aubiefifty

i might be up for biden pardoning trump once he is found guilty of a bunch of stuff. i read an opinion piece about this and it made sense. but i do not want to give trump leeway to run again after all the crap he has done. no one should be above the law. the country is not ready for a president to be jailed but we have to have some kind of laws even for presidents. we act like our pols are sacred but they are all mostly crooks who managed to get elected. it is the office that should be sacred and honored by those chosen to lead our country. we tend to get these confused. we need to get this country back working for the good of the country and not political parties. we are polarized to the point where it is hurting us. i will not see it in my lifetime i do not think. when dark money flooded our politics { and i wonder how clarence voted on that dark money? wink} people mostly ran to get rich and play with power and not do right for the overall good of the country.

al.com Hugh Freeze wants to address 5 positions during spring transfer portal window Updated: Apr. 06, 2023, 1:05 p.m.|Published: Apr. 06, 2023, 12:20 p.m. 6–7 minutes As Auburn’s first spring under Hugh Freeze winds down this week, officially wrapping up with Saturday’s A-Day game at Jordan-Hare Stadium, the Tigers’ new head coach is already thinking about the next steps. A week after Auburn’s spring game, the spring transfer portal window will open, running from April 15-30 after the NCAA moved it up two weeks from its original May 1 start date. Auburn was among the most active teams in the first transfer window at the end of last season, adding a dozen players at key positions during a busy and prosperous push by Freeze and his staff. Read more Auburn football: Ole Miss transfer Austin Keys “everything” Auburn thought he’d be at linebacker “Disruptive” Maryland transfer Mosiah Nasili-Kite one of Auburn’s top risers this spring Cadillac Williams continues to deliver for Auburn on recruiting trail While Auburn addressed several needs during that first window, the Tigers aren’t done yet. Freeze wants to add players — assuming he can find the right fit — at five positions during the spring transfer window. “None of us have dealt with this spring portal,” Freeze said Thursday during an appearance on The Hard Count with J.D. Pickell of On3. “This will be our first experience with it. It can affect you both ways: I think you can lose some that you may not want to lose, and obviously you hope that there’s some out there that you can track to help create more depth and experience on our team…. We’ll take a few more O-linemen. We’ll take another safety, another corner, a rush guy. We’ll take a quarterback, possibly, if it’s the right now. “I mean, we’re open. So, I’m curious to see kind of who all goes in.” As of Thursday, Auburn is at 86 projected scholarships for the 2023 season. That’s one more than the NCAA limit of 85. That number is sure to change, as Auburn — like most programs — will experience some post-spring attrition of its own while trying to address those positions Freeze aims to prioritize in the portal. “We are open to the portal business for anyone that fits our culture at Auburn and can help us improve our team quickly,” Freeze said last week. With that in mind, let’s take a look at how each of those five positions currently looks for Auburn just ahead of A-Day and before what’s sure to be another frantic portal period: Quarterback It’s no surprise that Freeze mentioned the most important position on the field. The Tigers have three quarterbacks who have been competing for the job this spring — returning starter Robby Ashford, last year’s opening-game starter T.J. Finley and redshirt freshman Holden Geriner — and the competition will run well into the fall, as Freeze and offensive coordinator Philip Montgomery take their time in evaluating the quarterback room. Auburn, which will bring in freshman Hank Brown this offseason, already tried to add a quarterback during the initial transfer window, with NC State transfer Devin Leary visiting campus before committing to Kentucky. Coastal Carolina’s Grayson McCall was also reportedly set to visit before withdrawing from the portal and returning to the Chanticleers. It’ll be interesting to see who enters the portal this spring that could pique Freeze’s interest and add another layer to the Tigers’ quarterback competition. Edge rusher Another one that’s not a surprise, as Freeze has publicly stated on more than one occasion that Auburn is “deficient in true pass-rushers” and needs to add more talent to a thin group at the Jack linebacker position. Auburn already added Vanderbilt transfer Elijah McAllister during the first window, and true freshman Keldric Faulk has been the talk of spring practices. Auburn only has two other scholarship players in a room that lost Derick Hall, Eku Leota and Marcus Bragg from last year’s roster: former four-star recruit Dylan Brooks and true freshman Brenton Williams. Cornerback Auburn has some quality talent in its cornerback room, with starters Nehemiah Pritchett and D.J. James both back for their senior season after opting not to enter the NFL Draft. Behind them, however, things have been thin this spring, especially with sophomore J.D. Rhym sidelined with a lower-body injury. That has limited Auburn to three outside corners on scholarship, with true freshman Kayin Lee (another spring standout who will factor into the equation in the secondary this season) joining Pritchett and James. Reinforcements are on the way this summer, with a trio of 2023 signees joining the fold: Tyler Scott, Colton Hood and JC Hart, though the latter could reportedly start his career at receiver after being a two-way standout at Loachapoka. Safety Auburn’s top-four options at safety have been fairly consistent during spring practice, with Jaylin Simpson and Zion Puckett both back, and Marquise Gilbert and Cayden Bridges returning behind them. Other guys have repped on the back end of the secondary while also rotating at the Star position (Donovan Kaufman, Caleb Wooden, Austin Ausberry among them). Of course, in this age of college football, you can never have too many capable defensive backs. Offensive line Auburn overhauled its offensive line this offseason, with the addition of three key transfers who have slotted into starting roles this spring: left tackle Dillon Wade (Tulsa), center Avery Jones (Eastern Carolina) and right tackle Gunner Britton (Western Kentucky). That’s on top of adding top JUCO transfer Izavion Miller and highly regarded freshman Connor Lew, both of whom have made an impact this spring. Auburn also welcomed freshman early enrollees Clay Wedin and Bradyn Joiner, while fellow 2023 signee Tyler Johnson will arrive this summer. In all, Auburn has 16 scholarship offensive linemen in place for the fall. That number could change, of course, with any outgoing transfers at the end of spring. Tom Green is an Auburn beat reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Tomas_Verde.

it never popped up on yahoo. the last i read was taking minors across state lines and all that. i guess someone paid off the right people on your side huh? that is what you do right?

