Michael Gauger

As Iran War Pushes Up Oil Prices, Putin Can Barely Conceal a Smirk The Trump administration has rolled back some efforts to put pressure on Russia’s economy, and held out the possibility of easing sanctions further.

www.wsj.com/world/russia...

Join us tomorrow for a conversation with Kate Epstein on her new book "Analog Superpowers: How Twentieth-Century Technology Theft Built the National Security State." @uchicagopress.bsky.social
Info & free registration here: blog.smu.edu/cph/event/an...

Another L for President Loser

There Is No U.S. Plan on Iran Maybe, just maybe, the Trump Administration does not know what it is doing in Iran.

"The more we learn about Trump’s decision-making process to bomb Iran, however, the clearer it becomes that there is no real strategy or end goal." @dandrezner.bsky.social danieldrezner.substack.com/p/on-iran-th...

Rethinking RBG’s Incrementalism David S. Cohen & Elizabeth Kukura When Ruth Bader Ginsburg died in September 2020, commentators piled on the laudatory adjectives to describe her career: feminist, trailblazer, icon, notorious, advocate, pioneer, and more. But amidst this string of praise frequently appeared another adjective, one that tempered the impression of Justice Ginsburg as a path-marking radical: incrementalist. This characterization of Ginsburg has a long pedigree, some of her own making, as she and others used the label throughout her career to describe a lawyer and judge who took measured steps to accomplish long-term goals. With the frequent repetition of this particular description, it seems clear that the idea of Ginsburg as incrementalist appeals to admirers of Ginsburg’s career and legal accomplishments. For many, it may feel intuitive to read Ginsburg’s success in changing legal norms regarding sex discrimination and sex equality through a lens of incrementalism because, as social theory tells us, when legal changes outpace public opinion and conditions on the ground, backlash occurs. The incrementalist label may also accord with public perception of Ginsburg’s appearance. Her proper, conservative dress and manner combined with her modest physical stature projected quite the opposite of a firebrand or radical. This Article challenges the traditional understanding of Ginsburg as an incrementalist. We draw on the briefs she wrote and her arguments before the Supreme Court, the positions she took as a jurist, and her own scholarly writings to suggest a more accurate assessment of Ginsburg as a bold advocate whose conviction in the justness of her cause led her to seek profound changes in American law and culture over a relatively short period of time, rather than support half-measures in pursuit of a long-term goal. Whatever the reason for the appeal of the incrementalist label, calling both lawyer Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Justice Ruth Bader Ginsb…

I'm excited about this one. @lizkukura.bsky.social and I have a new paper up on SSRN arguing that the conventional wisdom about Justice Ginsburg -- that she was an incrementalist as an attorney and judge -- is wrong.

We look at her briefs, oral arguments, law review articles, and opinions. /1

Cornyn knows that Senate Majority Leader John Thune doesn't have the votes to nuke the filibuster for the SAVE Act. He doesn't even believe this. He is just trying to force Paxton out of the race. But it makes him look weak. He's playing on Paxton's turf.

The Federal Government has not demonstrated a strong likelihood of success on the merits or “serious legal questions” coupled with a balance of hardships tipping decidedly in its favor. Any harm from the investigation- specific disqualification is abstract at best, whereas granting a stay would reinstate an official who acted without lawful authority -- a clear injury to the State Government. The public interest likewise favors ensuring that governmental power is exercised only by officials with lawful authority. Each factor, and all four taken together, weigh against granting a stay.

Another defeat for another unconstitutionally appointed Trump DOJ prosecutor:

Ex-Trump campaign lawyer John Sarcone will remain disqualified as U.S. Attorney for Albany, and his subpoenas to Letitia James' office will stay quashed.

He's not likely to succeed on appeal, a judge finds.

you can tell Wired has been doing good journalism lately because there's been increased whining by the extraction class about how Wired mysteriously changed in the decade since tech titans fully revealed themselves as sociopaths

from this recent Dorsey interview:

The interesting thing about this trade was not just that it cut gas prices for American drivers (which was helpful for individuals but bad for the climate) but also how it set an example of how government might guide all manner of markets. The global oil market, like most commodity markets, tends to be highly erratic—depending not just on thousands of production and distribution networks spread all over the globe, but also highly complex associated financial markets and the whims of oil-producing states like Russia and Saudi Arabia. That’s a recipe for major and unpredictable price swings. Biden’s big trade acted as a shock absorber for the entire oil system. By selling off such a huge amount, and credibly promising to keep doing it, he caused oil futures traders to assume the price was going to fall, which became a self-fulfilling prophecy. Conversely, by credibly committing to start buying again once oil reached a lower price—just a bit above where fracking pencils out, which was not a coincidence—Biden gave producers a strong incentive to invest and boost production, rather than holding back out of fear the price would soon collapse. That ensured that the price reduction created by selling off SPR oil would be sustained over the medium term—and in the process, it broke the stranglehold OPEC had on oil prices. This kind of “price guardrails” strategy could be done in all kinds of markets where a consistent supply at a reasonably stable price is important—food, lithium, steel, copper, rare earth minerals, semiconductors, computer memory, you name it.

recalling today how Biden's One Big Oil Trade was an example for how all kinds of markets could be stabilized prospect.org/2026/03/11/i...

