Cambodian refugee who came to US as 1-year-old is deported after no pardon from California Gov. Newsom




Ryan General
Fri, August 19, 2022

A 48-year-old reformed inmate who served 25 years in prison was deported by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to Cambodia on Tuesday.

Phoeun You, a former child refugee from Cambodia, was sent back to a country he is barely familiar with after failing to get a pardon from California Governor Gavin Newsom.

Such a pardon would have allowed him to stay in the U.S., where his family has stayed for decades since fleeing the Khmer Rouge when he was a 1-year-old child.

Having faced discrimination as a child, You joined a gang when he was 13 for protection while living in Long Beach. At age 20, he shot and killed a 17-year-old while retaliating against a gang attack on a young member of his family. He was convicted of first-degree murder by a jury trial and sentenced to 35 years to life.

After decades of serving his sentence, You said he had changed and was ready to be with his family and give back to the community.

While in prison, You became a founding member of the restorative justice program Restoring Our Original True Selves, served as a counselor with Bay Area Women Against Rape and mentored other detained refugees from Asia.

“He shouldn’t be deported because he had already served his time and being deported is basically another life sentence,” said community advocate Somdeng Danny Thongsy. “During my time at San Quentin, he actually mentored me a lot, and he was one of my facilitators in the trauma therapy class which helped me explore my trauma. And because of that, I was able to heal from that.”

You was deemed safe for early release by the San Quentin Prison parole board and pardoned in January. However, he was handed over to ICE agents upon his release.

For months, the Asian Prisoner Support Committee and other advocates have been urging Newsom to grant You a pardon and stop his deportation.

You's eldest brother, James Bunyou, lamented how Newsom “chose not to" intervene on You’s behalf.

"He isn't listening to our community outcry,” he was quoted as saying. “Our family would like to thank all of the friends that came out to support him and fight for Phoeun to stay."

Advancing Justice-Asian Law Caucus’ immigrant rights lawyer So Young Lee, who represents You, said, "Phoeun should be home with his family, not deported to a country he escaped as a child."

In response, Newsom's office said in a statement: "Information regarding pardon applications is confidential and we're not able to discuss individual cases. The Governor regards clemency as an important part of the criminal justice system and all applications receive a thorough and careful review."

You’s supporters are still hopeful that Newsom could eventually pardon him, which would allow him to return to the U.S. and be with his family.

“I’m still right here with you,” You said upon his arrival in Cambodia. “It’s not over until it’s over and we’re going to keep going.”

Featured Image via Ear Hustle Podcast, Gavin Newsom

Cambodia says it's helping foreigners scammed by traffickers


In this photo released by the Taiwan Criminal Investigation Bureau, police officers from the Taiwan Criminal Investigation Bureau search the bodies of two suspect who were deported from Bangkok and believed to be involved in scam cases in Cambodia as they arrive back at the Taoyuan International Airport in Taiwan on Thursday, Aug. 18, 2022. Taiwan is seeking to free more than 300 of its citizens lured to Cambodia by organized crime groups promising high wages for tech jobs, but then forcing them into call centers aiming to scam mainland Chinese into making payments for non-existent government fees or investment opportunities. (Taiwan Criminal Investigation Bureau via AP)More

SOPHENG CHEANG
Fri, August 19, 2022 

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) — Cambodia on Friday said it is attempting to aid foreigners who have been victimized by human traffickers, after Taiwan said it is seeking to free more than 300 of its citizens who were lured to the Southeast Asian nation by organized crime groups.

The mostly well-educated young people were promised high wages for tech jobs, but then were forced to work in call centers, scamming mainly mainland Chinese into making payments for non-existent government fees or investment opportunities.

Interior Minister Sar Kheng said his ministry is launching a nationwide check of all foreigners living in Cambodia, aside from embassy personnel. He said it will search especially for foreigners who have been victimized by human traffickers.

He said police in two provinces, Kandal and Preah Sihanoukville, on Thursday checked the status of foreigners residing or working at hotels, rented properties and casinos.


Sar Kheng said several people were arrested on suspicion of organizing human trafficking and some apparent victims were taken into protection. Police were still trying to determine whether those who said they were victims were telling the truth, he said.

