairy but stopped at the suggestion of his naturopath.