Daily Skimm: Justice Clarence Thomas, Tennessee, and Peeps

top story

Clarence Thomas

The Story

Everyone’s talking about Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas.

Explain.

Yesterday, ProPublica published a report that found Thomas accepted luxury trips from Dallas real estate mogul and Republican megadonor Harlan Crow for more than 20 years. According to the report, Thomas and his wife, Ginni, jet-setted around the world to places like New Zealand and Indonesia using Crow’s private jet and his superyacht. Crow reportedly helped fund a museum about Thomas in his hometown and donated $500,000 to Ginni’s now-defunct conservative group. ProPublica said Thomas has not reported any of these trips on his financial disclosures — the thing justices and all senior federal personnel are supposed to do to ensure they're not swayed by outside influences. Now, people are asking if the supremes need tighter ethical guidelines in place.

Tell me more.

While there aren't many restrictions on the types of gifts justices can receive, they're required to report anything worth more than $415. Trips on private jets cost a bit more than that. The report is reigniting calls from Democratic lawmakers for the highest court in the land to adopt ethics rules. Some are calling for Thomas to be impeached. It's not the first time the court's senior-most justice has raised ethics concerns. Just last year, it was revealed that Ginni played a role in trying to overturn the 2020 election results — which led to calls for Thomas to recuse himself from election-related cases.

What are others saying?

All of this has Americans feeling concerned about Thomas’ ability to be impartial. Especially since there are still some big decisions on the way for issues like reproductive and transgender rights. Speaking of, yesterday, Thomas was one of two justices to dissent in a West Virginia case to allow a 12-year-old transgender girl to play sports.

theSkimm
The Supreme Court has come under increased scrutiny in recent years — from the Roe v. Wade leak to reversing long-standing laws — under a conservative majority. Now, a branch that is supposed to be impartial has a majority of Americans believing that their partisan views have influenced major rulings.

Related Stories

What Is Court Packing And Has It Been Done Before?

A Puppy, A Zebra, And What Else US Presidents Have Been Gifted

Only One Supreme Court Justice Has Ever Been Impeached: Bacon Face

and also...this

Where there’s outrage…

Tennessee. Yesterday, the state’s Republican-led House expelled two Black Democratic lawmakers over their protests in the chamber. Last week, State Reps Justin Jones, Justin Pearson, and Gloria Johnson — now known as the "Tennessee Three" — called for gun reforms in response to the deadly shooting at a Christian school in Nashville. All three were stripped of their committee assignments. And state Republicans called for their expulsion, saying the trio broke decades-old House rules and brought “disorder and dishonor" to the chamber. Now, Jones and Pearson have been voted out of office. But a third vote to expel Johnson, who is white, failed. It’s reportedly only the third time an expulsion vote in Tennessee has happened since the 1860s. There will be special elections to fill the two now vacant seats.

The reaction: The results of the votes led to accusations of racism. Pearson said “the racial dynamic” couldn’t be ignored. And when asked why she thought she wasn’t expelled, Johnson said, “It might have to do with the color of our skin.” State Republican leaders denied that race was a factor, adding that the majority voted for Johnson to be expelled. Meanwhile, Jones said the expulsions were a “farce of democracy.”

Where tensions are rising…

The Middle East. Yesterday, the Israeli military struck southern Lebanon and Gaza in an apparent response to an earlier rocket barrage. Israeli officials blamed the Palestinian militant group Hamas for firing nearly three dozen rockets into Israel, reportedly hurting two people and damaging several buildings. It’s considered the worst violence between Lebanon and Israel since 2006. And it all comes amid high tensions as Jews celebrate Passover and Muslims observe Ramadan. Earlier this week, Israeli police raided the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound — a site that's sacred to Muslims but also to Jews who know it as Temple Mount. Officers arrested hundreds of Palestinians, drawing condemnation from the Arab world and leading to Gaza firing rockets in retaliation. Now, a UN peacekeeping force is calling the situation “extremely serious” and warning all sides against further escalation.

What’s looking to make changes…

The Biden admin. Yesterday, the Education Dept announced a proposal that would restrict schools from banning transgender athletes on sports teams. Under Title IX, sex discrimination is prohibited in federally funded schools. Now, the Biden admin wants to make sure trans athletes are covered under that law. It comes as 20 states have measures banning trans students from playing on teams that match their gender identity. The Education Dept said the plan’s to help create “equal opportunity in athletics.” But some trans rights advocates worry the change could lead to more discrimination. That’s because the proposal would give high schools and colleges the flexibility to ban some trans athletes, if fairness is a concern. The proposal will undergo a public comment period and is expected to face challenges.

Who's saying 'allow me to re-introduce myself'…

The IRS. Yesterday, the department unveiled its $80 billion plan to reinvent itself. On the to-do list: hiring additional staff, honing in on tax evasion, and updating old tech. The IRS said the funding for this project is for much-needed help since the IRS has been dealing with backlogs since the 2022 tax season.

…Oh and Speaking of tax season, a friendly reminder to file your taxes by April 18. Here are 11 forms to get done before the deadline, and here's where you can file your taxes for free. You're welcome.