Sar Kheng did not specify how many people were rounded up or what their nationalities were, but confirmed that some foreigners told police that they had been attracted by what was portrayed as lawful jobs offering high salaries.

Upon arriving in Cambodia, however, they were forced to work illegally in jobs that were “not what they had agreed to," Sar Kheng said.

Separately, Deputy National Police chief Gen. Chhay Sinarith said in recent years Cambodian authorities have uncovered numerous illegal online schemes that lured illegal workers, and have arrested hundreds of people from China and Taiwan for involvement.

Scammers, mainly from China, have used Cambodia as a base for extorting money, Chhay Sinarith said.

Taiwan’s government on Friday said 333 of its citizens were stuck in Cambodia after being lured by crime groups promising high wages for tech jobs, based on reports from families asking for help. The situation is complicated further because Cambodia is a close ally of China and refuses to recognize Taiwan or have any official contacts with the government in Taipei.

Taiwanese media have been reporting extensively on the plight of those trapped by the networks. Police at Taiwan's main Taoyuan International Airport have been patrolling with signs warning of the dangers of bogus offers of high salaries in Southeast Asia.

Taiwanese authorities have also been reaching out to travel agencies to uncover the scams, and more than a dozen people have been arrested over recruitment schemes that aimed to dupe young people into jobs advertised as high-paying positions in computer engineering and similar fields.

It has also become a political issue, with the minority Nationalist Party accusing the governing Democratic Progressive Party of inaction on the matter. Premier Su Tseng-chang has called for diplomatic outreach and a crackdown on local criminal groups organizing the scams.

Nationalist Deputy Secretary General Lee Yen-hsiu said more public outreach is necessary to deal with the phony job offers.

The Mormon church set up a help line for child sex abuse. Many calls were funneled to the church's lawyers, who 'snuff out' reports: report

Lloyd Lee
Fri, August 19, 2022 

The Washington D.C. Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. A new report from The Associated Press reveals how the church let officials get away with years of sexual abuse.Patrick Semansky/AP

An AP investigation revealed how the Mormon church facilitated silence about sex abuse.

A father disclosed to a bishop that he sexually abused his five-year-old daughter.

The bishop called the church's "help line" and was told to keep the report secret.

A "help line" established by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was used to bury a report of sex abuse that continued for at least seven years, according to an investigation by The Associated Press.

The report outlined how the Mormon Abuse Help Line could divert serious accusations of abuse away from law enforcement and to church attorneys based in a Salt Lake City law firm. As the case plays out this month, it has called into question what information shared with a member of the clergy is protected.

One Arizona-based bishop, John Herrod, called the line after he learned a 5-year-old girl was sexually assaulted by her father, Paul Douglas Adams. Attorneys would tell the bishop that he was legally required to keep the abuse secret because he learned of the actions during a "spiritual confession," according to The AP.

"They said, 'You absolutely can do nothing,'" Herrod said in a recorded interview with law enforcement reviewed by The AP.

Church officials also claimed that Arizona's clergy-penitent privilege required the bishops to keep the abuse confidential even though the state's sex abuse reporting law requires the clergy to report it to authorities.

The exception to the rule is if the clergy learned of the abuse during confession. They can choose to "withhold" information if they determine it is "reasonable and necessary" under church doctrine, The AP reported.

The daughter, who is only referred to as MJ in The AP, was abused for at least seven more years. And Adams went on to abuse his second infant daughter. He also frequently posted videos of the abuse online.

The AP report relied on about 12,000 pages of sealed records in an unrelated child sex abuse lawsuit against the Mormon church in West Virginia to detail how the secretive system worked.

Employees had a list of questions to follow to determine whether a report was serious enough to be directed to a Salt Lake City law firm Kirton McConkie.

One instruction said that employees should tell bishops to encourage the victim, perpetrator, or witnesses to report the abuse. But another stated to "never advise a priesthood leader to report abuse. Counsel of this nature should come only from legal counsel," The AP reported, citing a sample of the protocol instructions.

Records and notes of the calls were also destroyed at the end of the day, one director who works in the church's Department of Family Services told the publication.

Three of Adams' children filed a lawsuit against two Arizona bishops and church leaders in Salt Lake City for negligence in not reporting the abuse.