at the end of the day if someone i think is better than biden i will look long and hard at them. but i like biden. he helped the little people. and we needed it. trump did just a little but then gave trillions in tax cuts to the filthy rich who do not even need it. trump screwed up a lot of things but you guys will never admit it. his delays on covid got people killed. fact. liar. fact cheat. fact. adulterer.fact dishonest.fact uses christianity to further his own cause.fact. no my problem starte when a 13 0r 14 yeqr old little girl brought rape charges against trump and filed them in court. weird some stranger walks up and tells the family to drop it or people will die. irt scared them so bad they dropped the charges. that started it all. i read the whole thing on snopes. is it still there? i would be shocked if it was. and the fake glory of giving our war vets a free airplane ride when in fact he lied about it and he charged the army. enough for now as i think you get the picture.

trump lashed out at everyone. he used people until he no longer needed them. it used to be we honored our war dead and our POW's. and you people did the same damn thing to bill. he had an affair and lied about it.yall made him grovel on world news. you guys censured him and you probably forgot but many on your side wanted him impeached and removed. by the way i am not paying or even registering to read that mess. the link is faulty an cannot be read. but i addressed what i could anyway..............grins

majorie did the same damn thing and not one thing happened. see how that works? and how much longer are yoooooooooouuuuuu righties going to allow the getz or however you spell his name........the ped keep on working. you guy seem to hate peds until it is one of yours. prove me wrong.

yes i do. on all of it? probably not. the rapes or assaults are still waiting. he probably would have never had to release his taxes which everyone else die but HE has sh* t to hide. the fact so many do not see through him just blows my mind. let me say there are a lot of stupid people in this country and your side mostly fell for all of it. and some still have not changed their mind about him. and there is no doubt he is a turd.

they protested at a recess. how soon you forget majorie greene and others antics during sessions at the capital and they were never reprimanded. ol teenage girl chase was part of it. majorie should have been kicked out hollering at trump during his address the nation speech. state of the union! thats it. so again you are being hypocritical because it is your side doing it it is ok but anyone else? nope. lets run over them if they get in the road. lets arrest them. lets beat em. try harder.

let me back up here as i misunderstood. first i have not liked trump for over forty years. i told you and others he was sorry and a turd way before he ever thought of running for office. most people that voted for hillary did not care much for her but they voted for her because they were afraid of what crap trump would pull. so lets try and be honest ok?

i know this is a huge victory for you....................enjoy it knowing you are a hypocrite.

Auburn basketball a finalist for experienced Georgia transfer guard Published: Apr. 06, 2023, 1:51 p.m. 4–5 minutes Georgia guard Kario Oquendo drives past Georgia Tech guard Kyle Sturdivant during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Tuesday, Dec. 6, 2022, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Hakim Wright Sr.)AP Auburn is a finalist for an experienced SEC guard from one of its biggest rivals as Bruce Pearl looks to restructure the Tigers’ roster this offseason. Kario Oquendo, who was Georgia’s second-leading scorer this season, announced Thursday that he is prioritizing four schools as he makes his transfer decision this offseason: Auburn, Oregon, Utah and Nebraska. “I am extremely grateful for all the schools that reached out showing interest in recruiting me but going forward I will be prioritizing these four schools,” Oquendo posted on Twitter. Read more Auburn basketball: Auburn commit, Baker star Labaron Philon named 2023 Mr. Basketball Auburn officially returning to Maui Invitational in 2024 Who does Auburn turn to at point guard next season after Wendell Green Jr. opts to go pro? The 6-foot-4 guard averaged 12.7 points and 2.6 rebounds for Georgia this season, finishing the year as the Bulldogs’ second-leading scorer behind fellow guard Terry Roberts. Oquendo spent the last two seasons at Georgia after starting his career at Florida SouthWestern State College, a junior college in Cypress Lake, Fla. In his two years with the Bulldogs, Oquendo averaged 14 points, 3.5 rebounds and nearly one steal per game. He started 59 of the 60 games he appeared in for Georgia and was the team’s leading scorer (15.2 points per game) during the 2021-22 season. While Oquendo is not the best outside shooter (just 27 percent from 3-point range at Georgia), he is a bigger attacking guard who shot 42.6 overall the last two seasons, including 53.6 percent from inside the arc. Oquendo’s offensive numbers per 40 minutes are also noteworthy, averaging 20.4 points, five rebounds, one assist and 1.2 steals. He would not be the first transfer Pearl has plucked from Georgia, having added K.D. Johnson from the Bulldogs two seasons ago. Oquendo is one of a handful of guard Auburn has been targeting in the transfer portal since the season ended, as the program must replace starting point guard Wendell Green Jr., starting two-guard Zep Jasper and versatile freshman Chance Westry. Green earlier this week declared for the NBA Draft, while Jasper has exhausted his college eligibility and Westry entered the transfer portal last week (along with freshman combo forward Yohan Traore). Some of the other guards Auburn has targeted in the portal, along with Oquendo, are Rice transfer Quincy Olivari, FIU transfer Denver Jones, Temple transfer Damian Dunn, Tulane’s Jalen Cook, Ole Miss’ Amaree Abram, Syracuse’s Joe Girard and Northern Arizona’s Jalen Cone, among others. Pearl visited Olivari in Houston prior to the Final Four, according to Fox 26 in Houston, while Jones is set to take a visit to Auburn this weekend, according to On3. Auburn currently has four scholarship spots to fill heading into the 2023-24 season -- and that’s with counting seniors Allen Flanigan, Jaylin Williams and Stretch Akingbola, each of whom have an extra year of eligibility but have yet to announce their plans one way or another. Including those three, Auburn is slated to return eight players from a team that went 21-13 this season and will add 2023 point guard signee Aden Holloway, a McDonald’s All-American. Tom Green is an Auburn beat reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Tomas_Verde. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation.

