Vox and MS NOW explain 'The voting rights case that could set us back 60 years'

I'm returning to current events by embedding Vox explaining The voting rights case that could set us back 60 years.

The Voting Rights Act of 1965 is a very big deal. It transformed America, marking the end of the Jim Crow era and effectively banning racial discrimination in elections. Finally fulfilling the promise of a multiracial democracy, Black voter registration increased, and political representation across the nation better reflected America’s diverse population.

60 years later, a key pillar of the Voting Rights Act is at risk of being erased. In a 6-3 ruling, the Supreme Court has sided with the plaintiffs in a redistricting case out of Louisiana called Louisiana v. Callais. The case focused on Louisiana’s legislative maps, which were amended after a 2022 lawsuit in which civil rights groups and community members sued the state of Louisiana, claiming the maps drawn after the 2020 census didn’t properly reflect Louisiana’s Black population.

Once the new map with two majority-Black districts passed in the Louisiana state legislature in 2024, a group of “non African-American voters” filed a lawsuit that alleged the new map was unconstitutional and racially gerrymandered, intended to cut white voters out of power. Following the Supreme Court ruling, Louisiana must redraw that map.

What happens next could ignite a widespread gerrymandering effort that would alter electoral maps across red states and have major effects on minority political representation in the United States at every level of government.

I haven't blogged about the Voting Rights Act since 2023's FiveThirtyEight asks 'How Impactful Was This Supreme Court Term?'* Then, I wrote, "I think America dodged two bullets to democracy in the decisions about the Voting Rights Act and the 'Independent State Legislature Theory.'" I can't write that today; the conservative majority of the Supreme Court shot multiracial democracy in America in the leg, if not an even more vital part of the body. The bullet is still traveling, injuring tissues and organs on its way. MS NOW documents the damage in ‘They’re fighting hard because we were winning’: Stacey Abrams on GOP gerrymandering surge.

“They want our weariness to turn into paralysis.” This week, The Supreme Court delivered a massive new blow to the Voting Rights Act that greenlights GOP gerrymandering efforts. Stacey Abrams joins The Weekend to break down what comes next, where we have seen these actions before in authoritarian regimes throughout history, and how to use people power to brace against fascism.

In response to Jonathan Capehart, Jacqueline Alemany, and Eugene Daniels, the hosts of The Weekend, outlining Louisiana suspending its primary election and the legislatures of Alabama, Mississippi, and Tennessee going into special sessions to redistrict their states, Stacey Abrams outlined an ambitious pro-democracy agenda. I'm here for all of it.

The Weekend on MS NOW continued on the topic in ‘You are no longer in the democracy that was promised’: South redistricts ahead of midterms.

For decades, Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act acted as a guardrail, preventing Republican-led state legislatures from carving Black voters out of political power. But, in the words of Justice Elena Kagan, the Court’s ruling in Louisiana v. Callais has weakened the provision to “all but a dead letter.” MS NOW legal analyst Melissa Murray and President & CEO of Democracy Forward, Skye Perryman join “The Weekend” to discuss.

I agree with Skye Perryman; people in favor of multiracial democracy are going to have to vote in large enough numbers this fall and in 2028 to overwhelm the forces trying to send the U.S. back 60 years or more. May we succeed.

That's a wrap for today's topical post. Stay tuned for highlights of tonight's Saturday Night Live as today's Sunday entertainment feature.

*The video in that entry has been made private, just like every video I've embedded from FiveThirtyEight. Disney/ABC didn't just disband the unit, it hid its history. That's a great loss that makes me sad, angry, and powerless. I don't know what news consumers can do to get it back. Sigh.

Take 'A 538 Election Road Trip', a driving update

As I forecast in PBS Eons on real paleo diets for National Fossil Day on World Food Day, Pearl passed 66,000 miles on Wednesday, so it's time for a driving update. I'll get to my personal driving update over the jump, but before I do, I'm sharing A 538 Election Road Trip | 538 Politics Podcast for a virtual drive across the U.S.

We talk plenty about the presidential race on the 538 Politics podcast, but of course, that is not the only thing on the ballot this November. Americans will cast their votes in races for the U.S. Senate and House, as well as dozens of ballot initiatives.