"The Mormon Church implements the Helpline not for the protection and spiritual counseling of sexual abuse victims...but for (church) attorneys to snuff out complaints and protect the Mormon Church from potentially costly lawsuits," the lawsuit filed by the Adams' children alleged, according to The AP.

An Arizona judge ruled on August 8 that the church will have to cooperate with the lawsuit after it initially refused to turn over records for Adams, and after a church official cited clergy-penitent privilege to avoid answering questions during pre-trial testimony, The AP reported.

Judge Laura Cardinal ruled that Adams waived the privilege to keep his confessions secret by posting photos of the abuse online and when he confessed to his actions to Homeland Security agents in 2017. Adams was arrested after New Zealand authorities found one of the videos online. The father died by suicide while in custody.

Lawyers defending the bishops and church told The AP that they acted in accordance with the law and "religious principles."

The Mormon church has also said The AP story "seriously mischaracterized" the purpose of the church's help line.

"The help line is instrumental in ensuring that all legal requirements for reporting are met. It provides a place for local leaders, who serve voluntarily, to receive direction from experts to determine who should make a report and whether they (local leaders) should play a role in that reporting," the church wrote.

The help line was established in the mid-'90s, during a time when reports of sexual abuse cases were increasing and outcomes in lawsuits often awarded millions of dollars in damages toward victims, according to The AP.

The church has not responded to Insider's request for comment.

Video shows orca appearing to attack 

another killer whale at SeaWorld, 

prompting PETA complaint to USDA

Joshua Zitser

Sat, August 20, 2022

A screenshot of footage shows an orca attempting to beach itself while being attacked by another killer whale.PETA US

• Eyewitness footage shows an orca attacked by another killer whale at SeaWorld.

• Following the release of the footage, PETA called on the USDA to investigate SeaWorld.

• SeaWorld described the behavior as normal, adding that it was "rake marking."

Eyewitness footage from a SeaWorld visitor shows an orca violently attacking another killer whale on August 5, prompting PETA to file a complaint with the US Department of Agriculture.

The person who recorded the footage told PETA that everyone "immediately saw blood soaking the water" at the amusement park in San Diego, California, causing their nine-year-old to start crying.

The eyewitness also said that people could see bite marks and wounds over one side of the hurt orca. "Every couple seconds two more orcas would jump out of the water to continue attacking the hurt orca," the eyewitness said, per a PETA press release.

 

In the video, which PETA shared with Insider, an orca can be seen attempting to beach itself to get away from its attacker. A child can be heard saying: "How is it still alive? I thought they hug each other, not fight each other."

Following the release of the footage, PETA filed a complaint with the USDA. The complaint calls on the USDA to investigate SeaWorld, citing concerns regarding animal welfare. It asks the agency to "ensure that all animals at SeaWorld are being provided with adequate veterinary care, space, shelter, food, and water," and are handled in accordance with the Animal Welfare Act.

PETA said in a statement that it was a warning to families to stay away from any park that "imprisons orcas or other animals."

SeaWorld did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment, but according to the local media outlet KPBS, the company said PETA's attack was "misleading."

KPBS reported that SeaWorld described the behavior as normal, adding that it was "rake marking" — when killer whales run their teeth over each other's skin.

SeaWorld's treatment of killer whales in captivity drew attention following the release of the 2013 documentary film "Blackfish."

Confederate Festival in Brazilian town where US exiles from the South founded a slave-owning colony after the Civil War faces ban, report says

Joshua Zitser
Sat, August 20, 2022 

People stand in traditional outfits between dances at the annual Festa Confederada, or Confederate Festival, on April 24, 2016.

Mario Tama/Getty Images

A festival celebrating the Confederacy is celebrated annually in rural Sao Paulo in Brazil.

It's held in a town where Confederate supporters fled after the Civil War and founded a slave-owning colony.

A new municipal law on hate symbols could end the festival, per The Christian Science Monitor.

A new municipal law could mark the end of an annual celebration of the Confederacy in rural Sao Paulo, Brazil, according to The Christian Science Monitor.

Festa Confederada, or Confederate Festival, has been taking place in Santa Bárbara d'Oeste for the past four decades, The Christian Science Monitor reported.

Thousands of defeated Confederates went into exile in Brazil, unwilling to abide by the Union's victory and consequent emancipation of enslaved Black people, and set up a colony nearby Santa Bárbara d'Oeste.