ell i am not sure if this should be in recruiting or not. my apologies if you have to move it. al.com Auburn commit Labaron Philon named ASWA Mr. Basketball Updated: Apr. 06, 2023, 2:47 p.m.|Published: Apr. 06, 2023, 1:13 p.m. 6–8 minutes Baker junior point guard and Auburn commit Labaron Philon is must-see TV. “When he is on the floor, your eyes never leave him,” Huntsville High coach Christian Schweers said. “You can’t help but watch him and see what happens next.” “What’s next” for Philon is winning Mr. Basketball. The 6-foot-4 standout was crowned Thursday with that award at the Alabama Sports Writers Association’s annual Player of the Year banquet sponsored by ALFA Insurance and the Alabama High School Coaches and Athletic Directors Association. Philon also was named Class 7A Player of the Year for the second straight season. RELATED: Hoover’s Reniya Kelly wins Miss Basketball “It’s a great achievement for me and for the kids at home at the park I used to play at,” Philon said. “We have some good kids out there. I’m hoping this will help inspire them and, hopefully, they will be here to get some of these awards in the future.” Philon is the sixth underclassmen to win Mr. Basketball. “I will say this – it’s nice to know that no matter where we are or who we play, I have the best player on the floor,” Baker coach David Armstrong said during Philon’s milestone junior season. Philon, who committed to Auburn in February, already has been named both the MaxPreps and Gatorade Alabama player of the year. He averaged 35 points, six rebounds and four assists for the Hornets this season, finishing with 1,075 points on the year. He now stands at 2,334 points for his high school career. “It’s huge for our school to have Labaron recognized at this level,” Armstrong said. “It’s something we are going to cherish and enjoy for a long time.” Philon is the second consecutive Mr. Basketball winner from Mobile. McGill-Toolen’s Barry Dunning Jr., now at Arkansas, won the award last year. “The amount of defensive attention he attracted throughout the course of 32 games and still put up historical numbers – it was amazing,” Schweers said. “Having played them earlier, I thought he was really good. Then he got out there in front of more than 2,000 people and his shot making ability went to another level. He’s the best player in Alabama right now.” Philon scored 37 points in a 78-73 win over Schweers’ Huntsville team in the Huntsville City Classic in December. “I think we are a pretty good defensive team night in and night out, and there was really nothing we could do about it,” Schweers said. Enterprise coach Rhett Harrelson also was impressed after Philon poured in 32 points to go along with seven rebounds, four steals and two assists in Baker’s 53-41 win over his Wildcats in the Class 7A South Regional semifinals. “He’s the best player I’ve coached against,” Harrelson said then. “I know I haven’t been doing it that long. He is very, very talented. He has the ability to get the ball on the opposite baseline and get to the other basket in a blink of an eye. It’s unbelievable how quick he gets from one end of the floor to the other. He’s just tough to gameplan against.” Philon is Baker’s first Mr. Basketball and the 41st overall. Terry Coner of Philips was the first winner in 1983. If he repeats as a senior, Philon would join Calhoun’s JD Davison, Mountain Brook’s Trendon Watford, Mae Jemison’s John Petty, Butler’s Trevor Lacey and John Carroll’s Ronald Steele as two-time winners of the award. It won’t be easy to repeat, however. Philon edged Class 6A Player of the Year Caleb Holt of Buckhorn for the award this year. Holt is just a freshman. “I think we saw Labaron get a lot better this year,” Armstrong said. “He understood how to take a game and make it his own and dictate the pace and play of the game. He shot the ball well. He finished at the rim well. He finished above the rim well, and he passed the ball well. A lot of people don’t think he does because he scores so much, but he does. He led this team, and he did a great job.” The other boys players of the year announced Thursday in Montgomery were Charles Henderson’s Austin Cross (5A), Jacksonville’s John Broom (4A), Piedmont’s Alex Odam (3A), Sand Rock’s Jacob StClair (2A), Autaugaville’s Jaden Nixon (1A) and Macon-East Montgomery’s Jacob Wilson (AISA). Philon was the only repeat boys player of the year winner and the only repeat member of the ASWA Super All-State team. BOYS SUPER ALL-STATE (Top 5 players regardless of classification) Labaron Philon, Baker Caleb Holt, Buckhorn John Broom, Jacksonville Chase McCarty, Westminster Christian Win Miller, Vestavia Hills PLAYERS OF THE YEAR 7A: Labaron Philon, Baker 6A: Caleb Holt, Buckhorn 5A: Austin Cross, Charles Henderson 4A: John Broom, Jacksonville 3A: Alex Odam, Piedmont 2A: Jacob StClair, Sand Rock 1A: Jaden Nixon, Autaugaville AISA: Jacob Wilson, Macon-East MR. BASKETBALL WINNERS 1983 – Terry Coner, Phillips-Birmingham 1984 – Jeff Moore, Midfield 1985 - Vincent Robinson, Bridgeport 1986 - Larry Rembert, Keith 1987 - Bryant Lancaster, Valley 1988 - Terrance Lewis, Ramsay 1989 - Queintonia Higgins, Fairhope 1990 - Cedric Moore, Woodlawn 1991 - Victor Newman, Houston Academy 1992 - Darryl Wilson, South Lamar 1993 - Howard Pride, Butler 1994 - Rod Willie, Lee-Huntsville 1995 - Brian Williams, Jeff Davis 1996 - Isaac Spencer, Jeff Davis 1997 - Anthony Williams, Loachapoka 1998 - Sam Haginas, UMS-Wright 1999 - Marvin Stone, Grissom 2000 - Gerald Wallace, Childersburg 2001 - Chris White, Grissom 2002 - Kennedy Winston, Blount 2003 - Ronald Steele, John Carroll 2004 - Ronald Steele, John Carroll 2005 - Richard Hendrix, Athens 2006 - Stanley Robinson, Huffman 2007 - Courtney Fortson, Jeff Davis 2008 - JaMychal Green, St. Jude 2009 - Kerron Johnson, Madison Academy 2010 - Trevor Lacey, Butler 2011 - Trevor Lacey, Butler 2012 - Craig Sword, Carver-Montgomery 2013 - De’Runnya Wilson, Wenonah 2014 - William Lee, Dallas County 2015 – Dazon Ingram, Theodore 2016 - John Petty, J.O. Johnson 2017 - John Petty, Mae Jemison 2018 - Trendon Watford, Mountain Brook 2019 - Trendon Watford, Mountain Brook 2020 – J.D. Davison, Calhoun 2021 – J.D. Davison, Calhoun 2022 – Barry Dunning Jr., McGill-Toolen 2023 – Labaron Philon, Baker If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation.