In this installment of the podcast, we’re going on a road trip across the country to cover as many noteworthy downballot races as possible. We start in the 538 podcast studio in New York state, where House Democrats are hoping for a better outcome than their lackluster 2022 performance, and we end in Alaska. Grab your favorite snacks and get in!

Hearing Nathaniel Rakich and the rest of the panel discuss how Republicans overperformed in New York Congressional contests reminds me of how much differently those elections turned out than expected when I wrote FiveThirtyEight and Sabato's Crystal Ball examine Congressional redistricting in New York State. Two years ago, I quoted Sabato's Crystal Ball, which wrote "If the Democratic plan pans out as intended, the number of Republicans in the New York delegation will shrink from 8 of 27 to 4 of 26." It didn't work out as intended. That map got overturned and replaced with a court-drawn map that eliminated Democratic advantages. Add in a local red wave, and the Republicans won almost enough seats in the Empire State to flip the House of Representatives all by themselves. If the original map had been maintained, then the chamber likely wouldn't have flipped; all else being equal, Democrats would have retained control.

The court-ordered map has since been replaced by one that was created by the redistricting commission and approved by the state's legislature and modestly favors Democrats. That might help return the U.S. House to the Democrats. Then again, maybe not, as three seats in North Carolina are likely to flip back to the Republicans, while one seat each in Alabama, Mississippi, and New York will elect Democrats, while Georgia shows no change. That will be a wash. Democrats will have to count on California to regain their House majority and hope Alaska doesn't flip. Even so, the House looks better than the Senate for Democrats.

Marijuana legalization is a cause I've been following since at least 2012, when I posted Meanwhile, at the bottom of the ballot. I wrote then "I told one of my students that there would be two changes in his lifetime propelled by his generation--marijuana legalization and marriage equality." The past dozen plus years have proved that prediction correct. Here's to that coming true in Florida and carrying re-legalizing abortion along with it.

I'm encouraged that Elissa Slotkin to replace Debbie Stabenow and Ruben Gallego to replace Kyrsten Sinema are favored to win their Senate contests in Michigan and Arizona, respectively, but I wish Kamala Harris was running even with both of them. Sigh.

That's my reaction to FiveThirtyEight's virtual road trip. Follow over the jump for my personal driving update.

Silly and serious looks at night 3 of the DNC from Colbert and FiveThirtyEight

I'm done grading and I'm sort of ready to return to my usual topical entries. Without any further ado, here is DNC Night 3: Oprah & Stevie Bring The Star Power | Getting To Know Tim Walz | Pete Takes Down Vance from The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.

Stephen Colbert goes LIVE following the star-packed third night of the Democratic National Convention where Pete Buttigieg lit into the GOP's vice presidential candidate, and speakers like Oprah Winfrey and Stevie Wonder hyped up the crowd prior to the night's main event, a rousing speech from vice presidential candidate Tim Walz.

My wife and I have been watching these monologues, but I've been too busy grading final exams while recovering from my health crisis last week to feel like putting together posts based on them. Now I finally have the time and energy to do so.

I have more of Colbert's take on the convention, but first the serious take from FiveThirtyEight, Democrats Pitch 'Freedom' On Night 3 Of The DNC | 538 Politics Podcast.

In this late-night installment of the 538 Politics podcast, the crew reacts to the third night of the Democratic National Convention.

This isn't nearly as funny, but the podcast's emphasis on joy as the theme of the convention at least got close.

Follow over the jump for two more videos from The Late Show about the DNC.

Seth Meyers, 'The Daily Show,' and FiveThirtyEight take silly and serious closer looks at the third GOP debate

I closed Meyers and Kimmel take closer looks at Ivanka Trump testifying, election results, and the third GOP debate for World Freedom Day with an observation and a tease.

Apparently, the highlight of last night's debate was Nikki Haley calling Vivek Ramaswamy "scum," Between that and her telling him "Every time I hear you, I feel a little bit dumber from what you say" in the second Republican debate, it's obvious that she doesn't like him.

I might have more on the debate tomorrow, but then the actors strike ended today. Stay tuned to see which shiny object I write about Friday.

