HAPPY ROE V. WADE IS OVER? NEW TITLE IX REGS MAKE THAT RISKY TO SAY ON CAMPUS. “The Biden administration’s proposed regulation uses a definition of sexual harassment that is similar to one that was struck down by the federal appeals court in Atlanta… [T]he court noted that it had ‘asked the University’s lawyer a series of questions about whether particular statements would violate the discriminatory-harassment policy: (1) ‘abortion is immoral’; (2) ‘unbridled open immigration is a danger to America on a variety of levels’; and (3) ‘the Palestinian movement is antisemitic.’ The University’s lawyer could not rule out the possibility that such speech would be deemed sexual or racial harassment under the policy’s broad language, without first considering ‘all the facts and circumstances’ surrounding the speech.”

(Bolding is mine.) There’s always another trick up the sleeve, isn’t there?

BIDEN ADMIN BRINGING BACK TITLE IX ABUSE WITH NEW REGS. They eliminate students’ right to a live hearing and to cross-examination and adopt a definition of sexual misconduct that (surprise!) can easily be used to censor political speech. FIRE will, of course, be on the front lines pushing back. And for a refresher, the Martin Center recalls some of the more notorious abuses dating from the Obama years. Expect this stuff to return.

‘[SUPREME] COURT STRIKES DOWN MAINE’S BAN ON USING PUBLIC FUNDS AT RELIGIOUS SCHOOLS.’ Public schools get to indoctrinate kids in the totalizing ideology of “wokeness” because even though it serves as drop-in (if lousy) replacement for religion, it claims to be secular. (This increasingly seems to me to be a “bug” in the Constitution’s language – I don’t think the Founders conceived of replacement religious ideologies that would claim not to be religions.) So it’s only fair that those who prefer their religion to the state-sanctioned one get the opportunity to take their tax dollars elsewhere.

‘TWITTER EMPLOYEES DEBATE BANNING LIBS OF TIKTOK IN LEAKED SCREENSHOTS.’ For reposting already public posts.

Everything about Twitter makes a lot more sense if you consider that it might be an influence-peddling operation masquerading as a for-profit company.

SERIOUSLY, WHO COULD BLAME HIM? Ilya Shapiro resigns from Georgetown Law shortly after reinstatement. His resignation letter is well worth reading.

GINNING UP A WITCH HUNT AT DUKE. In response to email about mandatory diversity training, Duke professor Bryan Cullen wrote, “My initial reaction is I refuse to engage in left-wing Maoist political propaganda workshops.” As if by magic, past, politically based grievances appeared on social media. Will my alma mater be wise enough to stick with its comment so far, which was that it has “nothing to add on this matter?” Time will tell…

WHEN A MEGACORPORATION ACTS LIKE YOUR PASSIVE-AGGRESSIVE EX. “You want to change your iPhone battery yourself? Fine, you can, see what I care.” (The kit do it weighs 79 pounds and comes in two suitcases. Not even kidding.)

2022 HEADLINES: “SCIENTISTS GENE HACK HAMSTERS INTO HYPER-AGGRESSIVE MONSTERS.” While we might lose a cure for cancer, it might be time to shut down most of this gene hacking stuff (including “gain of function” crapola) permanently, by international treaty. If there’s one thing we have learned over the last few years, it’s that these “science uber alles” morons will discard all compunctions if they can make a few bucks.

ICYMI: FED CHAIR POWELL RECONFIRMED FOR SECOND TERM. Is this because he and the Fed did such a bang-up job manipulating the money supply in the last term? What does it take to not be confirmed? The argument for central banks gets lamer every year.

WISCONSIN MIDDLE SCHOOLERS CHARGED WITH TITLE IX VIOLATION FOR USING ‘INCORRECT PRONOUNS.’ In this case, “they/them.”

“ULTRA-MAGA” TOOK SIX MONTHS? I’d do it in six minutes for half the price!

YA THINK? “If there’s an online discussion about race, using the term ‘white privilege’ can create a polarized situation, researchers report.”

I find that my own arguments do indeed go over less well when I start out by saying “First of all, you unavoidably suck because of who you are.”

CAN DOGECOIN FIX TWITTER’S BOT PROBLEM? Newly relevant since, as Stephen reports, Musk says his purchase is held up over Twitter’s claim that it’s less than 5% bots. I am enthusiastic about cryptocurrencies, but boy is the bot problem more easily solvable for 99% of people:

1. Make it so everyone can pay $1 a month via credit card with a name for a blue check verification (instead of it being some weird pseudo-endorsement granted by our unseen overlords).
2. Make it so users can choose to see only blue checks if they want, or blue checks and things they retweet. Or both, whatever.
3. Twitter gets millions in revenue, people are spared bots if they choose, and anonymous speech is still fine and available for folks who might want it (like Libs of TikTok) and who offer interesting material. Any blue checks lying about who they are are committing credit card fraud.