Real atheists are taking on fake Christians during Easter weekend in Phoenix 841 EJ Montini, Arizona Republic Wed, April 5, 2023 at 11:48 AM CDT Sunlight streams through a church window during an Easter morning service. If you are a believer in old school biblical retribution – you know, heretics and skeptics getting struck down by celestial thunderbolts – I would avoid downtown Phoenix in the coming days, particularly the area around the Hyatt Regency hotel. In a way that some might consider symbolic, others might deem militant, and still others would regard as blasphemous, American Atheists are holding their national convention there. This weekend. Including Easter Sunday. For which I would tell this bold and eclectic gathering of nonbelievers … bless you. Christian nationalism is a real danger The aim of the atheists, as stated in their convention information, is to draw attention to the advancement of Christian nationalism – a movement that is not Christian and goes against the core beliefs of the nation. Nick Fish, president of American Atheists, said in a news release, “In Phoenix and elsewhere, Christian nationalists want to force their theocratic vision on everyone. We cannot allow them to succeed.” They’re already doing pretty well in Arizona. Unholy rise: Beware of Arizona's Christian nationalists In January 2020, for example, the Christian nationalist “Pine Tree” flag was on display on the second floor lobby of the Arizona State Capitol. Versions of that same flag appeared alongside the stars and bars flags of the Confederacy, large crucifixion crosses and Trump banners during the attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Arizona politicians are a part of it Baylor University communications professor Leslie Hahner said, “Christian Nationalism is a set of ideological beliefs expressed by [some] white, evangelical Christians. Their beliefs champion the U.S. as a Christian nation, as one that is ordained by God. It’s often connected to, if not an outright embodiment of, ideologies of white supremacy.” The Freedom From Religion Foundation lists Reps. Andy Biggs and Paul Gosar among what it calls “Christian nationalist House members.” Unhinged Republican state Sen. Wendy Rogers says stuff like, “I stand with Christians worldwide, not the global bankers who are shoving godlessness and degeneracy in our face.” That remark is a common anti-Semitic trope, and you may recall that Rogers also shared a picture on social media of herself next to a dead rhino branded with a Star of David. Kari Lake has played that card for months Losing Republican candidate for Arizona governor Kari Lake has been playing the Christian nationalist card almost from the beginning of her campaign. Like when a group of evangelical supporters laid hands on and anointed Lake at an event in Scottsdale. Or when she compared MAGA Republicans to Jesus and said God would help her and her supporters “take back our country and save this republic.” Or after the election, when her followers marched around Maricopa County’s election center seven times while blowing horns, expecting the walls to come tumbling down as in the Bible story of the battle of Jericho. Religious organizations are also opposed Nationally, we have politicians like Georgia Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene saying things like, “We need to be the party of nationalism and I’m a Christian, and I say it proudly, we should be Christian nationalists.” The problem with that, on the most elemental level, is the First Amendment to the Constitution, which says simply, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the exercise thereof … .” A grassroots religious organization called Faithful America is also working to draw attention to politicians like Greene and Rogers, saying in part, “Christian nationalism poses a grave threat to democracy, the church, and the common good – and grassroots Christians are sick of seeing false prophets distort the Gospel for their agenda of hatred, power, and division.” Atheists will do even more this weekend Programs scheduled during the atheists’ convention include sessions titled “A Bullet Train to Christian Nationalism: Vouchers and Public School Privatization” and “The Christofascist Attempt to Take Over Arizona School Boards”. Jeanne Casteen, the executive director of Secular Coalition for Arizona, said, “Arizona has a Christian nationalism problem, and we must work together to stop it.” That isn’t all that the men and women attending the convention will try to do, however. On Sunday, working with a group called The Outreach Program, atheists will be packing 25,000 meals for people in need in Phoenix. No matter what faith you believe in, if any, putting together meals for the hungry is an act of grace. Amen to that. Reach Montini at ed.montini@arizonarepublic.com. For more opinions content, please subscribe. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Real atheists take on fake Christians in Phoenix during Easter