I decided to blog about the debate, but I'm keeping my options open to write about the end of the SAG-AFTRA strike later, just like I did on Wednesday, posting both CityNerd asks 'Urbanism: Insidious Globalist Conspiracy or Self-Evident Common Sense?' for World Urbanism Day and CityNerd asks 'Urbanism: Insidious Globalist Conspiracy or Self-Evident Common Sense?' for World Urbanism Day. What can I say? It's been a busy news week.

I begin with Seth Meyers in Haley Calls Ramaswamy "Scum," Ramaswamy Calls GOP "Losers," DeSantis Flails: A Closer Look.

Seth takes a closer look at Ivanka trying to distance herself from Trump as he remains the GOP frontrunner after a fiery and pointless debate last night.

Yes, Ambassador Haley, tell us how you really feel about Ramaswamy.

Sarah Silverman, Dulcé Sloan, and Desi Lydic had more to say on The Daily Show in Haley, Ramaswamy Throw Down at GOP Debate.

Desi Lydic and Dulcé Sloan join Sarah Silverman to recap Trump's rally, and the latest GOP debate, including Nikki Haley and Vivek Ramaswamy's on-stage feud, the candidates' shared love of warmongering, and Tim Scott's girlfriend reveal.

I don't need TFG to give Haley an insulting nickname; I already have one for her. Too bad TFG probably doesn't know enough about the late artist formerly known as Prince to get the reference. Speaking of TFG, any time he tells a story about someone crying and calling him "Sir," it's bullshit. Don't believe a word of it.

I close this post with a mostly serious look at the debate, Haley takes on Ramaswamy and DeSantis in third GOP debate | FiveThirtyEight Politics Podcast.

The crew reacts to the third Republican primary debate in this late-night edition of the 538 Politics podcast.

I'm glad they found the substance under all the smoke, not that it would convince me to vote for any of them. I left the GOP in 2000 and never looked back.

Stay tuned to see if I blog about the end of the actors strike or skip ahead to Veterans Day.

FiveThirtyEight thinks 'The 2023 elections were good for Democrats'

I told my readers to "stay tuned for last night's election results" as today's second post, so I'm sharing The 2023 elections were good for Democrats | FiveThirtyEight Politics Podcast.

In this late-night edition of the 538 Politics podcast, the crew unpacks the results from election night 2023. Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear won reelection in Kentucky and Ohioans voted to enshrine abortion protections in the state constitution. The night was a decent performance for Democrats, despite a spate of recent polling suggesting Americans are pessimistic about Joe Biden's presidency.

The intro to Election 2023 results and analysis: Democrats excel in Kentucky, Ohio, Virginia on the website included an update.

Nov. 7, 2023, was Election Day in at least 37 states, and Americans cast their votes on everything from governorships to local referenda. When the dust settled, it was a solid night for Democrats and their allies: According to ABC News projections, Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear won reelection in Kentucky, and Ohio voters passed Issue 1 to codify abortion rights in the state constitution. The AP also projected that Democrats won both chambers of the Virginia legislature and an open seat on the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. However, there were a few bright spots for Republicans: ABC News projected that Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves beat back a strong challenge from Democrat Brandon Presley.

Issue 2 to legalize recreational marijuana use passed in Ohio as well. Things went as well as both the polls projected and I hoped in FiveThirtyEight's 2023 elections to watch. Yay!

Stay tuned, as I might cover the third Republican presidential debate for World Freedom Day tomorrow. May it be even more interesting than the second Republican debate.

FiveThirtyEight's 2023 elections to watch

2023's off-year election day is tomorrow, so I'm featuring FiveThirtyEight's series on 2023's elections to watch, beginning with Ohio's abortion vote.

Nathaniel Rakich breaks down Ohio's Issue 1 ballot measure, one of the key races in the 2023 elections.

This is the election I'm most interested in because Ohio is next door, the nearest state to where I live in Michigan, and reproductive rights have been a focus of mine on this blog since it became clear that the Supreme Court would overturn Roe v. Wade. While I think that Issue 1 will win, I'm not certain.