They bought hundreds of slaves who they forced to labor for them on cotton fields until 1888 when Brazil became the last nation in the Americas to ban slavery.

Now, on the site of a cemetery for the colony, the descendants of the American Confederates host an annual festival.

People in period costumes visit a settler's grave in the American Cemetery during the annual Festa Confederada, or Confederate Festival, in 2016.Mario Tama/Getty Images

The festival includes men and women dancing in period costumes to country music. Attendees use "Confederate dollars" to buy chicken and biscuits, according to The Christian Science Monitor.

There are Confederate flags, including one of the world's largest, on display at the festival, per The Washington Post.

People dance on a Confederate flag at the annual Festa Confederada, or Confederate Festival, in Brazil.Mario Tama/Getty Images

But a municipal law, which bans the use of racist symbols at public festivals, could end the festivities, according to the paper. A justification for the legislation passed last month specifically named the festival, per The Christian Science Monitor.

The head of the Fraternidade Descendência Americana, a group that represents the descendants of Confederate families, told the paper that he opposes the new law because he believes the Confederate flag does not represent slavery. "For us, the Confederate flag carries the symbolism of resistance to tyranny," said João Padovez, per The Christian Science Monitor.

A monument to Confederate settlers in Santa Barbara d'Oeste, Brazil.Mario Tama/Getty Images

But activist Cláudia Monteiro da Rocha Ramos told the paper that the local chapter of Unegro, an anti-racism organization, is proposing that Confederate flags are replaced with the modern-day US flag.

"After Charlottesville, [the US] debate about the flag resonated in Brazil," she said, per The Christian Science Monitor. Unegro started mobilizing after the deadly 2017 Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, The Washington Post reported.

At the last Confederate Festival in 2019, the last one held because of COVID-19 cancelations, dozens of protesters gathered nearby to perform Afro-Brazilian dances, per The Christian Science Monitor.

Twitter Users Give Steve Bannon Hell For Calling Democrat John Fetterman 'Satanic'

David Moye

Thu, August 18, 2022

Former White House strategist and Donald Trump ally Steve Bannon is getting hell from Twitter users for accusing Democratic Senate candidate John Fetterman of having a satanic “vibe.”

On the conservative social media platform Gettr, Bannon shared a pearl-clutching link from the right-wing Washington Free Beacon that suggested Fetterman was part of a “Democratic Grooming Scandal” because his family was once photographed next to a person dressed as an anime character.

Bannon then accused Fetterman of exuding “pure evil.”

“Is Fetterman satanic??…his look,his vibe , his associations … has there been anyone in the history of the country that exudes more just pure evil than this guy …the Citizens of the Commonwealth need to ask themselves— do we want someone who hangs with Satanic Groomers to represent us in the US Senate.”

Bannon is known for things like calling for “4,000 shock troops” to “deconstruct” the federal government “brick by brick,” and many people were skeptical that his claims came from a sincere place.

Some Twitter users saw desperation, not the devil.

One person thought that Bannon was targeting Fetterman for a different reason altogether.

And others thought it was a case of the pot calling the kettle black.

Although there is no evidence that Fetterman is satanic, Republicans like Bannon and Fetterman’s Senate opponent, Dr. Mehmet Oz, are having a devil of a time trying to beat him in the polls.

Fetterman currently leads Oz by 8.7 percentage points, according to RealClearPolitics.com.

BANNON DELIBERATELY CONFUSED FETTERMAN WITH ANTON LAVEY

Map shows which states show the most support for Brittney Griner as the WNBA star seeks freedom from Russian prison

Meredith Cash

Fri, August 19, 2022 

Brittney Griner is escorted to a court room in Russia for her drug smuggling trial.AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko

• Brittney Griner was arrested in Russia back in February, and has since been sentenced to 9 years in prison.

• The US government deemed the WNBA star "wrongfully detained" and has proposed a prisoner swap to free her.

• The betonline.ag team used Twitter data to determine from which US states Griner seems to be drawing the most support.

Brittney Griner has been detained in Russia for more than half a year.

The WNBA superstar was first arrested in February, when customs agents at a Moscow airport found cartridges containing hashish oil in her luggage. Since then, she's been convicted of drug smuggling with criminal intent and sentenced to nine years in Russian prison.