I would add: even if you don’t call yourself a legal historian but study history involving law-ish stuff, you’ll find a welcoming, friendly and brilliant group of scholars at ASLH!

Report Confirms Columbia Ignored Decades of Doctor’s Sexual Abuse Columbia commissioned the report after ProPublica’s investigation into how the university protected former OB-GYN Robert Hadden. The school also announced the resignation of two top doctors who were i...

NEW: Decades after patients first warned Columbia University that one of its doctors sexually abused them, the school is acknowledging a culture of silence that allowed the abuse to continue and some school administrators are finally facing consequences.

Democrats Score Stunning Victory in District Trump Won Easily in 2024 Republicans should consider this a major warning sign.

Democrats have now flipped a district in a special election for the 10th time since President Trump returned to office. If alarms weren’t already going off for the GOP ahead of this year’s midterms, they certainly are now. trib.al/uCEpKFY

The problem is, everyone I’ve spoken to in MAGAworld content creation — comms staff, influencers, whomever — knows their identity. In off-the-record conversations, people will simply tell me their name as soon as I ask the question, as they’re familiar with the memelord’s style from interactions in the disappearing MAGA group chats. (I do have to pause for a second and acknowledge that the meme zoomers have better opsec than the senior officials who did Signalgate a year ago.) But the moment I ask if they’d be willing to go on background about it — surely they aren’t Nazis, and shouldn’t they call out behavior in their own ranks? — sources immediately clam up. If I prod, they’ll shrug it off as everyone’s just having fun.

So @tinanguyen.bsky.social has spent weeks trying to identify the person at DHS who posts all the racist memes, and instead uncovered a fascinating code of silence: everyone in Trump's Washington knows who it is, but refuses to say. Gift link! -> www.theverge.com/column/89298...

what in the world

The party of free speech strikes again!

I mean, Republicans have to keep up with DOGE somehow

Look around. The case for more, not less, liberal arts education is stronger than ever.

How comfortable would you feel walking through a field if someone told you "We took out most of the mines"

Mike Luckovich, Atlanta Journal Constitution

Right. The question we should be asking is not, "What are the 10 biggest MAGA influencers saying about the war?"

Rather, the question is: "What's going on with all those low engagement young, nonwhite, and working class voters? How are they perceiving the war?"

Was it the same person who said that he was glad Trump won so they could say the r word again?

Gas prices have risen for the 11th day in a row since Trump started war with Iran.

The national average has risen 20%, now at $3.58 a gallon.

When I asked Grassley about Trump saying there are almost no more targets in Iran, he says “Why don't you ask me your question and leave Trump out of it?”

Please tell me that someone has created a “Jim Cramer index” comprised of stocks he’s promoted. I would be interested to see how it has performed historically.

Dozens of U.S. service members in Kuwait suffered serious injuries, including burns, brain trauma and shrapnel wounds, sources say About 30 U.S. service members remained hospitalized Tuesday after an Iranian drone strike in Kuwait.

“An Iranian drone attack in Kuwait that killed six U.S. service members in the early hours of the war with Iran was more severe than has previously been revealed, with dozens suffering injuries including brain trauma, shrapnel wounds and burns.”

Did DoD soft pedal?

www.cbsnews.com/news/strike-...

"But he can't do that"

Yes, like he can't do all the other things.

Again, it is not doomerism to ponder these scenarios, which are obviously illegal & unconstitutional, because the institutions are not self-enforcing, & he's gotten away with all the other things so far.

bsky.app/profile/mcop...

Funding for this essential birth control and repro health program expires on April 1. But HHS hasn't even sent out the GUIDANCE that groups need in order to apply for the next round. That was supposed to happen by the end of 2025 👀

NEW: Confidence in the Supreme Court has dropped to a new low, according to the latest NBC News polling.

Details:
www.nbcnews.com/politics/sup...

Pentagon bars press photographers over ‘unflattering’ Hegseth photos Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s staff took issue with photos taken in a rare briefing last week and decided to shut out press photographers from two subsequent news conferences.

Scoop: The Pentagon barred press photographers from briefings on the ongoing U.S.-Israeli military conflict with Iran after they published photos of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth that his staff deemed "unflattering."

Billionaires’ % share of federal election spending in:

2008: 0.3%

2024: 19%

@nytimes.com #GildedAge
www.nytimes.com/2026/03/09/u...