There is also an Issue 2 on Ohio's ballot to legalize recreational marijuana. I'm even less sure that will pass, although these measures usually do.

The elections for Virginia legislature also have implications for reproductive rights, as a trifecta would allow Republicans to pass laws restricting abortion.

Republicans are hoping to win a "trifecta" this November in Virginia’s 2023 legislative midterm elections. Nathaniel Rakich takes a look at what issues are at stake for both parties in this pivotal contest.

These elections will also take the temperature of the electorate in a state that's trended Democratic since 2008. If Democrats have trouble here, then they might have issues nationally next year.

On the other hand, FiveThirtyEight has generally good news for Democrats in Kentucky governor.

Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear is popular, but Kentucky is a deep red state. Nathaniel Rakich looks into the tight governor's race in the state between Beshear and state Attorney General Daniel Cameron.

Here's to hoping Beshear can win a state that is considered solidly Republican again.

I close with Mississippi governor, which is the most watched of all these videos, much to my surprise.

Mississippi currently has one of the most unpopular governors in the country in Republican Tate Reeves. Nathaniel Rakich wonders if a Democrat could win in this year's election in this deep red state.

I can see why Reeves is unpopular, but I'm not so sure that will translate into a Brandon Presley win. I'd be pleasantly surprised if he does.

I'll return with some comedy tomorrow. Stay tuned.

MSNBC and FiveThirtyEight react to the second Republican debate

"I'm just not feeling that last one this cycle, so I might skip it." That's what I wrote twice about Wednesday night's Republican debate. I changed my mind yesterday, so I'm covering it for the last post of September*. I begin with MSNBC's Political analysts say GOP debate was ‘an absolute crap show,’ with ‘no joy’ and ‘negative populism’.

In the second GOP primary debate, Republican Presidential hopefuls fought for second place behind frontrunner former President Donald Trump, who stole the show even though he did not attend. Andrea Mitchell is joined by John Kasich, Robert Gibbs and Michael Steele to discuss main takeaways from the debate. “Last night was an absolute crap show. It was nonsense. There was nothing redeeming about it,” Steele says. “There just seemed to be no joy last night,” Kasich adds. “What Donald Trump has brought on the Republican Party is this negative populism.”

Note that Steele and Kasich, whose disparaging remarks MSNBC quoted in the video description, are Republicans. They are neither liberals nor Democrats throwing rotten tomatoes at the candidates on the debate stage or their party.

Speaking of throwing rotten tomatoes at people on the debate stage, my reaction to Nikki Haley telling Vivek Ramaswamy "Every time I hear you, I feel a little bit dumber from what you say" was "Hey, that's my line!" It's what I think every time I hear Jim "Coach Gym" Jordan; he makes me feel stupider just listening to him. I'm not sure I'd say the same thing about Ramaswamy, but he does annoy me.

Haley's barb became a topic of discussion in It's Now Or Never For The GOP Candidates | FiveThirtyEight Politics Podcast.

The crew reacts to the second Republican presidential primary debate in this late night podcast.

Galen Druke, Geoffrey Skelly, and Leah Askarinam, who I don't recall seeing before, all thought this was a spontaneous outburst of aggravation, not a prepared line. I think it turned out to be the line of the night. They also seemed to agree that the former guy won while not debating, while Skelly thought Ron DeSantis remained in the lead among those on stage. Galen thought Haley had a good night. The poll FiveThirtyEight took says both did well. The share of respondents saying they'd would consider voting for DeSantis went up slightly and kept him in second behind TFG. The number of participants responding that they would consider voting for Haley went up even more, keeping her solidly in third. Meanwhile, Ramaswamy remained in fourth, but he lost support after the debate. Looks like Haley's punch landed.

I'm continuing with FiveThirtyEight for the final video of the month, Voters React To The 2nd GOP Debate | FiveThirtyEight.

Galen Druke explored what voters think about Republican presidential candidates after the second GOP debate in Simi Valley, California.

The voters liked Haley, but when push comes to shove, they'll vote for Trump. Sigh.

That's it for September's blogging. Stay tuned for a celebration of Wester as the first post of October.

