SCOTUS Splits On Trump Power. Black Farmers Sue Over Wage Bias. GOP Host Backs Ossoff
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Summary
Takeaways
- ❖SCOTUS limited Trump's power to fire Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook but allowed him to fire FTC appointees, with critics arguing the distinction is based on protecting the billionaire class.
- ❖The Supreme Court upheld Mississippi's mail-in voting law, allowing ballots postmarked by Election Day to be counted up to five days later, a win for voting access.
- ❖E. Jean Carroll's defamation lawsuit against Trump was upheld, requiring him to pay $5 million after the Supreme Court declined to hear his appeal.
- ❖A prominent conservative radio host in Georgia, Shelley Winter, endorsed Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff, citing Ossoff's focus on Georgian issues and a desire for a more moderate Republican party.
- ❖Black farmers in Mississippi are suing a farm owner for paying white South African guest workers higher wages and classifying Black workers as independent contractors, denying them benefits.
- ❖Texas State Representative Jolanda Jones criticized the Texas Democratic Party for failing to invest in and engage Black voters, warning that taking their vote for granted will lead to losses.
- ❖Actress Garcelle Beauvais condemned Megan Kelly's racist remarks against Haitian immigrants, highlighting their economic contributions and the need to combat hate.
Insights
1SCOTUS's Selective Executive Power Ruling
The Supreme Court blocked Trump from firing Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook but affirmed his authority to fire a Democratic appointee to the Federal Trade Commission. This distinction, according to correspondent Ellie Mistl, is not legally sound but rather a protection of the 'billionaire class' and the financial system, while allowing other regulatory agencies to be dismantled.
Ellie Mistl argues that legally there's no distinction between the Fed and FTC, both created by Congress a year apart. The difference in the ruling is attributed to the Fed protecting the 'business investments of the billionaire class' and the global economy, while consumer-focused agencies like the FTC are left vulnerable.
2Upholding Mail-In Voting Law
The Supreme Court upheld a Mississippi law allowing mail-in ballots postmarked by Election Day to be counted up to five business days later. This decision, written by Amy Coney Barrett, was seen as a win for democracy against GOP efforts to restrict mail-in voting, affirming that the 'choice' is made when the ballot is filled out, not when it is received.
The 5-4 decision, with Barrett and Roberts joining the liberals, turned on the interpretation of 'election day' and 'choice,' concluding that the act of voting by election day is what matters, not the receipt date, similar to military absentee ballots.
3E. Jean Carroll's Victory Against Trump
The Supreme Court declined to hear Trump's appeal in the E. Jean Carroll defamation case, solidifying the $5 million judgment against him. This marks the end of his appeals process for this specific case, requiring him to pay the settlement.
Ellie Mistl confirms the Supreme Court's refusal to weigh in on the settlement, stating 'Pay that woman her money' as there are no more appeals.
4Conservative Endorses Democratic Senator
Georgia conservative radio host Shelley Winter endorsed incumbent Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff over the Republican nominee, Mike Collins. Winter cited Collins's perceived subservience to the president and Ossoff's effective representation of Georgians on issues like housing costs and veterans' affairs.
Winter states he is 'not happy about Mike Collins' campaign' and is 'very happy to have endorsed John Ossoff,' highlighting Ossoff's work on 'cracking down on Wall Street ownership of homes' and 'veterans issues,' and his 'great constituent services.'
5Black Farmers Sue Over Wage Discrimination
Five Black farmers in Mississippi are suing a farm owner for paying white South African guest workers brought in via the H2A visa program higher wages and misclassifying local Black workers as independent contractors to deny them benefits and social security contributions. This practice has been ongoing for about 10 years.
Greg Shell of Southern Migrant Legal Services details the lawsuit against Carr Farms, explaining that South Africans were paid more, received funds for expenses, and local Black workers were treated as independent contractors, denying them social security and workers' compensation.
6Texas Democrats' Failure to Engage Black Voters
Texas State Representative Jolanda Jones delivered a speech at the Texas Democratic Convention, criticizing the party for taking Black voters for granted and failing to invest in Black infrastructure, media, and political consultants. She warned that ignoring Black Texans, who represent the largest group of eligible Black voters in any state, will lead to electoral losses.
Jones states, 'We can earn the black vote. Not assume it, not expect it, BUT EARN IT,' and calls for investment in 'black Texans' and 'black infrastructure' including media and pollsters like Terrence Woodbury.
7Garcelle Beauvais Condemns Megan Kelly's Anti-Haitian Remarks
Haitian-American actress Garcelle Beauvais publicly denounced Megan Kelly's racist comments about Haitian immigrants, emphasizing the community's hard work, gratitude, and significant economic contributions to the U.S., particularly in places like Springfield, Ohio.
Beauvais states, 'Staying silent in the face of racism and hate is something that I refuse to do. The lies that have been spewed about the Haitian community... have been disgusting, deeply hurtful, and dangerous.' Alan O'Neal Jackson further details how Haitians comprise 25% of Springfield, Ohio's population, opened 10+ businesses, and contributed to 8,000 new jobs.
Bottom Line
The Supreme Court's ruling on executive firing power, while seemingly split, creates a precedent where a president can purge independent agencies (like the FTC, SEC, EPA) at will, except for the Federal Reserve. This suggests a judicial bias towards protecting financial stability over consumer/environmental protections.