Facing expulsion over gun protest, Tennessee Democrats accuse GOP of 'scare' tactics It will take two-thirds of the House to officially expel a member. The Tennessee House is made up of 75 Republicans and 23 Democrats, with one vacancy. 955 Marquise Francis ·National Reporter Thu, April 6, 2023 at 10:11 AM CDT State Reps. Justin Pearson, Justin Jones and Gloria Johnson leave the House chamber in the state Capitol in Nashville on Monday. (Nicole Hester/USA Today Network via Reuters) When Tennessee state Rep. Gloria Johnson joined two colleagues in boisterous chants for gun reform on the state Capitol’s House floor last Thursday during a recess between bills, it was largely because she knows firsthand about the lasting trauma of those who have experienced a school shooting. After the school shooting in Nashville last week that claimed the lives of six people, including three children, Johnson recalled her own experience 15 years ago. She was a teacher at Central High School in Knoxville in 2008 when a student fatally shot a 15-year-old classmate during a dispute. As her memories flooded back, Johnson said she felt silenced by the majority Republican-led House for not formally bringing a gun control discussion to the floor — so she and two other representatives took on the responsibility themselves. “As an educator who’s been in a school when there was a school shooting, we have to [make] this issue paramount,” Johnson, who represents Knoxville, told Yahoo News, recalling the psychological damage of the 2008 shooting on the community. “It was a trauma-filled day and a sad day — and we lost a life. It had a serious effect on students.” Johnson and two fellow Democrats, Reps. Justin Jones of Nashville and Justin Pearson of Memphis — who have since gained notoriety as the “Tennessee Three” — said they understood they were violating decorum when they approached the podium last week with a bullhorn chanting, “No action, no peace!” They were echoing the sentiments of thousands of students, parents and community members they had met earlier that day, many of whom were shouting from the gallery above the chamber, growing impatient as the House worked through various pieces of legislation, none of which addressed guns. The trio had expected consequences for their action, but they had not expected it would cost them their seats. Protesters in the gallery at a House session at the Tennessee state Capitol on Monday demanding action for gun reform laws. (Seth Herald/Getty Images) Republicans on Monday introduced legislation to expel the three Democrats for “disorderly behavior,” with GOP House Speaker Cameron Sexton likening the public display to an “insurrection.” “What they did was try to hold up the people's business on the House floor, instead of doing it the way that they should have done it, which they have the means to do,” he said on "The Hal Show Podcast" that evening. “They actually thought that they would be arrested. And so they decided that them being a victim was more important than focusing on the six victims from Monday. And that's appalling.” Sexton did not return Yahoo News’ request for comment. Republicans also stripped the lawmakers — who represent the state’s three largest cities, with about 80,000 constituents each — of their committee assignments and revoked their building access. Final votes for the expulsion were set to take place Thursday. 'Chilling effect across the country' Johnson said that if she and her fellow legislators were expelled, “this is going to have a chilling effect across the country, especially in red states.” She added, “It’s going to scare people from talking about real issues. … [Republicans] thought they would take this opportunity to take these respected voices in the state away and didn’t take a second to think about what they were doing.” Pearson, who was elected to his seat in January, accuses Republicans in the state House of being “silently complicit" with gun companies, resulting in an “erosion of democracy.” “There were thousands outside wanting us to stand up,” Pearson told Yahoo News, noting that he comes from a community that too often suffers from gun violence. "We want action so we don’t have this issue. This is indicative of the silencing.” Leaders across the country have echoed his sentiment. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre slammed Tennessee Republicans for taking swift action on the Democrats’ protest while failing to consider measures that could prevent another school shooting. “What did the Republican legislators do? They’re trying to expel these three Democratic legislators who joined in the protest,” Jean-Pierre said Tuesday, adding that Republicans “are shrugging in the face of yet another tragic school shooting, while our kids continue to pay the price.” Guns are the leading cause of death for children and adolescents under the age of 19, after taking the lead over car accidents in 2020, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In 2021 alone, firearms accounted for almost 1 in 5 deaths of children. Sen. Chris Murphy, a Democrat from Connecticut, where the deadliest elementary school shooting in U.S. history took place in 2012 at Sandy Hook Elementary, called the move to expel the legislators “bone-chilling.” “I’m not excusing yelling out of turn on the House floor,” Murphy tweeted Tuesday. “Civility still matters in politics. But expulsion is an extreme measure of last resort, not the first step when someone breaks the House floor rules. And the double standard tells you everything you need to know.” Former Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts called the possible expulsion “infuriating and antidemocratic.” Jones, who at 27 is one of the youngest members of the Tennessee House, told CNN Wednesday that the move to expel him and his colleagues is “morally insane.” "It's very concerning, and it represents a clear and present danger to democracy all across this nation that should trouble us all," he said. State Rep. Justin Jones talks Monday to a group of high school students staging a sit-in calling for gun reform. (Nicole Hester/USA Today Network via Reuters) Some critics, including Thomas Goodman, an assistant professor in the Department of Politics and Law at Rhodes College in Memphis, say there are other ways to be disruptive while respecting procedure. “I fear this could lead to a chilling effect on other Republican-led states, possibly deterring the voicing of dissident opinions in states where abortion laws and gun control policy do not neatly align with the majority’s views,” Goodman said in an email to Yahoo News. “But why limit it to Republican-led states? What about the potential for Democratic-majority states to act in similarly abusive ways? “Democrats in other states could continue expressing their opinions and offering dissent, but through mechanisms that do not disrupt parliamentary procedures, within acceptable parliamentary channels,” he wrote. Concerns of a double standard The move to expel the three Democrats has also raised criticism of a double standard in the Republican-controlled state House, which in recent years has declined to take action against a member accused of sexual misconduct and against another facing an indictment for violating federal campaign finance laws. “Evidently these are not expulsion-worthy displays of unethical behavior or lack of decorum,” Carrie Russell, a political science professor at Vanderbilt University, told Yahoo News in an email, while acknowledging that such a move “signals that dissent and protesting against the stated agenda, regardless of the context, will procedurally engender the most extreme measures — rendering their seats vacant and removing the ability of the voters in the states’ most diverse districts to receive representation in the halls of government.” State representatives enter the House chamber before a session Monday as protesters call for gun reform. (Seth Herald/Getty Images) Since the Civil War, just two other members of the Tennessee House have been expelled, for much more egregious reasons. Most recently, in 2016, Rep. Jeremy Durham, a Republican, was removed over allegations of sexual misconduct involving at least 22 women. In 1980, Rep. Robert Fisher, a Republican, was expelled after being convicted of soliciting a bribe in exchange for attempting to prevent pending legislation from going through. Political experts say a move to remove legislators for protesting out of turn would set a troubling precedent. “Expulsion directly removes a duly elected official. It takes the decision out of the hands of the electorate,” Susan Haynes, an associate professor of political science at Lipscomb University in Nashville, told Yahoo News, adding that expulsion in this circumstance “lessens the threshold for what qualifies as an expellable offense.” She added, “Neither the Tennessee Constitution nor the U.S. Constitution specifies what constitutes an expellable offense, so there is significant ambiguity there. But if we make this a political decision and weaponize the process, it sets a dangerous precedent.” Jana Morgan, a professor of political science at the University of Tennessee and co-author of the book "Hijacking the Agenda: Economic Power and Political Influence," told Yahoo News she sees two possible outcomes of an expulsion. “Expelling these legislators would immediately strip thousands of Tennesseans of elected representation in the state Legislature, and the expulsion proceedings could work to silence the voices that these members aimed to amplify,” she said. “At the same time, the ripple effects from this expulsion effort could actually galvanize the supporters of the Tennessee Three, as well as gun control advocates across the state and country.” Protesters gather outside the Tennessee state Capitol on March 30 to call for stronger gun laws. (Cheney Orr/File Photo/Reuters) In an atmosphere of rising tensions, Republican Rep. Justin Lafferty, who had been taking video of the gallery with his cellphone, allegedly assaulted Jones on Monday and grabbed his phone as he tried to capture the scene on the House floor, while protesters in the gallery above chanted, “Fascists!” “This is a sad day for Tennessee,” Jones said in a tweet capturing the moment. Johnson called the incident an example of “privilege” at work. But beyond the infighting and tense exchanges in the past week, she says, lives are at stake. Having been in elected office off and on for a decade, Johnson said she has seen a reduction in bipartisan work for the greater good. She recalls that when she was first elected in 2013, it was a time when “we were on both sides of the aisle, but we would get along. Now there’s a meanness with this new class even more. It’s concerning, and we are moving further and further away from democracy.” Republicans push back Still, Republicans appear to be holding their ground. Republican Rep. Gino Bulso, who sponsored Johnson’s expulsion, said on an appearance on the conservative "Daily Wire" podcast on Wednesday that the three lawmakers must be disciplined. "They voluntarily disqualified themselves from further service," he said. "Rather than comply with their oath to the Constitution and comply with the rules, they decided to go outside of the House and effectively shut it down. And so what we're simply doing is recognizing that they've voluntarily chosen to put themselves outside the House and formally expel them." It will take two-thirds of the House to officially expel a member, and the Tennessee House GOP has the votes to do that, with 75 Republicans, 23 Democrats and one vacancy. “It is my sincere hope that cooler heads will prevail, and that the members will be dealt with in a way that fits robust dissent, not insurrection,” Russell of Vanderbilt said. During a Tennessee House session on Monday, protesters look down from the gallery. (Seth Herald/Getty Images) Ken Paulson, director of the Free Speech Center at Middle Tennessee State University, has some questions for the state House. “The key question is whether the lawmakers are being punished for their actions or their speech,” he said. “If no one has ever been expelled for comparably disruptive behavior in the chamber, there’s a strong argument that they’re being punished for their speech, which would violate the First Amendment. … This has the feel of retaliation for criticism directed at House members.” Pearson said Thursday he believes this is likely to be his last week as an elected official. But the work, he says, never stops. “I expect the majority of those people to expel us in an attempt to expel us [as people], but you can’t silence us,” he said. “We are going to continue to do the work to not be silenced.” Cover thumbnail: Seth Herald/Getty Images