*What I'm not feeling is making graphics for the candidates' VoteView and On The Issues ideological scores, finding a drinking game, and selecting drinks for the candidates. I'm sure I'll get around to the first by the next debate. I already have an idea for the first post in that series, graphics for DeSantis and Mike Pence from Voteview; I already have one for Pence and promised to make one for DeSantis, so it's half-written.

FiveThirtyEight asks 'Will The Hottest July On Record Affect Views Of Climate Change?'

I'm beginning August's blogging by repeating an observation I made in MSNBC covers record heat and climate change for World Emoji Day: "When I looked at Google News' U.S. page, I saw result after result of extreme weather and climate change news." That has remained true since then, with the bulk of the results the past two weeks were about either the former guy's legal problems or the heat wave. Given that choice, I'm glad to see The FiveThirtyEight Podcast ask Will The Hottest July On Record Affect Views Of Climate Change?

Calculations from the World Meteorological Organization suggest that July was the hottest month on record. Throughout the month, heat records were broken across the globe. Phoenix, Arizona, recorded 31 days in a row of temperatures over 110 degrees Fahrenheit and Sanbao, China, provisionally recorded the country’s all-time hottest temperature of 126 degrees.

In this installment of the FiveThirtyEight Politics podcast, Galen speaks with Anthony Leiserowitz, the director and founder of the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication, about public perceptions of climate change, how extreme weather shapes those views and whether it's shaping our politics.

Galen also speaks with Kaleigh Rogers and Nathaniel Rakich about some of the latest GOP primary polling and how changes to election law in both red and blue states will reshape how Americans vote in 2024.

TIMESTAMPS:
00:00 - Politics of climate change
40:02 - Changes to election law

The answer to the question is probably yes, although it might subside during the winter. Warm weather then might elicit the kind of reaction I described in Classified documents leak headlines 'Weekend Update' on 'SNL'.

"It's mid-April here in New York City and the temperature hit 90 degrees this week, a full two months ahead of schedule. And while that may be terrifying on a climate level, the warm weather can only mean one thing. All the freaks, crazies, and weirdos are heading to Central Park." Yes, it is terrifying on a climate change level, but after even a mild winter, a week of summer temperatures would be considered "good weather" this time of year. Let's see if people still think that should the northeast and midwest suffer from excessive heat waves this summer.

So far, it's the rest of the country that's suffering from "excessive heat waves this summer."

Just the same, I'm glad to hear that at least the left wing of the Democratic Party is taking climate change seriously enough that paying attention to it as an issue has become a way to drive base turn-out. May that continue next year.

On the other hand, I find the Republican efforts to restrict voting by mail discouraging. It's yet another way that the party is reflecting the prejudices of its leader, as I described in Trump threatens Michigan and Nevada over mail-in voting. Sigh.

Stay tuned for Earth Overshoot Day tomorrow, which is five days later than last year. Good news and progress, but not enough to post Professor Farnsworth.

FiveThirtyEight asks 'How Impactful Was This Supreme Court Term?'

This year's Supreme Court term was about as eventful as last year's, which I summarized in CNBC examines 'How The Supreme Court May Threaten Democracy', so it deserves its own examination. I'm turning to the FiveThirtyEight Politics Podcast, which asked How Impactful Was This Supreme Court Term?

The Supreme Court wrapped up its business for the term last week, closing out a docket that touched on the Voting Rights Act, affirmative action in university admissions, student loan forgiveness, business services to LGBTQ people, religious liberty and the power of state legislatures.

It was another term with high-profile cases, coursing through the heart of some of America’s cultural debates. In this installment of the FiveThirtyEight Politics podcast, the crew discusses whether this year’s decision could ricochet through the political environment, as last year's decisions did. They also take stock of what more we've learned about a still quite new 6-3 conservative majority.

On the one hand, I think America dodged two bullets to democracy in the decisions about the Voting Rights Act and the "Independent State Legislature Theory." On the other, the court damaged access to opportunity in its decisions on affirmative action and business services to LGBTQ people. It also harmed a generation of Americans when it decided against forgiving (some) student loan debt. FiveThirtyEight's panel thought that last would have the biggest immediate political effect, since it hits people in their pocketbooks. They just weren't sure who would get blamed, the Supreme Court and through them the Republican Party, or Joe Biden, because he was unable to keep a promise through no fault of his own. He at least did something about it instead of merely promising and not following through.