Griner behind bars.Alexander Zemlianichenko, Pool/AP Photo

The US State Department has classified Griner as "wrongfully detained," which sends a "strong signal that the US government does not believe that there is a legitimate case against her," as an expert previously told Insider. Even still, plenty of Americans have been vocal about the fact that they don't want the two-time Olympic gold medalist to come home.

The team at betonline.ag set out to find where those people opposed to Griner's return — and, conversely, those offering their support — are located. Using trends software with direct access to geotagged Twitter data from more than 180,000 tweets, the group determined which states produced the most tweets with phrases like "free brittney griner," "bring brittney home," "#wearebg," "#freebrittneygriner," and more that expressed support for the eight-time WNBA All-Star.

Unsurprisingly, Arizona — home to Griner's WNBA franchise, the Phoenix Mercury — offered more support for the 6-foot-9 center than any other state. South Carolina, Oregon, and Massachusetts followed close behind at the top of the list.

Brittney Griner.Michael Hickey/Getty Images

Though Griner is a Houston, Texas, native and brought a national championship to Baylor Bears, the Lone Star State was not among the top-10 most favorable to the superstar. In general, Griner is seemingly best supported in the Southwest and on both coasts, with minimal support coming from the Midwest excepting for Illinois and Iowa.

Here's the list of the top 1o states most favorable towards the embattled American basketballer:

1. Arizona
2. South Carolina
3. Oregon
4. Massachusetts
5. Iowa
6. Illinois
7. Maryland
8. Washington
9. Georgia
10. Colorado

And here's the map depicting which US states produced the most and fewest supportive tweets:

Griner is seemingly best supported in the Southwest and on both coasts, with minimal support coming from the Midwest excepting for Illinois and Iowa.betonline.ag

A dermatologist reveals 5 toxic shampoo chemicals to avoid — and how to pick a natural alternative that won't damage your scalp

Allana Akhtar
Fri, August 19, 2022 

Dr. Alexander Dane Advanced Dermatology and Cosmetic Surgery

Social media users — including Cardi B — are crediting their healthy hair to natural alternatives to shampoo.

Dr. Alexander Dane, a board-certified dermatologist, said some natural alternatives like rice water can benefit the hair.

Other items, like baking soda and castor oil, might cause more damage to ther hair and skin.

Growing awareness of how pervasive toxic chemicals are in personal care products might be incentivizing people to buy shampoo made with fewer, all-natural ingredients.

Indigenous people have used natural ingredients like yucca roots and chickpea flour to wash their hair for centuries, but social media sparked renewed interest in these shampoo-alternatives.

Cardi B jumped on the trend, telling her Instagram followers this week that she washes her hair with boiled onion water.

"My last 2 washes I been boiling onions and using the water to wash my hair," she said in an Instagram post. "It's odorless and I notice that it's been giving a shine to my hair."

Shampoo-naysayers may have a point, said Dr. Alexander Dane, a New Jersey-based board-certified plastic surgeon. Chemicals in shampoo can strip away the hair's natural oil, and some are even known to cause cancer or disrupt your body's hormones.

"People are becoming more aware of what they're putting into and on their bodies, and we're starting to see people reach for natural alternatives as an alternative to using these store-bought, synthetic shampoos that can actually sometimes cause more damage than good," Dane told Insider.
Shampoos can contain chemicals that strips your hair of color, natural oils, and moisture

The "clean beauty" trend likely has to do with Americans becoming more cognizant of the dangerous health effects chemicals in their beauty products can have, according to Dane.

"If you went into your local drug store and you pick up any bottle of shampoo and you turn it around to see the ingredient, oftentimes you see there's 20 to 30 ingredients listed, most of them being synthetic with numerous chemicals that actually are banned in other countries," Dane said.

The dermatologist said some of these chemicals include:

Sulfate, a foaming agent in haircare products that strip the hair of natural oils and coloring, and may cause irritation.


Triclosan, a chemical added to prolong shelf-life in anti-bacterial products that can interfere with the body's hormones and might be linked to cancer and reproduction problems.


Parabens, a chemical that strips the color out of hair, and can lead to dryness and irritation. Researchers are studying the effects of parabens on breast cancer.


Benzene, a known human carcinogen that may have contaminated Procter & Gamble's shampoos products in 2021, leading to a recall.