QAnon Believers Think Trump’s Indictment Will (Somehow) Lead to Mass Arrest of Democrats Miles Klee 6–8 minutes qanon-RS-1800 - Credit: Rick Loomis/Getty Images For many of Donald Trump’s supporters, today is a dark day indeed: The president pleaded not guilty to 34 felony counts today after being formally arrested in a Manhattan courtroom. But for those in the Qanon conspiracist movement, hope springs eternal, and “The Storm” is always just around the corner. Ahead of Trump’s arrest, mainstream conservatives argued that it set a new precedent, opening the door to future cases against Democrats including Joe Biden, Barack Obama and Bill and Hillary Clinton. But the Q hardliners have taken this idea much further, arguing that deep state liberals have fallen into an obvious trap. They were particularly excited by a comment from Dan Scavino, a former Trump adviser and White House Deputy Chief of Staff: “The guardrails are off, a turning point in the United States of America,” he tweeted and posted on Truth Social. “There is no going back.” More from Rolling Stone Pence Finally Agrees to Testify on Pre-Jan. 6 Convos With Trump Trump Team Says Only 'Thirsty' 'Cockroaches' Would Claim He's Sad About Getting Arrested Republicans Want to Break the Rule of Law to Protect Donald Trump On 8kun’s “qresearch” forum, users quickly latched onto “There is no going back” as significant, with one user pointing to a 2019 post in which the anonymous Q used the same phrase. Another person replied, “that’s a proof if I have ever seen it.” (Qanon communities call anything a “proof” if it seems to confirm their overall conspiracy theory about Trump battling a secret war against nefarious elites.) Some on the 8kun board voiced the sentiment that Trump, by allowing himself to be indicted, was setting those very elites up for arrest themselves. In response to a meme that asked “At what stage in the game do you play the TRUMP card,” a user replied, “After all legal precedents have been opened?” Prominent Q influencer IntheMatrixx, who had been banned on Twitter for such content before being reinstated under Elon Musk‘s ownership, appeared to jump on the same narrative. He pulled up a different 2019 Q drop that read, “First indictment [unseal] will trigger mass pop awakening.” In Q lore, the “awakening” will occur when people become aware of and rise up against the so-called “cabal” opposing Trump — the Democratic pedophiles and Satanists, et al. Here, IntheMatrixxx is implying that Q not only predicted Trump’s indictment but knew it would see MAGA enemies finally brought to justice. On Great Awakening, another Qanon forum, chatter about Trump’s charges setting a hugely important “precedent” was widespread. “Media acknowledges PRECEDENT now established to arrest previous Presidents!” gloated user truthloveliberty, who added, “These morons don’t know what’s coming.” On Monday, user island_photo kicked off a thread by asking “Was Durham waiting for: The Precedent???” As special counsel, John Durham was tasked in 2019 by Attorney General William Barr with investigating the origins of the FBI’s 2016 Trump-Russia investigation. QAnon and MAGA loyalists believed he would uncover a massive conspiracy against Trump — but no such revelations followed. Another user followed a similar thread, reinterpreting an old Q drop to mean that Trump’s arraignment will lead to him “signing/authorizing the unsealing a portion of the 399,907 Sealed Indictments.” This refers to a Q myth that the Department of Justice is “holding hundreds of thousands of sealed indictments against Democratic politicians and other members of the elite, enumerating their many crimes, mostly related to sex trafficking,” per the Anti-Defamation League’s explanation. Presumably, if these nonexistent documents were unsealed, members of the cabal would be arrested and jailed en masse, triggering the great awakening among ordinary Americans who have yet to accept the gospel of Q. “The Patriot Voice,” a Q-affiliated Telegram channel with 55,000 followers, shared a message that read in part, “The PRECEDENT that was just set is going to come back to BITE HARD,” as Trump’s indictment “opens up a MASSIVE Pandora’s Box that [they] will NOT be able to close.” The account SGAnon, meanwhile — which has almost 100,000 subscribers — homed in on a Truth Social post from Kash Patel, who briefly served as chief of staff to the acting secretary of defense under Trump. Patel had described Trump’s indictment as “fantasy island justice.” Under a screenshot of the post, SGAnon wrote “Fantasy Island —> quite the description there. Who ELSE is being ‘prosecuted’ by [Southern District of New York]? Ties to Island Trafficking?” The theory here appears to be that Trump’s adversaries are now set be charged in connection to the sex trafficking ring of the late Jeffrey Epstein. (The irony being, of course, that Trump and Epstein were friends.) Some QAnon prognosticators were ahead of this curve. X22 Report, a podcast with 659,000 subscribers that now airs on the “free-speech” website Rumble after it was banned from Spotify in 2020, streamed an episode on March 31 titled “Bait Taken, Hunters Now Become The Hunted, Precedent, Pandora’s Box Has Been Opened,” depicting Trump as Rambo and insinuating that he had once again outmaneuvered the foolish libs trying to put him in prison. Along with “precedent,” the term “Pandora’s box” is getting a lot of play among the Q set this week as the far right continues to hope that what is objectively bad news for Trump will also hurt Dems somehow. On the extremist social app Gab, a user shared a meme of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who brought the current case against Trump, holding the Bidens and Clintons in a literal box. From the outside, it may seem like wishful thinking, but such is the prerogative of a Q soldier: endure loss after loss, years of humiliation and disappointment, but never stop believing that you know a hidden truth and your vengeance is close at hand. Just have to wait a little longer. Best of Rolling Stone

