How to Outsmart a Corrupt SCOTUS

May 23, 2024

Justice Alito raises another red flag ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

May 24, 2024

Greetings, Meteor readers,

Please join me this evening in wishing a fond see ya later to fellow editor and fearless Meteor leader Samhita Mukhopadhyay, who is off today on a mini-leave to promote her forthcoming book The Myth of Making It. I will miss seeing her notes in the margins, especially the ones that just say, “Shannon. No.”

Great, now that she’s finally gone! Please also join me in saying hello to my internet fairy godmother, Julianne Escobedo Shepherd, who will be shepherding the newsletter this summer. Time to rave.

In today’s newsletter, we review what you can do about unethical Supreme Court justices and marvel at the feat of a Nepalese climber. Plus, your weekend reading list.

Faking it till I’m making it,

Shannon Melero

WHAT’S GOING ON

How to stop a SCOTUS gone rogue: Yesterday, The New York Times reported that a flag associated with the Christian wing of the Stop the Steal movement was seen wafting in the breeze last summer over a vacation home owned by Justice Samuel Alito. The “Appeal to Heaven” flag, closely associated with the Christian right and used by some January 6th insurrectionists, is especially troubling given that Alito and his fellow Robed Ones are currently presiding over cases related both to the insurrection and to Trump’s immunity. This is the second instance of Alito flying a flag that raises questions about his personal bias, and House Democrats are calling on him to recuse himself from all upcoming insurrection cases.

It’s easy to feel fatalistic about all this. After all, Ginni Thomas sent some questionable texts about the 2020 election, and her husband sits on the court and rules on those subjects. And then there were those interesting gifts given to Justices from wealthy people invested in the outcomes of SCOTUS cases, and still, nothing happened.

So is there anything the average person can do about an appointed Justice who may or may not want to make America theocratic again (I can see the MATA hats now)? Actually, yes! We’ve got some suggestions.

Support ethical oversight: Congress actually has the power to regulate SCOTUS, and to institute rules around the behavior of the justices. It’s just forgotten how to do those things. Alex Aronson, co-founder of the advocacy group Court Accountability, charges that Congress has “atrophied muscles” on this score, and the only thing that will change that is—you got it!—us. “The path out of this lies in our hands, in the power of movement mobilization,” he told Dahlia Lithwick on Amicus in February. In other words: Ask your current rep what they’re doing about Supreme Court ethics, and specifically whether they’re supporting this piece of legislation. Oh, and also….

Hold officials accountable: Let your elected officials know that in order to secure your vote they need to be actively involved in enforcing the existing SCOTUS ethics protections, which have been in place since since 1948 and establish the expectation that Justices should recuse themselves from cases where their “impartiality might reasonably be questioned.”
Keep up with the reform movement: Demand Justice is an excellent resource on everything related to reforming the Court—which, yes, can be done.

AND:

Yesterday, the Louisiana House passed a bill that would classify abortion pills as “dangerous controlled substances”—a move that effectively criminalizes them. If the bill is signed into law as expected, anyone found in possession of abortion pills without a prescription can be fined or jailed. Because the pills used in medical abortions have different uses (like preventing ulcers), doctors are arguing that this bill could “needlessly delay care for patients” throughout the state.
Singer Cassie Ventura has released a statement on social media—her first since the release of a 2016 video in which she is seen being physically abused by her former boyfriend, Sean “Diddy” Combs. In her statement, Ventura thanks her fans for the outpouring of support and makes one simple request, “Open your heart to believing victims the first time.” We will.

CASSIE AND HER HUSBAND, ALEX FINE, REMINDING US THERE IS MORE LIFE AND JOY TO BE FOUND ON THE OTHER SIDE OF SURVIVAL. (VIA GETTY IMAGES)

The power of the Swfities has finally compelled the Department of Justice to sue Live Nation and Ticketmaster in an effort to break up what it calls an illegal monopoly over live events in the U.S. 🎶These things will change, can you feel it now?🎶
The internet’s one-time favorite website, Buzzfeed, is now partially owned by failed presidential candidate and enemy of the “woke industrial complex” Vivek Ramaswamy, who wants to force a “shift in the company’s strategy.” Should we be expecting quizzes on which MAGA candidate is your true soulmate based on your coffee order or something more ominous?
A great fictional man once said, “You either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villain.” Amber Rose, once a hero of sexual empowerment, has announced she will be voting for Donald Trump. Welcome to your villain era.
Phunjo Lama, a Nepalese climber, broke the women’s record for the fastest ascent up Mount Everest. She reached the summit of what she calls “Mother Goddess” in an astonishing 14 hours and 31 minutes—almost 11 hours shorter than the previous record-holder.