Category Archives: Law

Climate Change

It has (finally) run its course:

A good indicator of why climate change as an issue is over can be found early in the text of the Paris Agreement. The “nonbinding” pact declares that climate action must include concern for “gender equality, empowerment of women, and intergenerational equity” as well as “the importance for some of the concept of ‘climate justice.’ ” Another is Sarah Myhre’s address at the most recent meeting of the American Geophysical Union, in which she proclaimed that climate change cannot fully be addressed without also grappling with the misogyny and social injustice that have perpetuated the problem for decades.

The descent of climate change into the abyss of social-justice identity politics represents the last gasp of a cause that has lost its vitality. Climate alarm is like a car alarm—a blaring noise people are tuning out.

On the other hand, next month will be the sixth anniversary of the blog post that Michael Mann is suing me for. It’s been almost a year and a half since we requested an en banc rehearing of our appeal in the case to the DC court of appeals, with no response.

Presidential Pardon Power

I was arguing about this on Twitter this weekend. Yes, Trump can pardon himself. There is nothing in Article II to prevent it, other than in the case of impeachment.

Here’s the funny thing, though. Because Barack Obama didn’t pardon himself before he left office, he is now subject to prosecution for acts of abuse of power while he was president. Of course, Trump could pardon him. But why would he?

The Trump-Russia Investigation

It didn’t originate with Page or Papadopoulos; it originated with the Obama administration.

[Wednesday-morning update]

Civil war within the FBI? Some agents want Congress to subpoena them to get their stories out. I hope they oblige them.

[Update a few minutes later]

James Clapper: Leaker, liar, sleazeball.

[Update a couple minutes later]

Clapper just lied again about his previous lies.