Hugh Freeze, Auburn reveals unique A-Day format Taylor Jones ~3 minutes Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze has not been shy when it comes to sharing his thoughts about spring games because it gives fans a false sense of what to expect from the team. “Unrealistic expectations lead to frustration,” Freeze said this week. “I don’t want anybody to be frustrated. Don’t want to show too much of what we think we might be really good at. There’s nothing on tape of what this new staff is exactly like.” He has even gone as far as saying that he hopes to one day schedule a spring scrimmage against an in-state team rather than pitting teammates against themselves. He can not do that just yet, so he will do the next best thing… alter the current model. This season’s spring game, which will take place on Saturday, April 8 at Jordan-Hare Stadium, will feature a format with a running 60-minute clock with no quarters. The concept seems fun itself, but the kicker is even better. The defense will begin the game with a 24-0 lead. Freeze calls it “the best format I know,” and says it provides motivation for each side of the ball to win the game. “If the defense can hold the offenses to under that number of points the defense wins the spring game and they’ll get to eat steak and the losers will eat a hot dog,” Freeze said. In addition to the unique format of the game rules, Freeze says that fans will see more contact in this season’s A-Day game as opposed to years past. “They’re going to see us hit, they’re going to see us tackle, they’re going to see people run the ball and throw the ball,” Freeze said. “Will it be exactly the same that they see this fall? I sure hope not. I hope it’s better and probably a little different. I want to prepare the Auburn family that we’re going to do the best we can to hopefully give them a game I hope they can enjoy.”

i have never watched him unless he was on the news in some clip playing on reddit or youtube. i do not even think he is funny. but i am wasting my time because not one single person on the right will believe me. you guys know i am right.

people have been hollering trump is a damn crook for over thirty years or more and yet here we are. see how that works? just like yall smeared john mccain who put his privileged on hold to fight. he was shot down fighting for his country and yall smeared him over and over while fawning all over trump who paid a dr to get him out of going to nam even those he was playing one or two sports. the face yall let a coward trash a man who stood up when his country asked. the same with the medal of honor winner who sacrificed his Muslim life to save his squad who were christians. then they made fun of the parents. and for whatever reason people get away with stuff until they piss the wrong person off. this is the way of the world but you make it out to be something it is not.

i used to think these people surely are not that stupid but i was wrong. i am hoping some are just trying to get me riled up and not really that stupid. and i mean that. stupid.

name names......even if i am included in that. some of these people think they are reasonable. i think stupid gets too much love on this board. or maybe we would all do better?

he keeps getting blowback from deranged righties. this is chat right? in the real world if you call someone racist and cannot prove it they call it slander. where the hell have you been?

for the record coulter is not better than anyone else. i admire her balls for standing up to trump but lets get real here. good grief

do you or anyone know how much running geriner did in high school? i thought he ran some ............

lots of people are brilliant as academics but have little common sense on things jj. she is not racist. but hell you were a trump guy so ALL your opinions are void and null to me. you still think trump is being abused. you could care less how many laws he breaks and unless you have changed your mind you are on record on these boards claiming you would vote trump again. and this man tried to steal the election. maybe you need to think on what you believe and how it reflects to the rest of us non trump butt smoochers.

