Judicial Benchmarks

• Supreme Court refuses to hear GOP election case from Pennsylvania (LA Times)

“At issue …. was a potentially important question for the 2024 election about whether state legislatures or the state supreme courts have the final word on a state’s election rules. Lawyers for Pennsylvania Republicans urged the court to rule that the Constitution gave only state legislatures the final word on the election rules. They pointed to a provision in a 2019 law that said mail ballots must arrive by election day. Because of the pandemic, however, the Pennsylvania secretary of state recommended changes in the deadlines for counting mail ballots.”

Money quote: “One wonders what the Court waits for. We failed to settle this dispute before the election, and thus provide clear rules. Now we again fail to provide clear rules for future elections. The decision to leave election law hidden beneath a shroud of doubt is baffling. By doing nothing, we invite further confusion and erosion of voter confidence. Our fellow citizens deserve better and expect more of us. I respectfully dissent.” —Justice Clarence Thomas

• Supreme Court to review “public charge” rule (Reuters)

“U.S. guidelines in place for the past two decades had said immigrants likely to become primarily dependent on direct cash assistance or long-term institutionalization, in a nursing home for example, at public expense would be barred. Trump’s policy expanded the public charge bar to anyone deemed likely to receive a much wider range of public benefits for more than an aggregate of 12 months over any 36-month period including the Medicaid healthcare program, housing and food assistance.”

Government & Politics

• AG nominee Merrick Garland may hide John Durham report from the public (The Federalist)

“Durham’s probe into the origins of the great Russia hoax, where deep-state operatives within the FBI sought to indict President Donald Trump as a covert agent of the Kremlin, was launched in May 2019 shortly after the release of the Mueller report exposing the narrative as a conspiracy. … U.S. code, Fox News reports, dictates the special counsel’s final ‘confidential report’ submitted to the attorney general must produce interim reports appropriate for ‘public dissemination.’”

• Dominion Voting Systems files defamation suit against Mike Lindell and MyPillow (Dominionvoting.com)

“Despite repeated warnings and efforts to share the facts with him, Mr. Lindell has continued to maliciously spread false claims about Dominion, each time giving empty assurances that he would come forward with overwhelming proof. These claims have caused irreparable harm to Dominion’s good reputation and threatened the safety of our employees and customers.” —Dominion CEO John Poulos

National Security

• Preposterous Biden plan would effectively abolish ICE (American Military News)

“During a remote meeting with agency personnel in Texas, several individuals familiar with the plans said Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas proposed converting some of the 4,000 ICE agents to criminal investigators, a move deportation officers compared to city police departments transferring beat cops to detectives, effectively ending street patrols for basic crimes.”

• Healthcare bore brunt of cyberattacks in 2020 (Roll Call)

Around the Nation

• California approves $600 stimulus payments for 5.7 million people (Fox News)

“California lost 1.5 million jobs last year, mostly lower-wage earners in the hospitality and restaurant industry. … California has some of the most stringent coronavirus business rules in the country, banning indoor dining in much of the state and ordering retailers to limit the number of people allowed inside their stores.”

• San Francisco school board puts hold on renaming its 44 schools (KGO)

“The San Francisco School Board has been criticized for its efforts in trying to rename its 44 schools, where its names have ties to slavery, oppression and gentrification. Many have criticized the Board for not doing enough research, saying the committee that advised the school board got the facts wrong.”

Annals of the “Social Justice” Caliphate

• Chief of Cherokee Nation says “it’s time” for Jeep to stop using name (Car and Driver)

• College offers free tuition — for black and American Indian students (RedState)

• Seattle-backed homeless shelter provides heroin how-to guide and paraphernalia (PJ Media)

• University professor fired for class illustration deemed “transphobic” (Disrn)

Odds & Ends

• U.S. COVID-19 death toll passes 500,000 (Daily News) | However, daily COVID deaths fall to 1,235 — the lowest since before the holiday season (Daily Mail)

• Canada laudably joins the U.S. by declaring China’s treatment of Uighurs “genocide” (UPI)

• Mom of Capitol Officer Brian Sicknick believes he died of a stroke (Daily Mail)

• States set for clash with Biden administration over transgender athletes (Examiner)

• Illinois becomes first state to fecklessly eliminate cash bail (NPR)

• Kelly Loeffler starts Georgia voter group to rival Stacey Abrams (NY Post)

We’re Shocked — Shocked!

• Wife of “El Chapo” arrested in the U.S. … on drug charges (NPR)

Closing Arguments

• Policy: Democrats are setting up a massive immigration crisis (The Federalist)

• Policy: Before rejoining UN Human Rights Council, U.S. should commit to authentic human rights (Daily Signal)

• Humor: Coca-Cola now requiring employees to “be less white” by wearing blackface (Genesius Times)

For more of today’s editors’ choice headlines, visit Headline Report.

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