Formaldehyde, a known human carcinogen that is still used in some shampoos.
Natural shampoos that damage your scalp

Baking soda, though touted on social media as a way to exfoliate your hair and scalp, contains a high pH balance, which can irritate the scalp and strip the hair, Dane said. He would avoid using baking soda as a standalone hair treatment.

Dane also warned against castor oil. Excess amount of castor oil in the hair can lead to "acute hair felting," or when the hair becomes matted, twisted, and so entangled it resembles a birds nest, according to a 2017 paper in the International Journal of Trichology.

The acidity in lemon juice can help restore dry or frizzy hair, but using too much can lead to excessive dryness and brittle hair. Plus, if lemon juice leaks out of your hair and onto other parts of your skin, interaction with the sun can cause a rash or discoloration.

Dane said while hair can benefit from natural alternatives to shampoo, overdoing it can cause negative effects on the skin and hair. "Just because something is natural, you don't wanna overdo it," Dane said.

Homemade washes you should try, from eggs to chickpea flour — but in moderation

Chickpea flour mixed with milk. Dane said research backs up the use of this centuries-old homemade shampoo in India. Chickpea flour, as well as rice flour, contains proteins that can help strengthen keratin — the protein that keeps your hair and nails strong.

Rice water. Many people in China, Japan, and parts of Southeast Asia use the starchy water from soaked rice as a hair cleanser. Dane said it is "filled with nutrients" like folate, vitamin B, vitamin E, amino acids, and antioxidants that increase the moisture in your hair and scalp, adding volume and definition. Limit use to once or twice a week, he said — too often can cause flakiness.

Eggs — whether applied topically or eaten as part of your diet — can help produce shiny and healthy hair, Dane says. That's because they contain biotin, iodine, and vitamins A, D, E, and B12. The sulfur in eggs work as an antimicrobial, and yolks contain vitamins that can make brittle hair more resistant to damage. Apply and wash out an egg-and-water mixture once or twice a week, Dane says.


Coconut oil spray is fast emerging as a promising natural haircare product. One study found it may treat head lice better than chemical treatment. Studies also indicate coconut oil protect hair from sun damage by filtering UV rays. And a paper published last year found it can treat dandruff. Dane said not to use too much coconut oil, as the buildup can clog pores in your scalp, but using it once in a while and fully rinsing it out can help maintain healthy hair and scalp.

GOP candidate and anti-abortion advocate running for Michigan governor said rape victims find 'healing' by being forced to have a baby


Yelena Dzhanova
Sat, August 20, 2022 


Tudor Dixon is running as the Republican gubernatorial candidate for Michigan.

Tudor Dixon, the GOP nominee for Michigan governor, said rape victims and a child born of rape could form a "bond."

She used this argument to explain why she wouldn't back a a 14-year-old rape victim getting an abortion.

"There was healing through that baby," she said in an interview with Fox 2 Detroit.

Michigan's Republican nominee for governor said in an interview that she believes there's a "bond" that can form between a rape victim and a child born from sexual assault if forced to go through with the pregnancy.

When asked by Fox 2 Detroit anchor Roop Raj whether she'd support a 14-year-old rape victim getting an abortion, nominee Tudor Dixon said had spent time talking with the children of rape victim and believes their birth provides a sense of "healing."

"The bond that those two people made and the fact that out of that tragedy there was healing through that baby, it's something that we don't think about," she said in the interview.

"Those voices — the babies of rape victims — that have come forward are very powerful when you hear their story and what the truth is behind that. It's very hard to not stand up for those people," she continued, per Newsweek.

Abortion rights groups have long warned that people who are forced to carry out a pregnancy that's a result of a rape or sexual assault can experience additional trauma or suffer other health problems.

Dixon earlier this month won Michigan's GOP gubernatorial primary, after receiving an endorsement from former President Donald Trump.

Dixon is a mother of four and a staunch anti-abortion advocate, Insider's Isabella Zavarise reported.

At a campaign stop earlier this month, Dixon made an alarming argument in favor of putting an end to abortion, stating that abortions create "a safe haven for any type of predator out there," The Daily Beast reported.

"If you're a predator there's nothing you like more than abortion. And if you can get a girl an abortion without her parents knowing, you can keep hurting her," Dixon said.