Each of the cases FiveThirtyEight mentioned deserves a post of its own, like I did when I wrote Supreme Court weakens EPA authority to enforce Clean Water Act in May. Stay tuned to see if I do.

DeSantis DeClares he's running for President on Twitter

As expected, Ron DeSantis finally declared that he is running for the Republican nomination for President last night on Twitter. That didn't go so well, as Chris Hayes on MSNBC reported ‘Epic disaster’: DeSantis 2024 launch with Elon Musk on Twitter flops.

Remember that time Elon Musk unveiled the new Cybertruck, and when he went to demonstrate the vehicle's supposedly "bulletproof glass," two of the windows smashed? The Twitter rollout of the Ron DeSantis campaign went kinda like that.

LOL. The glitchy opening of the DeSantis-Musk Twitter space stole the show and made for an inauspicious opening to DeSantis's campaign.

PBS NewsHour put together a more serious segment explaining How DeSantis' campaign shapes the GOP presidential race.

The presidential race has a new big-name candidate as Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis officially announced his run Wednesday. The Republican is a headline machine, shaping national fights over COVID policies, education and immigration. But he faces an uphill climb against former ally Donald Trump. Lisa Desjardins discussed the race with former Rep. Carlos Curbelo, who served in Congress with DeSantis.

That's a good summary and former Representative Carlos Curbelo at least made a good effort at answering "why Twitter?" PBS NewHour ignored the technical glitches. It was trying to be sober and impartial, which MSNBC certainly wasn't.

PBS NewsHour mentioned DeSantis's fight with Disney, so I turn to FiveThirtyEight, a now smaller part of ABC News, itself owned by Disney, which asked Does Ron DeSantis Have A Shot At Beating Trump?

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is officially running for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination. What are his chances of winning the race?

The answer is still yes, better than any other candidate, but not a good one. Just the same, it's now officially a two-person race.

I'm sure I'll have lots more to write about the GOP primary in the coming year or so. Stay tuned and break out the popcorn.

FiveThirtyEight examines 'How Climate Change Will Reshape Where Americans Live'

I'm returning to climate change today with a follow-up to PBS Terra revealed 'the Safest Place to Live as the Climate Changes' and PBS Terra asks 'What is the RISKIEST Region in the US as the Climate Changes?' I concluded the second post with "I just wish that the economics were such that people would move here instead of into harm's way. That would make a great subject for another post. Stay tuned." The FiveThirtyEight Politics Podcast tackled that topic in How Climate Change Will Reshape Where Americans Live.

For decades, Americans have been moving south and west. That migration pattern become apparent in American politics, when seven congressional districts moved states after the 2020 census, and it continues to be visible in the booming construction and job markets in cities across the Sun Belt.

In this installment of the FiveThirtyEight Politics podcast, Galen speaks with author Jake Bittle, who argues that it’s only a matter of time before those trends reverse, or at least shift. Although, this time, he writes in his new book "The Great Displacement," it won’t be cheap housing, low taxes and plentiful jobs that attract people to new places. It will be a worsening climate that pushes them away.

On a local level, the result will look like the climate gentrification Miami is already experiencing.

Some climate refugees will only have to move a few miles, but in the process, they will raise prices for the people who already live there and in turn make them into internal economic migrants and indirect climate refugees as well. Not only does everything must go somewhere, but so does everyone. Without development that accommodate both the original and new residents, the lower income members of the community will have to move. That will just result in them being someone else's problem.

That will be an issue in places the climate migrants/refugees move to as well, climate havens like Michigan. I see this as both a crisis and an opportunity.

I'm in favor of getting people to move here, both because it's a safer place to live (but not immune from the extreme weather associated with climate change as the second video mentioned) and because the state has room. Detroit alone lost more than one million people since its 1950 peak and other Michigan cities have lost people as well, so they alone could take up the slack — that is, if they can become better places to live and work. People moved out of Michigan to seek work, so state and local governments need to work with businesses to promote and create sustainable industries to employ the people who move here and rebuild infrastructure to support them in a warmer and, for Michigan, wetter world. Infrastructure and housing construction to accommodate people moving here will provide a lot of jobs by themselves, but that only lasts so long. Ask Las Vegas, for example.

