A blog about societal, cultural, and civilizational collapse, and how to stave it off or survive it. Named after the legendary character "Crazy Eddie" in Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle's "The Mote in God's Eye." Expect news and views about culture, politics, economics, technology, and science fiction.
A "funeral" for the penny was held at the Lincoln Memorial in DC over the weekend, as the US Treasury is officially halting production of the coin.
It was a publicity stunt staged by Ramp, an expense management platform. That explains a lot, including both the silliness and the production values, both good and bad. That written, co-host Amber Duke, Senior Editor of The Daily Caller, aired some grievances of her own about the cashless economy, putting the end of the penny into a broader context.
That's a wrap for today's fake holiday. Stay tuned for a musical celebration of Christmas Eve.
Seth takes a closer look at Trump shifting his focus from bringing down consumer prices to more pressing issues like arts programming at the Kennedy Center and banning media outlets who won't go along with his geographical name changes.
Seth found the comedy in Hoover Cleveland's takeover of the Kennedy Center board. It's time for some serious news about it, beginning with NBC 4 Washington reporting on Fallout as President Trump takes over Kennedy Center.
President Trump is officially the new chair of the Kennedy Center. News4 has reaction from audience members, performers and the Kennedy family.
Members of the LGBTQ community march from Washington Circle to Kennedy Center in protest of President Trump's new decision.
I doubt Hoover Cleveland will listen to them; he has become even more homophobic thanks in part to following his base. Just the same, I'm glad they're demonstrating and making their voices heard.
I might have more to say about Hoover Cleveland tomorrow for (Not My)Presidents Day. Stay tuned.
According to the National Retail Federation, 57% of people are heading to the web to buy gifts. Norton created a cyber safety checklist ahead of Cyber Monday, which shoppers should look over it before Monday.
Don't be like Caroline Richards before she fell victim to a scam; be like her now, as she's much more vigilant about who she buys from online.
The busy holiday shopping season is upon us as Black Friday, the busiest day of the year for in-person shopping, gives way to Small Business Saturday, Cyber Monday and the on-going "retail rush" before the holidays.
On Friday, crowds flooded the International Plaza in Tampa to try to score deals.
Estimates show around $11 billion was spent online during Black Friday.
One trillion dollars in holiday sales for the U.S. might just happen. I might check the total holiday sales figures at the end of the month, but I think I will be busy with my end of year retrospectives and probably the Saturn Awards nominees then. May you stay tuned for those, but first return to read about GivingTuesday as I complete the extra-long holiday weekend.
Join us in this thought-provoking video as we delve into the crucial question of whether Washington, D.C. should become a state. Advocates for statehood put forth compelling arguments, and we explore the reasons behind their call for change.
Discover how the residents of Washington, D.C. lack voting representation in the U.S. Congress, despite paying federal taxes and serving in the military. Explore the concept of "taxation without representation" and its historical significance, as we delve into the core democratic principles that underpin this issue.
Explore the population size of Washington, D.C., which surpasses certain existing states, and the implications of granting statehood based on its population. Dive into the potential benefits that statehood could bring, such as full congressional representation in both the House of Representatives and the Senate, ensuring that the citizens of Washington, D.C. have a voice and equal participation in the democratic process.
Uncover the current challenges faced by Washington, D.C., including limited autonomy and dependence on congressional approval for local decisions. Learn how statehood would empower Washington, D.C. with greater self-governance, allowing its residents to shape their own destiny without undue interference from the federal government.
Furthermore, we explore the constitutional aspects surrounding statehood, analyzing the language of the Constitution and the potential interpretations that support the notion of Washington, D.C. becoming a state.
I've become familiar with Eleanor Holmes Norton, D.C.'s Delegate to the House of Representatives, since I've been covering this issue, but this is the first I've heard of D.C.'s shadow Senator Paul Strauss. I count that as learning something new, and it's always a good day when I learn something new.
On Friday, Rep. Andy Ogles, (R-Tenn.) introduced a bill to repeal the D.C. Home Rule Act. Reps. Matt Rosendale (R-Mont.) and Byron Donalds (R-Fla.) are co-sponsoring the bill.
The Home Rule Act was signed into law in 1973 by President Richard Nixon and went into effect in 1975.
Sigh. Fortunately, repealing home rule would be just as difficult under the current Senate and President as D.C. statehood would be given the current Congress. That might not be the case if Republicans retake the Senate and Hoover Cleveland returns to the White House. That's all the more reason to prevent both from happening.