Rooks: Alito’s arrogance may cost the Supreme Court dearly


Douglas Rooks
Fri, August 19, 2022


Samuel Alito seems to think he’s sitting on the top of the world.

Fresh from his “triumph” in obliterating a half century of protection for legal abortion, he gave a speech in Rome on July 28 aptly demonstrating his enormous self-regard, what’s sometimes called “the arrogance of power.”

His theme was religious liberty, but the questions focused on Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, written by Alito – the bulk of it leaked to Politico in May – and the criticism that’s poured in from around the world.

Alito mocked foreign heads of state. Of British Prime Minister Boris Johnson – who’d called the decision upholding a Mississippi law “a big step backwards” – Alito said “he paid the price.”


The idea that the imminent departure of Johnson, the “clown prince” best known for implementing Brexit, had anything to do with his Dobbs criticism suggests Alito’s arrogance verges on hubris.

Johnson is in disgrace because of what the tabloids called “boozy parties” at 10 Downing St. during the coronavirus lockdowns; both his own Conservative and the opposition Labour Party are foursquare behind abortion rights.

After all, others had harsher words, including French President Emmanuel Macron, who termed abortion “a fundamental right” being “undermined by the Supreme Court” and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who called the decision “horrific.” Curiously, Alito didn’t mention them; both are serving new terms.

Now that the shock of the decision is wearing off, it’s worth asking what it means – not for the political process, taking off at warp speed – but for the court itself. The answers are not encouraging.

The notorious leak was instantly blamed, by Fox News and others, on liberal law clerks seeking to embarrass the conservative justices about the radical ruling five had approved.

It may be years before the “leaker” is revealed, but we can safely conclude it came from a senior associate justice – Alito, serving since 2005, or Clarence Thomas, confirmed in 1991; they’ve been waiting a long time.

The motive was keeping five votes in line, preventing anyone from joining Chief Justice John Roberts, who preferred a more moderate approach, and filed a weak concurrence.

Alito does have something to crow about; with Dobbs, he’s effectively leading the five-member conservative majority, sidelining the chief justice – something that’s rarely happened before.

Whether the court’s image and prestige will survive is another question.

To gauge how out of keeping Alito’s coup is to the court’s traditions – which, after all, depends on the other branches to enforce its decisions – we must go back further.

On Dec. 10, 2021, the court, shortly after oral arguments in Dobbs, decided to let stand a Texas law banning abortions after six weeks; by contrast, Mississippi set a 15-week limit.

Throughout the abortion controversies, courts have always stayed laws in conflict with precedent, but not this time – even though Texas included a bizarre enforcement protocol envisioning a form of “vigilante justice.”

Texas became a preview, as clinics shut down overnight. As Dobbs was handed down, the lives of hundreds more women were turned upside down; it was all part of the plan.

When the Supreme Court announces a revolutionary new doctrine it generally does so cautiously. The notable example is Brown v. Board of Education, the Warren Court’s unanimous 1954 decision barring racial segregation in public schools in 21 Southern and Western states; the case was from Kansas.

The implementing decision for Brown waited until the following year, and even then school desegregation went on for decades.

For Justice Alito, however, change is best accomplished overnight, as the court green-lighted any abortion restrictions, no matter how draconian – anything a state legislature might enact.

Alito’s faulty reasoning, his highly selective use of history, his unseemly hectoring of fellow justices, has all prompted comment, but it’s his blind faith in his own righteousness that’s truly disturbing.

Support for, and opposition to, abortion rights has hardly varied since Roe v. Wade, and its important successor case Casey v. Planned Parenthood.

There was no new evidence, just a new five-justice lineup willing to use its power – for the first time – to eliminate a widely accepted constitutional right.

It’s an open question whether the Supreme Court “follows the election returns,” but we do know defying the voters can have fateful consequences.

Abortion will remain contested legislative ground for years, but one must ask: Will the Dobbs decision go down in history on a par with Brown, or is it more likely to resemble the Dred Scott case – which helped bring on the Civil War?

Douglas Rooks, a Maine editor, commentator and reporter since 1984, is the author of three books, and is now researching the life and career of a U.S. Chief Justice. He welcomes comment at drooks@tds.net

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Rooks: Alito’s arrogance may cost the Supreme Court dearly