This might happen sooner than many people expect, as the U.S. is warming faster than the global average, so Michigan and other climate havens need to be prepared for it.

Mentioning Las Vegas reminded me that I should follow up on the water situation in the American West, including Great Salt Lake and Las Vegas. Stay tuned.

John Oliver on 'Biden & The Border' and FiveThirtyEight on immigration for the end of Title 42

The public health emergencies in response to the pandemic end today. One of those emergency responses is Title 42, which turned away undocumented immigrants, including legal asylum seekers, at the border as a public health measure. That ends today, too. I'm sharing two examinations of this situation, beginning with John Oliver's Biden & The Border from April 30, 2023.

John Oliver discusses the things Biden has promised to fix about our southern border, what he has and hasn’t done, and a magnificent pile of gators.

The anecdote that people working in the White House expressed relief when the courts blocked the lifting of Title 42 reminds me that a major reason Democratic leaners do not identify with the Democratic Party is frustration with the party’s leaders over inability to accomplish campaign promises and other Democratic agenda times. This story serves as an example of that and adds an extra layer of insufficient commitment to lifting the restrictions as well.

I also found comparing the asylum appointment app to Ticketmaster to be appropriately apt and insulting. I like it better than what first came to my mind, trying to get into the virtual queue for a hot new ride at Disney World through Genie+. I think more people have had bad experiences with Ticketmaster.

That was the comedic examination of the issue. Now for a serious one from FiveThirtyEight, Where The Immigration Debate Stands Today | FiveThirtyEight Politics Podcast.

Title 42 is expiring on Thursday night, a pandemic-era rule allowing the U.S. government to turn away asylum seekers at the border as a public health measure. This comes at a time when apprehensions at the border are already at record highs and Americans give President Biden some of his lowest ratings on his handling of immigration.

According to Gallup, Americans say immigration is the third-biggest problem facing the country, behind the economy and poor leadership. And the number who say that the level of immigration in the U.S. should be decreased has doubled to 40 percent since Biden took office.

In this installment of the FiveThirtyEight Politics podcast, Galen speaks with Georgetown economics professor Anna Maria Mayda about what Americans think of immigration and why, its impacts on the U.S. and its politics, and how that compares with other countries.

Listening to the effects of immigration on wages, employment, local government, and the economy reminds me of a paragraph from CNBC asks 'Is The U.S. Running Out Of People?' that I recycled in Samantha Bee was prepared for the overturning of Roe v. Wade.

[I]f not enough babies are born in the U.S. to meet our job demand, the country can allow more immigration. I'm O.K. with that, but Donald Trump became president in large part because many Americans weren't and still aren't. That's why, when one of my students asked in 2015 if the U.S. would ever adopt Chinese population policies, I responded no, that's not the American way. If the U.S. thinks it has an overpopulation issue, it would restrict immigration. The next week, Trump rode down the escalator and denounced immigrants. This is one of those cases where I hate being proved right.

If increasing immigration is not an acceptable solution, then increasing the U.S. birth rate would be.

That will alleviate labor shortages in the medium-to-long-term. It would not help with the current one. An apparent short-term solution is allowing more child labor; I expressed my disapproval in Fox News didn't have to apologize, so 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert' did it for them.

I think relaxing child labor laws is not a good way to deal with a labor shortage. I prefer raising wages and improving working conditions so more adults will return to the workforce. Instead, Iowa has joined Arkansas and several other states in permitting teens to work more. I find that worrisome and a reversal of a century of progress.

That's a clear set of choices — increased legal immigration, improved wages and work conditions, or more child labor. I'm with Professor Mayda that the choices should be made clear to voters, whether French or American. I may disapprove of the eventual choice, but at least the voters will have made their decision consciously and explicitly instead of blundering into it. Also, everyone will know what their priorities really are.

Enough of this serious topic for today. Stay tuned for a retrospective of the blog's year on Twitter tomorrow for Flashback Friday.