05/21/24
Good morning! It’s Tuesday, May 21st.
International Tea Day.
But tea like tea. Like a cuppa. Not tea like gossip. Though tea with tea sounds lovely!
And now, the news.
Update on Iran
Let’s start in Iran, where the death of their president has raised questions about the political future of the country.
First, the way things work in Iran is that there is, obviously, a president. But unlike here where the president is the biggest promotion you can get (besides, of course, the Supreme Court where no one questions your work, you never have to run for election, and sometimes you get to fly a flag upside-down while also flying on a private plane paid for by people buying your vote), in Iran there is a Supreme Leader.
The Supreme Leader makes decisions on the economy, foreign policy, education, national planning, and really anything else to do with the government in Iran.
The President answers to the Supreme Leader.
The President is elected, the Supreme Leader is appointed.
President Ebrahim Raisi, who died over the weekend in a helicopter crash, was once seen as the next Supreme Leader.
So what happens now?
In the immediate, the power of the presidency has been transferred to Vice President Mohammad Mokhber. Sanam Vakil, director of the Middle East and North Africa program at the Chatham House think tank in London, told CNN that Mokhber is likely to just run a “business as usual” model for a while.
However, by law, Iran now must hold an election in the next 50 days.
It’s expected to extremely low turnout (and you know how I feel about that!). That belief is based on their March turnout, which saw the lowest turnout since the Islamic Republic’s 1979 founding. Thanks to a boycott because many believed the election was a sham, that turnout was 41% and the result was the barring of moderate politicians and the election of more hardliners.
And while every election matters, that March election was for parliament and the 88-member Assembly of Experts (which is a wild name. Imagine if that’s what we called Congress here?). That group is in charge of appointing the Supreme Leader.
So now we’ve got an election that needs to take place in the next 50 days in a country where turnout is expected to stay low because of a lack of belief in the system, and that’s where the next president will come from.
And on top of that, the last election also saw low turnout because of that same lack of faith in the system and gave the country an ultraconservative group of people that will choose the next Supreme Leader to eventually replace the 85-year-old one.
So it’s unclear what, if anything, will change in this exact moment. But expect this next election to be closely watched, as the future of Iran’s party politics are truly unknown.
Paul Pelosi’s Attacker to be Resentenced
-via AP News
Citing a “clear error” on her own part, the federal judge who sentenced the man who attacked Paul Pelosi will reopen the sentencing hearing.
On Friday, Paul Pelosi’s attacker was sentenced to a 20 years for attempting to kidnap Nancy Pelosi, and 30 years for attacking Paul Pelosi – duel sentences to run concurrently. He was also given credit for the 18 months he’s already served.
However, she did not allow Pelosi’s attacker, David DePape, to make a statement before sentencing. Neither the defense nor prosecution called the judge out on it, but in her filing over the weekend the judge wrote, “Nonetheless, it was the Court’s responsibility to personally ask Mr. DePape if he wanted to speak.”
Upon hearing that a judge admitted to making a mistake and working to correct it, Justices Alito and Thomas said I truly can’t even believe this. This is shocking and stressful. I need to hop on the first private flight out of here, to see the Alps and just… relax. We’re the worst!
Maryland Assault Weapons Ban
-via CBS News
On Monday, the Supreme Court declined to take up Maryland’s assault weapons ban, leaving in place a law that makes it a crime to possess, sell, transfer, or purchase an "assault long gun," while a variety of semiautomatic handguns and rifles are still allowed.
By declining to hear the case, they’ll allow the lower courts happenings to play out – expect it to find its way back to the Supreme Court eventually.
What the Court will look like when it does, well that depends a whole lot on us and who we elect as the next president. Could be just me, but it sure feels like the last guy who got to pick THREE Justices did a terrible job. Let’s make sure we don’t give Trump power over the Court, or anything else, frankly, ever again.
Trump Prosecution Rests
-via Washington Post
And finally – the prosecution rests.
That’s right, in Trump’s 2016 election interference crimes case, the prosecution has officially rested. The defense will now bring their own witnesses ahead closing arguments that are expected to come as early as next week.
Exciting!
You know, my birthday’s coming up – if 12 New Yorkers are looking to get me something for my big day… doing the right thing and finding him guilty would be pretty exciting…
And that’s it. That’s the news.
I’m proud of tea! I love a nice little cuppa in the morning. And at night. And with whiskey.
But more than that… because you are also comforting – I’m proud of you.