I plan on revisiting the related issue of statehood for Puerto Rico on National Piña Colada Day next month. Stay tuned.
Henry Timms is the creator of Giving Tuesday and co-author of the bestselling book “New Power,” which explores how people gather and galvanize today, often via social media. For this week’s That Moment When, Steve Goldbloom speaks with Timms, who explains why “we need to stop seeing people as donors and start seeing them as owners.”
As The Belfer Center for Innovation & Social Impact (92NY), the 92nd Street Y is a member of Bridge Alliance, which I have volunteered for since it absorbed the Coffee Party in 2021. Knowing that a member organization helped create this day gives me a warm feeling about my involvement.
On the 10th anniversary of the holiday following consumer holidays such as Black Friday and Cyber Monday, Verify looks at how Giving Tuesday changed donation habits.
The categories Woodrow Rosenbaum named that showed the most growth during the pandemic remind me of the ones Charity Navigator uses. Since I'm a big fan of Charity Navigator, that pleases me, too. I recommend my readers use that site to look for worthy nonprofits to contribute to.
When 2020 began, no one imagined the challenges Michigan’s residents and its economy would face. Especially nonprofits. But in the face of pandemic-induced hardships, nonprofits stepped up and played a pivotal role in keeping Michigan afloat during difficult times. They provided essential services, aid, and unwavering support to communities in need. Nonprofits were the safety net.
Take a look at their remarkable story of survival and service.
I listed some Michigan charities worthy of donations last year.
I like this list, which includes food banks like Forgotten Harvest, animal welfare organizations like the Michigan Humane Society, and political advocacy groups like the ACLU of Michigan. As I wrote nine years ago, Detroit has great charities.
After a week of holiday posts, it's time to return to current events. Stay tuned.
Senator Tom Carper announced he's introducing a bill to grant statehood to the nation's capital.
The circumstances are even less favorable than during the previous two sessions of Congress, when Democrats controlled the House and D.C. Statehood passed that chamber only to be filibustered in the Senate. Still, as Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton pointed out, that doesn't make the effort impossible or less worthy.
“We’ve got to keep democracy growing, otherwise we’re constantly going to be lapsing back into these authoritarianism impulses that Donald Trump and his Party have unleashed upon us,” says Rep. Jamie Raskin on giving statehood to Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C. as an "offensive" response to Jan. 6.
Well said, Congressman. That's both a reason I agree with and a good foreshadowing for a related topic, Puerto Rican statehood, on Piña Colada Day next month. Stay tuned.
The bill to suspend the $31.4 trillion debt limit made it through the House of Representatives. The legislation now goes to the Senate, which must enact it and get it to President Joe Biden's desk by June 5 to avoid a crippling US default.
Play up the victory while you can, Pickled Tongue. This isn't the great win you think it is.
The final House vote was 314 to 117, with 149 Republicans and 165 Democrats supporting the measure. In a potentially worrisome sign for the House Republican speaker, Kevin McCarthy, 71 members of his conference opposed the deal that he brokered with President Joe Biden.
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However, the concessions that McCarthy won fell far short for members of the freedom caucus, who had pushed for steeper spending cuts and much stricter work requirements for benefits programs. They belittled the debt ceiling compromise as a paltry effort to tackle the nation’s debt, which stands at more than $31tn.
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House freedom caucus members staged one last attempt to block the debt ceiling bill from advancing on Wednesday afternoon, when they opposed a procedural motion prior to the final vote. With 29 Republicans voting against the motion, McCarthy had to rely on Democratic assistance to advance the debt ceiling proposal. In the end, 52 Democrats voted for the motion, setting up the final vote and virtually ensuring the bill’s passage.
Both the support and the opposition were bipartisan, although more Democrats supported the compromise than Republicans. Just the same, the Democrats held their noses to vote yes.
Despite his sharp criticism of McCarthy and his Republican colleagues, Jeffries and the majority of the House Democratic caucus supported the debt ceiling bill. Although they lamented the spending cuts included in the bill, those Democrats argued the crucial importance of avoiding a default outweighed their personal concerns about the legislation.
“Our constitution makes perfectly clear the validity of the public debt of the United States shall not be questioned,” said California representative Nancy Pelosi, the former Democratic House speaker. “While I find this legislation objectionable, it will avert an unprecedented default, which would bring devastation to America’s families.”
