Friday Politics Roundup | SCOTUS is back; Independent State Legislature Doctrine; Biden pardons; right-wing sues over student loan cancelation; ACLU sues Central Bucks over LGBTQ discrimination

The Supreme Court is back in session. According to Ian Milhiser of Vox, “The Supreme Court’s new term could be even more consequential than its last one.”  “A single case, Moore v. Harper” Millhiser writes, “threatens to fundamentally rewrite the rules governing federal elections, potentially giving state legislatures…nearly limitless power to skew those elections.” 

A right-wing legal organization based out of Wisconsin, the Institute for Law and Liberty, is suing the Biden administration over plans to cancel some student debt.  Because the Biden administration has stated that his student loan cancelation plan will help narrow the racial wealth gap and advance racial equity, the Institute for Law and Liberty argues that the action constitutes an “improper racial motive.” 

Biden announced that he is pardoning thousands of people convicted of simple possession of marijuana, saying in a statement that “Too many lives have been upended because of our failed approach to marijuana. It's time that we write these wrongs.” The executive action will apply to more than 6,500 people convicted of simple possession under federal law or under the D.C. code. 

Reporting in the Atlantic, Robinson Meyer gives an uncharacteristically upbeat report on how the Inflation Reduction Act could prove to have a much bigger effect on a shift to a post-carbon economy than most people expected. That comes in response to a surprisingly cheery report by the investment bank Credit Suisse. 

Hundreds of youth activists from the global South gathered in Tunisia to prepare for a collective fight for justice and demand climate action at next month’s COP27 meeting in Egypt. 

As promised, the ACLU filed a lawsuit against the Central Bucks School District arguing that the district is creating a hostile environment for LGBTQ students. We’re waiting to see when we see similar moves against Pennridge. 

The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHoP) and other major medical groups are urging the U.S Department of Justice to investigate threats of violences against the hospital because of they provide care to transgender children. 

While the right-wing yams on about teachers unions’ influence on elections, it turns out that one man - Jeffrey Yass - has spent more than 5 times what PSEA has spent during 2022. Yass’s spending consistently dwarfs that of teachers unions as shown by Philly Power Research.. 

There will be a protest in Philly next Thurs. 10/13 @ 11:30am to protest Jeff Yass' ongoing funding of far right politicians and efforts to redirect resources from public to private schools. The protest will take place outside Yass’sSusquehanna International Group's City Ave office 401 City Ave 220, Bala Cynwyd, PA 19004. You can get all the details here: https://www.mobilize.us/pa-wfp/event/523232/

Got my COVID booster and have I got a story for you.