This could lead to significant regulatory instability and a weakening of agencies meant to curb corporate abuses, potentially unleashing 'smash and grab capitalism' and disproportionately harming consumers and marginalized communities.
Advocates for consumer protection and environmental regulation need to strategize on how to insulate these agencies from political purges, possibly through legislative action or public awareness campaigns highlighting the economic consequences for ordinary citizens.
The Texas Democratic Party's continued failure to financially invest in Black voter outreach, despite Black Texans being the largest eligible Black voting bloc in any state, is a critical blind spot.
This neglect risks continued electoral losses for Democrats in a state that is 'about to turn blue,' as Black voters are increasingly disengaging due to feeling taken for granted and unaddressed needs.
Campaigns need to adopt sophisticated, data-driven strategies that specifically target diverse segments of the Black electorate (e.g., Black men, Black business owners, Black evangelicals) with tailored messages and allocate substantial resources to Black-owned media and grassroots organizations.
Opportunities
Develop and fund specialized political consulting and media buying agencies focused exclusively on Black communities.
These agencies would leverage deep cultural understanding, specific polling data (e.g., from Terrence Woodbury), and established relationships with Black-owned media (like Roland Martin Unfiltered) and local influencers to craft and execute highly effective, targeted voter engagement campaigns for political candidates. This addresses the current gap where Democratic parties fail to invest adequately in Black infrastructure.
Key Concepts
Smash and Grab Capitalism
Described by Ellie Mistl, this model suggests that deregulation allows businesses to exploit consumers without constraint. It is contrasted with the protection afforded to the Federal Reserve by the Supreme Court, which is seen as safeguarding the business investments of the wealthy, while other regulatory bodies are left vulnerable to political interference.
Red Mirage
Explained as the phenomenon where Republicans appear to be winning on election night due to their base voting in person, only for Democratic leads to emerge as mail-in and early votes (which tend to favor Democrats) are counted later. This creates a false early impression of victory for Republicans.
White Man's Burden (Implied)
Used by Jolanda Jones to describe the attitude of some white Democrats who believe they know what is best for Black voters without genuinely listening to their concerns, investing in their communities, or respecting their agency in political decisions. This approach often leads to taking Black votes for granted.
Lessons
- Demand that political parties and candidates allocate significant financial resources to Black-owned media, pollsters, and grassroots organizations to genuinely earn the Black vote, rather than taking it for granted.
- Educate yourself and others on the specific impacts of Supreme Court decisions on executive power, voting rights, and immigration, especially how they might disproportionately affect marginalized communities.
- Support legal advocacy groups like the Mississippi Center for Justice and Southern Migrant Legal Services that are fighting against wage discrimination and exploitation of workers, particularly in agricultural sectors.
Earning the Black Vote: A Campaign Playbook for Democrats
Invest Boldly in Black Infrastructure: Allocate substantial campaign funds to Black-owned media, political consultants, pollsters (e.g., Terrence Woodbury), and grassroots Get Out The Vote (GOTV) organizations, recognizing that inspiration alone does not drive turnout.
Listen and Address Specific Issues: Move beyond monolithic assumptions about Black voters. Engage directly with diverse segments (e.g., Black men, Black business owners, Black evangelicals, activists) to understand their unique concerns (e.g., entrepreneurship, housing costs, local services, not just social programs).
Build Trust and Accountability: Foster genuine relationships with Black elected officials and community leaders, working with them, not around them. Be prepared to have uncomfortable conversations and demonstrate a commitment to their issues through concrete actions and investments.
Quotes
"Legally, there is no distinction to be made between the Federal Reserve and the FTC. Roland, these two institutions were created by Congress one year apart. They were both created by Wil Widrell Wilson, the Fed in 1913 and the FTC in in 1914. Both of these... "
"The Fed, on the other hand, that is protective of the billionaire class. That is protective of the US and global economy. That is protective of the value of the dollar. and John Roberts is like h don't don't mess with my money. So it's literally a situation where if you are a consumer being hurt by these people, John Roberts doesn't have any time for you. But if you are a billionaire who needs the global economy to work the way it does, John Roberts has a lot of time for you."
"We should want every vote counted if we're going to call ourselves a democracy. It's just good government to have people who want to vote, who are eligible to vote, who did vote, to have those votes counted."
"The Fed gets a guardrail because the markets need stability, but everybody else is up for grabs. You know, workers, consumers, civil rights enforcement gets political whiplash every four years..."
"Ignoring that reality won't make it disappear. Telling us we have to vote Democrat won't motivate us to vote. But there is good news. We can earn the black vote. Not assume it, not expect it, BUT EARN IT."
"Our politics live inside grocery bills, hospital bills, school systems, small businesses like you said, sometimes even family drama, right?"
"You can't say there are no American workers willing to do the work while black American workers are standing right there doing the work and being underpaid for it."
"Staying silent in the face of racism and hate is something that I refuse to do. This past week, the lies that have been spewed about the Haitian community, about my community, have been disgusting, deeply hurtful, and dangerous. Now, this is not about politics. It's about humanity."
"Haitians now make up 25% of the population in Springfield, Ohio. At least 10 businesses opened by Haitian immigrants have made significant contributions to the local community. 8,000 new jobs recently created. Data shows that TPS holders contribute over $29 billion to the American economy and they pay almost $8 billion in federal payroll, state and local taxes."
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