But dozens of progressive lawmakers opposed the bill, attacking the spending cuts and new work requirements procured by McCarthy as an affront to the voters who elected them.
“Republicans never cared about reducing the deficit, only about forcing through their anti-working family policy priorities under the threat of a catastrophic default,” said Pramila Jayapal, chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus. “The deal they passed tonight proves that point, and I could not be part of their extortion scheme.”
Progressives in the Senate, including Senator Bernie Sanders, have echoed that criticism and indicated they plan to oppose the debt ceiling proposal, but the bill still appears likely to become law. The Senate Democratic majority leader, Senator Chuck Schumer of New York, has pledged to act swiftly to take up the bill once it has passed the House. The Senate Republican minority leader, Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, has already indicated he plans to support the proposal as well.
Senator Tim Kaine talks with Alex Wagner about his objection to the inclusion of Mountain Valley Pipeline in the debt ceiling deal and his intention to remove that portion of the bill with an amendment when it comes to the Senate for consideration. While that piece of the deal is seen as a political concession to Joe Manchin, Kaine expresses particular frustration at not being consulted despite the pipeline affecting portions of his state, Virginia.
I don't like the pipeline, either, but I don't think Kaine's attempt to remove it from the bill will succeed. Every Republican plus Joe Manchin will vote against his amendment. If one more Senator joins them, it will fail. If they don't, I expect Vice President Kamala Harris will vote against it, breaking the tie, and it will still fail. After that happens, I also expect Kaine to vote yes on it, and it will go to President Biden to be signed. Crisis averted!
That written, I think this is the 2023 version of 2011's Satan Sandwich. I know it's necessary, but I don't have to like it.
On March 11th, 2020, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a global pandemic.
What followed, were travel bans, stay-at-home orders and mandatory masking.
1.[1] million Americans have died from the virus the most of any country in the world and among them, more than 42,000 Michiganders.
Officially, the U.S. has the most deaths from COVID-19 with Worldometer listing 1,148,765, followed by Brazil with 699,310 deaths, and India reporting 530,780. I suspect all of them have under-reported deaths from the disease, but especially India, as I wrote last May: "I was always a little skeptical that India had fewer deaths than the U.S. from the pandemic. An estimate of 4.7 million may be higher than I expected, but I really do think India had more deaths than the U.S.'s 1 million." Still, that's merely a suspicion, not a fact.
On March 10, 2020, Michigan health leaders confirmed the state's first two cases of COVID-19. Three years later, the chief medical executive is reflecting on the pandemic, what has been learned and where we stand today.
I'm glad vaccines and more effective treatments exist to make COVID-19 less dangerous and scary. My wife and I are the beneficiaries of both, as I mentioned in 'The First Wave' wins three News & Documentary Emmy Awards. While we haven't had any lingering symptoms besides modestly lower energy levels and some slight brain fog, there are lots of people who are suffering from worse syndromes. The economy has also not fully recovered, either. Follow over the jump for two reports from outside Michigan about both.
Three people are dead and five others injured after a shooting at multiple locations on Michigan State University's East Lansing campus Monday night, police said, and a suspect has died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, ABC News reported.
Jory Rand opened his report with "This is an American story, an unwell person with access to guns." He closed it with "This is a uniquely American story. These kinds of things don't happen in other developed countries like this. And as we said after Ulvade, this is our latest mass shooting. It won't be our last." That's depressing. It's also not the kind of "American exceptionalism" I wish to celebrate.
One of the ironies in the previous clip is that one of the Michigan State students being interviewed was wearing an Oxford Strong sweatshirt. That honors the victims and survivors of the mass shooting at Oxford High School, which I found too distressing to cover at the time.
I find myself unable to blog about the shooting at Oxford High School and its ongoing fallout. It's too fast moving and too close to home, literally. I might get to it later, but then again, I didn't blog about the Larry Nassar scandal until 2019.* It may be a while.
Andrea Ferguson’s daughter survived the Oxford High School shooting in 2021 and in her first semester at Michigan State was sheltered in place on campus during the active shooter situation.
On the one hand, I'm glad Andrea Ferguson’s daughter is O.K. On the other, I find it horrifying that she's had to go through this terrifying experience twice in just over a year.
