Politics
Legal Planet Goes Hollywood — Sort Of
Trump’s “War On Cities” gets a media hit
A couple of months ago, I wrote this post about the Trump Administration’s war on cities, a move that resembles fascist regimes and thinkers through much of the 20th century. Much to my surprise, I got a call on Friday from a producer at the “Velshi” show on MSNBC to talk about it on Sunday …
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CONTINUE READINGListing Trump’s Environment and Energy Executive Orders
I’m counting 35 so far. But I wouldn’t be shocked to learn that I’d missed something.
I’ve put together a list of all the Trump 2.0 executive orders that I could identify dealing with environment or energy. Just to keep you reading, I should tell you that the most important ones are near the end. Whatever you might say about Trump, no one can question his zeal for eliminating environmental protections.
CONTINUE READINGWhy Repeal the Endangerment Finding?
The aims may be overturning Mass v. EPA and avoiding new rulemakings.
Much will be said about the weakness of the various justifications EPA and the Department of Energy offered yesterday about why greenhouse gases do not endanger public health and welfare under the Clean Air Act. Those justifications are, indeed, remarkably weak. For example, DOE’s argument that economic damages appear to be lower than economists estimate …
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CONTINUE READINGWhy Did Congress Defund Public Media?
The Drain is a weekly roundup of environmental and climate news from Legal Planet.
We just witnessed the untimely death of a 57-year-old American institution that has made life better for just about everyone. President Lyndon Johnson announced the creation of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting in 1967 to “assist stations and producers who aim for the best in broadcasting good music, in broadcasting exciting plays, and in broadcasting …
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CONTINUE READINGHow To Beat A Jackass
Trump’s destruction of the federal government poses a hard question: how to quickly stand up robust institutions?
Sam Rayburn served nearly a half-century as a Congressmember, and still holds the record for the longest tenure as Speaker of the House. So he knew a thing or two about government. One of his aphorisms speaks powerfully to our age: “Any jackass can kick a barn down, but it takes a carpenter to build …
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CONTINUE READINGWhen Did Property Rights Drop Off the Conservative Agenda?
Property used to be a central conservative concern. Not so much these days.
One of the pillars of conservative thought used to be protection of property rights. But along with belief in free markets, it now seems to have lost its place of pride. The word “property” doesn’t even appear in the 2024 Republican platform. And I can’t remember Trump ever speaking about property rights.
CONTINUE READINGTalking to Skeptics About Clean Energy
Some people will stop listening if you talk about climate change. But there are other arguments.
The dangers of climate change provide excellent reasons to support clean energy. But that argument can be futile — or worse, counterproductive — when listeners don’t take climate change seriously or reject the idea altogether. Fortunately, there are other arguments that may better appeal to them.
CONTINUE READINGThe California Legislature Halftime Report
In a year defined by affordability and climate crises, several bills aimed to alleviate pressures on both fronts are advancing in the Legislature.
Thank you for joining me for the California Legislature Halftime Report, it is an exciting time of change with many updates to share. A new Senate President pro Tempore was just selected. I’m pleased to share that it is Senator Monique Limón (District 21), who I am personally pleased about this because she is my …
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CONTINUE READINGGovernment Hires Shouldn’t Have to Take a MAGA Essay Test
Schedule F was bad, But Trump’s latest move is even worse.
The Trump Administration has adopted new hiring procedures that will impose ideological litmus tests in federal hiring. Job applicants will be graded on essays about their allegiance to “America’s founding principles” and their commitment to implementing Trump’s executive orders. These new essay questions have little to do with the jobs of most government and employees and more to do with ideological conformity. They violate both the Civil Service statute and the First Amendment.
CONTINUE READINGWhy You Should Care That Congress Might Use the CRA to Overturn California Waivers
Here are at least six reasons.
For the first time ever, the U.S. Senate may vote this week to revoke California’s authority under the Clean Air Act to cut pollution from cars and trucks. The Senate vote is on a resolution to use the Congressional Review Act to overturn three separate waivers EPA granted California to cut pollutants from cars and …
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