Or some variety of that, anyway. Practically every legitimate political problem with social media is solved if you let users choose their filters rather than leave it to companies to choose what you can I can see. The political problem this does not solve is silencing your opponents “disinformation,” which is why nobody seems to want to suggest this most obvious of solutions.

HOW THE JACOBINS GOT CONTROL OF NORTH CAROLINA’S BIG 4 UNIVERSITIES. With an E.B. White quote I had never heard, but which is increasingly topical:

One need only watch totalitarians at work to see that once men gain power over other men’s minds, that power is never used sparingly or wisely, but lavishly and brutally and with unspeakable results.

JUSTICE DELAYED (SIX YEARS!) IS JUSTICE DENIED: Drake University’s student senate discriminates against its Turning Point USA chapter and denies it official recognition due to ‘harmful’ views. And this time they can’t even blame the “Drake Comrades.”

WHO WROTE IT BETTER?

Washington Post: Ignore the hysteria over the Disinformation Governance Board (this is an alternate link; original is paywalled)

Babylon Bee: Trump Announces First Move After 2024 Victory Will Be Appointing Himself Head Of Disinformation Board

One of these takes on the new agency shows a competent grasp of history, politics, and philosophy. The other is the Washington Post.

SATANIC TEMPLE CONSIDERING OPENING ABORTION CLINICS, SAYS IT’S THEIR RELIGIOUS RITUAL. Super on-brand for Satan, or brilliant pro-life psyop?

RELEASE THE FINAL DOBBS OPINION NOW. Justice Alito has reportedly been moved to an “undisclosed location” as angry protesters show up at justices’ houses. If Roberts waits too long in the name of the Court’s inexplicable desire to dump big-time opinions on the last day of the term and someone hurts or kills a justice in the meantime, that’s going to be on him, and the resulting explosion will be a disaster for all of us.

This may be the new normal and justices will just have to learn to deal with it going forward (like other politicians, which is what justices unavoidably are now thanks to years of bad decisions), but they’re not ready yet.

NPR GUIDANCE FOR TALKING ABOUT ABORTION CERTAINLY IS…SOMETHING. Jonathan Turley linked to this for other reasons, but, well, you have to read it to believe it. Stare agog at passages as bad or worse than this one:

Is taking “baby” and “mother” and “life” out of the conversation profoundly biased in favor of those in favor of abortion rights? Science would say no.

Oh really? Would “science” do that? I don’t think even most ardent pro-choicers usually take the issue of life or when it begins “out of the conversation.” But don’t worry, “science” has more!

Scientists have widely differing opinions on when life begins…

Again, do they? NPR thinks the Perseverance rover is looking for evidence of newborn human babies on Mars?

This stuff is only the beginning of the logical pretzels you will encounter. You don’t have to be pro-choice or pro-life to find this embarrassing for NPR. But then what do I know about life? I’m not a biologist.

THERE IS NOTHING NEW UNDER THE SUN. As the Babylon Bee points out using satire, what has been done is being done again. But by far more ridiculous people.

WELCOME TO THE FRICKIN’ PARTY, PAL! I dare you to find a clip more exasperating than this about Musk’s takeover of Twitter. “Saying the quiet part out loud,” indeed. (Sent to me by a colleague.)

THE RISE OF “CONTRACT GRADING.” Sounds kind of like a “labor theory of grading” to me. Doesn’t sound like a great idea if you want good performance, but I admit I would have loved this in math class…

SHAWNEE STATE U SETTLES WITH PROF IT PUNISHED FOR FAILURE TO USE PREFERRED PRONOUNS. “[T]he university agreed to pay $400,000 in damages and Meriwether’s attorneys’ fees. Additionally, considering the 6th Circuit’s ruling, the university is rescinding the written warning it issued Meriwether in June 2018.” Pricey.

NA NA NA NA, NA NA NA NA, HEY HEY HEY, GOODBYE. “A federal judge has struck down the CDC’s mask mandate for airports, train stations and other transport hubs.” (At least until the proverbial Hawaiian judge strikes down the strikedown, I assume…)

I MEAN SURE, MAYBE… The Twitterati are taking this whole “possible free speech” thing super well and I, for one, am glad they are the people who set the agenda for our public discussion.