HappyAmericaRecyclesDay! My catchphrase for today is "America doesn't just need to recycle more, it needs to recycle better." I'm sharing three videos to help myself and my readers achieve that goal, beginning with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency wishing its YouTube viewers Happy America Recycles Day!
Recycling is a simple action that can have dramatic benefits for the environment – from saving energy and water and reducing pollution to fighting climate change and improving our air and water quality.
In honor of America Recycles Day, Administrator Regan is starting a recycle relay to challenge YOU to recycle more and recycle right.
That's a good start to getting Americans (and others, like my Frenchreaders) to recycle more effectively.
Recycling can be one of the easiest ways to make an impact on the planet, if you do it right. So what goes into the trash and what goes into the bin?
That was a good exercise for Earth Day, but it works just as well for America Recycles Day. I learned something from it and I hope my readers did, too.
For "America Recycles Week" an expert walks us through further efforts that we should be taking to recycle materials and caring for the environment towards bettering future generations.
The first two videos concentrated on what individuals can do. This one focused on what businesses and individuals can do. That's important, too. Also, it helped make me aware of The Recycling Partnership, an organization I'd never heard of before I started researching this entry. I've now subscribed to their YouTube channel. I hope to share more of their videos in the future.
That's it for holidays, for now. Stay tuned as I return to this blog's regular programming, whatever that is.
From destructive wildfires to floods that threaten grape and grain harvests, climate change is altering the nature of wine and spirit production around the world. Food and travel writer Brian Freedman's new book, "Crushed," captures how growers and producers are adapting to sudden and dramatic climate shifts. He joins Geoff Bennett to discuss.
The story about how Tabor is recreating an ecosystem in its vinyards reminds me of one of Commoner's Laws: Nature knows best. That's a lesson I think more of us will have to learn.
Author Brian Freedman explains how climate change affects wine production as outlined in his book "Crushed: How a Changing Climate Is Altering the Way We Drink".
Since this is about food and farming, another of Commoner's Laws applies: There is no free lunch. Everything has hidden and sometimes not-so-hidden environmental, social, and economic costs. That includes our food and drink. Freedman mentioning the winery in Texas that grows more sustainable grapes that require fewer chemical inputs resulting in less pollution also ties into everything is connected to everything else and there is no away. While I really don't have time in my environmental science class to add either of these videos, I can at least mention some of the findings. Welcome to blogging as professional development.
President Biden pardoned thousands of Americans convicted on federal charges of simple possession of marijuana and encouraged governors to do the same. The president also directed his administration to review how marijuana is classified as a drug under federal law. Law professor and former federal prosecutor Mark Osler joined Laura Barrón-López to discuss the announcement.
Wow! That's even more bold than forgiving (some) student loan debt, which, along with lower gas prices, has contributed to Biden's higher approval ratings. It's also more than I expected from this Administration. I'm glad to be pleasantly surprised.
Lizzo played various collectible flutes in the Reading Room and flute vault at the Library of Congress's Great Hall on Sept. 26, including former president James Madison's crystal flute. She then dazzled a massive audience at Capitol One Arena that evening, revealing she had Madison's flute on stage with her.
This was the first time I'd heard Lizzo play any flute, let alone President Madison's crystal flute, and I was impressed. She's both expressive and technically proficient, a good combination for any musician.
Lizzo played a priceless 200-year-old flute at her Washington D.C. concert. She's now the first person in two centuries to perform with the crystal flute once owned by former President James Madison. At the concert, she gave a short history lesson about the historic flute. When the British burned down the White House during the War of 1812, the only two items that were saved was a portrait of George Washington and the crystal flute.
I'd heard about Dolly Madison saving Washington's portrait, but I only learned about the flute being rescued today. That written, an article on the Library of Congress website expresses some uncertainty about the claim, although it still finds the story likely to be true.
The renowned flutist gave Tuesday's audience at her Capitol One Arena performance quite the treat, when she surprised everyone by performing on a historical 200-year-old crystal flute. According to the Library of Congress, a French fluter made the ornate instrument in 1813 specifically for President James Madison in honor of his second inauguration.
I also didn't know that the Library of Congress had a flute vault until today. It's always a good day when I learn something new, and today I learned two new things.
I told my readers yesterday that I would return to television. Follow over the jump as I keep that promise by reporting on "Lizzo's Watch Out for the Big Grrrls" winning three Emmy Awards, including one for Lizzo herself.
Veterans and other people all across America are answering a special Memorial Day request this year. At precisely 3 p.m. local time, wherever they are, they will all be playing “Taps.” One third-generation veteran will be strumming his guitar, while another man took trumpet lessons for seven months to be able to participate. The powerful tribute was dreamed up by CBS News correspondent Steve Hartman, who says, “The amazing thing about ‘Taps’ is it means different things to different people.”
CBS News Correspondent Steve Hartman urges musicians to play "Taps" at 3pm on Memorial Day to honor Americans who gave their lives for our country.
While the CBS Sunday Morning video I embedded two years ago mentioned Hartman, it didn't hit me how much of a personal campaign backed by his employer Taps Across America was at the time. Watching these videos made me realize it. That doesn't mean it's a bad idea; I rather like it. As I wrote in 2020, "I'll be listening at 3:00 P.M. local time for anyone playing 'Taps.' I hope my readers are, too."
May the Fourth be with you each year on National Star Wars Day. Or is it, “May the force be with you?” It all depends on whether you like using puns or not.
Thousands of Star Wars enthusiasts celebrate this day each year with parties and celebrations around the nation. If you a fan, then National Star Wars Day allows you to dress like your favorite character, say your favorite lines from the series and catch a movie or read a book.
Star Wars fans didn’t first introduce the often quoted phrase on May 4th. It was 1979, and Britain elected the first female Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher. On May 4th, the day she took office, the Conservative Party placed an advertisement in The London Evening News, which read, “May the Fourth Be with You, Maggie. Congratulations.”
Star Wars creator, George Lucas, was asked during a 2005 interview on a German news TV channel to say the famous sentence “May the Force Be with You.” Upon doing so, the interpreter interpreted the sentence into German as Am4 Mai sind wir bei Ihnen (On May 4 we are with you). TV Total captured this and aired it on May 18, 2005.
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National Star Wars Day was first organized in Toronto, Ontario, Canada at the Toronto Underground Cinema in 2011. Produced by Sean Ward and Alice Quinn, festivities included an Original Trilogy Trivia Game Show, a costume contest, and the web’s best tribute films, mash-ups, parodies, and remixes on the big screen. May 4th was chosen because of the play on words.
1999 may be the first mention of an American using the phrase in the day's Wikipedia entry, but it didn't stick on this side of the pond until 2011 when the Canadians seized upon it. After Disney bought Lucasfilm in October 2012, it adopted the day beginning in 2013. That is the subtext of May the 4th be with you from ABC News, a division of Disney.
ABC News’ Will Ganss caught up with ‘Star Wars’ fans to see how they’re celebrating the big day!
Theme parks and outdoor sports stadiums could reopen as soon as April 1 under new reopening guidelines released Friday by the California public health officials.
This is good news for theme parks and sports teams, along with their employees, contractors, and fans. It's been a long postponement since last year's proposed July 17, 2020 reopening date. Just the same, I have my doubts that Disneyland, Knott's Berry Farm, and Six Flags Magic Mountain will actually reopen their rides instead of just their restaurants and shops on April 1. I think it will take a while longer for new cases to drop low enough in Orange and Los Angeles counties for that to happen. When it does, I hope it doesn't cause the problems WUSA 9 reported in Six Flags opens amusement park sparking traffic complaints from vaccine seekers.
Some described the traffic as a "nightmare" and questioned priorities.
"Questioned priorities" — I'll be a good environmentalist and recycle what I wrote last June.
Both news items tie into what I first wrote in 2011, "America is quite clear about its screwed up priorities. My experience has convinced me that the surest way to get Americans to act is to mess with their entertainment." I elaborated on that in both Possibly (not) the last Detroit Fireworks Show and Christmas music from the Cadets and Crazy Eddie's Motie News, adding "Americans want their entertainment, and will do just about anything to keep it going." The pandemic keeping the parks closed is definitely messing with Americans' entertainment.
Once again, many Americans are being clear about their priorities. They've had enough of the pandemic messing with their entertainment and are happy to have it back, regardless of the public health consequences. Sigh. As I wrote last month, "My friend Nebris thinks this is one of my great insights. I'm sure it is, but, like Jimmy [Kimmel], I wish it weren't true."
HappyGroundhogDay! The master of ceremonies at this morning's ceremony at Gobbler's Knob, Pennsylvania remarked that people all around the world have said the past year felt like "Groundhog Day" with the same day repeating itself over and over. That inspired me to examine the science of why people's perception of time has been distorted that way.* I begin with WDIV in Detroit asking Has the [perception] of time changed due to COVID-19? Study show it's possible.
A study shows the COVID-19 pandemic may change people's [perception] of time based on certain factors.
March was so long ago and April barely lasted a week. Professor Peter Tse talks about how our perception of time has changed because of the pandemic.
The sped-up montage by itself does a good job of depicting the sameness of days during the COVID-19 pandemic, while Professor Peter Tse's explanation is good as far as it goes. PBS Digital's It's Okay To Be Smart goes farther and explains more in Why Time Moves Fast...and Slow.
Time passes for all of at the [same] rate of one second per second. But why does it sometimes feel like time is passing so fast, or so slowly? Especially during COVID? Let’s learn about how our brains keep track of and try to make sense of time, and how they get fooled.
That's enough science about how people perceive time for now. May it have made my readers understand why they feel the way they do about the passage of time and that they're not alone.
Will Punxsutawney Phil see his shadow? Watch Groundhog Day live from Gobbler’s Knob in Pennsylvania.
Yes, there's hope; the cycle will be broken and the monotony will end.
All the above makes Punxsutawney Phil's prediction that there will be six more weeks of winter, a forecast echoed by Michigan's own Woody the Woodchuck, secondary. Stay warm and stay safe, everyone!
California wants to send mail-in ballots to all registered voters ahead of the 2020 election due to the coronavirus pandemic, a move that President Donald Trump is continuously attacking — saying it will lead to a fraudulent and rigged election. Chris Cillizza explains why the widespread election fraud Trump claims will happen is, well, unlikely.
As Cilizza says, voter fraud by impersonation is so rare that it's almost non-existent, which means it is not at all effective. The safety of the electorate during the COVID-19 pandemic far outweighs that miniscule risk. As for Trump being unable to recognize that can ever lose, I once observed elsewhere about a hornet I swatted (unsuccessfully, unfortunately, but at least I wasn't stung) 'he thinks he's winning because he can't imagine himself doing anything else.' That looks awful familiar.
According to a recent United Nations report, more than 1 million animal and plant species are at a major risk of facing extinction. The Trump administration has announced that it will be making major changes to The Endangered Species Act. Some of these changes include economic costs being considered when determining if a species should be protected and another weakens already existing protections of threatened groups.
The good news is that Trump and the rest of the executive branch can't change the law itself; it can only change how it interprets the act, including the regulations it uses to enforce it. The bad news is that the executive branch can do a lot with regulations. NPR has more on that last point in Trump Administration Makes Major Changes To Protections For Endangered Species.
In a move that critics say will hurt plants, animals and other species as they face mounting threats, the Trump administration is making major changes to how the Endangered Species Act is implemented. The U.S. Department of Interior on Monday announced a suite of long-anticipated revisions to the nation's premier wildlife conservation law, which is credited with bringing back the bald eagle and grizzly bears, among other species.
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One of the changes will allow economic costs to be taken into account while determining whether a species warrants protection. Another will weaken the initial protections given to species deemed to be threatened, one step shy of being endangered.
The changes will apply only to future listing decisions.
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Many of the changes the Trump administration is rolling out address shared administrative concerns about the act, says Jake Li, the director for biodiversity at the Environmental Policy Innovation Center. Others, he says, are problematic and weaken the bedrock law's effectiveness.
Among them is limiting which habitat — and how much of it — gets considered in determining whether a species is endangered. Land a species currently occupies would be the priority. But wildlife advocates say that could make it harder to account for threats from the warming climate, which has shrunk habitat for some species and will force others to migrate to new areas.
I'm with Jake Li; calculating economic costs, weakening initial protections, and limiting considerations of habitat are all factors that will reduce the ability of the ESA to protect threatened and endangered species, exactly the opposite of what the experts and I think is needed. Fortunately, these changes are being challenged in court.
Numerous environmental groups and state attorneys general vow to sue the administration over the changes, alleging they are illegal because they're not grounded in scientific evidence.
"We don't take these challenges lightly," said California Attorney General Xavier Becerra during a conference call. "We don't look to pick a fight every time this administration decides to take an action. But we challenge these actions by this administration because it is necessary."
I wish them both skill and luck. They and the organisms the ESA protects will need it.