lets get more in depth shall we? the photos would not load but i left the discriptions so yall would know who he was hanging out with. propublica.org Clarence Thomas Secretly Accepted Luxury Trips From Major GOP Donor by Joshua Kaplan, Justin Elliott and Alex Mierjeski 22–28 minutes ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up to receive our biggest stories as soon as they’re published. In late June 2019, right after the U.S. Supreme Court released its final opinion of the term, Justice Clarence Thomas boarded a large private jet headed to Indonesia. He and his wife were going on vacation: nine days of island-hopping in a volcanic archipelago on a superyacht staffed by a coterie of attendants and a private chef. If Thomas had chartered the plane and the 162-foot yacht himself, the total cost of the trip could have exceeded $500,000. Fortunately for him, that wasn’t necessary: He was on vacation with real estate magnate and Republican megadonor Harlan Crow, who owned the jet — and the yacht, too. Clarence Thomas and his wife, Ginni, front left, with Harlan Crow, back right, and others in Flores, Indonesia, in July 2019. Credit: via Instagram For more than two decades, Thomas has accepted luxury trips virtually every year from the Dallas businessman without disclosing them, documents and interviews show. A public servant who has a salary of $285,000, he has vacationed on Crow’s superyacht around the globe. He flies on Crow’s Bombardier Global 5000 jet. He has gone with Crow to the Bohemian Grove, the exclusive California all-male retreat, and to Crow’s sprawling ranch in East Texas. And Thomas typically spends about a week every summer at Crow’s private resort in the Adirondacks. The extent and frequency of Crow’s apparent gifts to Thomas have no known precedent in the modern history of the U.S. Supreme Court. These trips appeared nowhere on Thomas’ financial disclosures. His failure to report the flights appears to violate a law passed after Watergate that requires justices, judges, members of Congress and federal officials to disclose most gifts, two ethics law experts said. He also should have disclosed his trips on the yacht, these experts said. Thomas did not respond to a detailed list of questions. In a statement, Crow acknowledged that he’d extended “hospitality” to the Thomases “over the years,” but said that Thomas never asked for any of it and it was “no different from the hospitality we have extended to our many other dear friends.” Through his largesse, Crow has gained a unique form of access, spending days in private with one of the most powerful people in the country. By accepting the trips, Thomas has broken long-standing norms for judges’ conduct, ethics experts and four current or retired federal judges said. “It’s incomprehensible to me that someone would do this,” said Nancy Gertner, a retired federal judge appointed by President Bill Clinton. When she was on the bench, Gertner said, she was so cautious about appearances that she wouldn’t mention her title when making dinner reservations: “It was a question of not wanting to use the office for anything other than what it was intended.” Virginia Canter, a former government ethics lawyer who served in administrations of both parties, said Thomas “seems to have completely disregarded his higher ethical obligations.” “When a justice’s lifestyle is being subsidized by the rich and famous, it absolutely corrodes public trust,” said Canter, now at the watchdog group CREW. “Quite frankly, it makes my heart sink.” When a justice’s lifestyle is being subsidized by the rich and famous, it absolutely corrodes public trust. Quite frankly, it makes my heart sink. —Virginia Canter, former government ethics lawyer ProPublica uncovered the details of Thomas’ travel by drawing from flight records, internal documents distributed to Crow’s employees and interviews with dozens of people ranging from his superyacht’s staff to members of the secretive Bohemian Club to an Indonesian scuba diving instructor. Federal judges sit in a unique position of public trust. They have lifetime tenure, a privilege intended to insulate them from the pressures and potential corruption of politics. A code of conduct for federal judges below the Supreme Court requires them to avoid even the “appearance of impropriety.” Members of the high court, Chief Justice John Roberts has written, “consult” that code for guidance. The Supreme Court is left almost entirely to police itself. There are few restrictions on what gifts justices can accept. That’s in contrast to the other branches of government. Members of Congress are generally prohibited from taking gifts worth $50 or more and would need pre-approval from an ethics committee to take many of the trips Thomas has accepted from Crow. Thomas’ approach to ethics has already attracted public attention. Last year, Thomas didn’t recuse himself from cases that touched on the involvement of his wife, Ginni, in efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election. While his decision generated outcry, it could not be appealed. Crow met Thomas after he became a justice. The pair have become genuine friends, according to people who know both men. Over the years, some details of Crow’s relationship with the Thomases have emerged. In 2011, The New York Times reported on Crow’s generosity toward the justice. That same year, Politico revealed that Crow had given half a million dollars to a Tea Party group founded by Ginni Thomas, which also paid her a $120,000 salary. But the full scale of Crow’s benefactions has never been revealed. Long an influential figure in pro-business conservative politics, Crow has spent millions on ideological efforts to shape the law and the judiciary. Crow and his firm have not had a case before the Supreme Court since Thomas joined it, though the court periodically hears major cases that directly impact the real estate industry. The details of his discussions with Thomas over the years remain unknown, and it is unclear if Crow has had any influence on the justice’s views. In his statement, Crow said that he and his wife have never discussed a pending or lower court case with Thomas. “We have never sought to influence Justice Thomas on any legal or political issue,” he added. In Thomas’ public appearances over the years, he has presented himself as an everyman with modest tastes. “I don’t have any problem with going to Europe, but I prefer the United States, and I prefer seeing the regular parts of the United States,” Thomas said in a recent interview for a documentary about his life, which Crow helped finance. “I prefer the RV parks. I prefer the Walmart parking lots to the beaches and things like that. There’s something normal to me about it,” Thomas said. “I come from regular stock, and I prefer that — I prefer being around that.” “You Don’t Need to Worry About This — It’s All Covered” Crow’s private lakeside resort, Camp Topridge, sits in a remote corner of the Adirondacks in upstate New York. Closed off from the public by ornate wooden gates, the 105-acre property, once the summer retreat of the same heiress who built Mar-a-Lago, features an artificial waterfall and a great hall where Crow’s guests are served meals prepared by private chefs. Inside, there’s clear evidence of Crow and Thomas’ relationship: a painting of the two men at the resort, sitting outdoors smoking cigars alongside conservative political operatives. A statue of a Native American man, arms outstretched, stands at the center of the image, which is photographic in its clarity. A painting that hangs at Camp Topridge shows Crow, far right, and Thomas, second from right, smoking cigars at the resort. They are joined by lawyers Peter Rutledge, Leonard Leo and Mark Paoletta, from left. Credit: Painting by Sharif Tarabay The painting captures a scene from around five years ago, said Sharif Tarabay, the artist who was commissioned by Crow to paint it. Thomas has been vacationing at Topridge virtually every summer for more than two decades, according to interviews with more than a dozen visitors and former resort staff, as well as records obtained by ProPublica. He has fished with a guide hired by Crow and danced at concerts put on by musicians Crow brought in. Thomas has slept at perhaps the resort’s most elegant accommodation, an opulent lodge overhanging Upper St. Regis Lake. The mountainous area draws billionaires from across the globe. Rooms at a nearby hotel built by the Rockefellers start at $2,250 a night. Crow’s invitation-only resort is even more exclusive. Guests stay for free, enjoying Topridge’s more than 25 fireplaces, three boathouses, clay tennis court and batting cage, along with more eccentric features: a lifesize replica of the Harry Potter character Hagrid’s hut, bronze statues of gnomes and a 1950s-style soda fountain where Crow’s staff fixes milkshakes. First image: A lodge at Topridge where Thomas has stayed. Second image: Thomas fishing in the Adirondacks. Credit: First image: Courtesy of Carolyn Belknap. Second image: Via NYup.com. Crow’s access to the justice extends to anyone the businessman chooses to invite along. Thomas’ frequent vacations at Topridge have brought him into contact with corporate executives and political activists. During just one trip in July 2017, Thomas’ fellow guests included executives at Verizon and PricewaterhouseCoopers, major Republican donors and one of the leaders of the American Enterprise Institute, a pro-business conservative think tank, according to records reviewed by ProPublica. The painting of Thomas at Topridge shows him in conversation with Leonard Leo, the Federalist Society leader regarded as an architect of the Supreme Court’s recent turn to the right. In his statement to ProPublica, Crow said he is “unaware of any of our friends ever lobbying or seeking to influence Justice Thomas on any case, and I would never invite anyone who I believe had any intention of doing that.” “These are gatherings of friends,” Crow said. Crow has deep connections in conservative politics. The heir to a real estate fortune, Crow oversees his family’s business empire and recently named Marxism as his greatest fear. He was an early patron of the powerful anti-tax group Club for Growth and has been on the board of AEI for over 25 years. He also sits on the board of the Hoover Institution, another conservative think tank. A major Republican donor for decades, Crow has given more than $10 million in publicly disclosed political contributions. He’s also given to groups that keep their donors secret — how much of this so-called dark money he’s given and to whom are not fully known. “I don’t disclose what I’m not required to disclose,” Crow once told the Times. Crow has long supported efforts to move the judiciary to the right. He has donated to the Federalist Society and given millions of dollars to groups dedicated to tort reform and conservative jurisprudence. AEI and the Hoover Institution publish scholarship advancing conservative legal theories, and fellows at the think tanks occasionally file amicus briefs with the Supreme Court. I prefer the RV parks. I prefer the Walmart parking lots to the beaches and things like that. There’s something normal to me about it. I come from regular stock, and I prefer that — I prefer being around that. —Clarence Thomas Listen to Thomas speak, from the documentary “Created Equal.” On the court since 1991, Thomas is a deeply conservative jurist known for his “originalism,” an approach that seeks to adhere to close readings of the text of the Constitution. While he has been resolute in this general approach, his views on specific matters have sometimes evolved. Recently, Thomas harshly criticized one of his own earlier opinions as he embraced a legal theory, newly popular on the right, that would limit government regulation. Small evolutions in a justice’s thinking or even select words used in an opinion can affect entire bodies of law, and shifts in Thomas’ views can be especially consequential. He’s taken unorthodox legal positions that have been adopted by the court’s majority years down the line. Soon after Crow met Thomas three decades ago, he began lavishing the justice with gifts, including a $19,000 Bible that belonged to Frederick Douglass, which Thomas disclosed. Recently, Crow gave Thomas a portrait of the justice and his wife, according to Tarabay, who painted it. Crow’s foundation also gave $105,000 to Yale Law School, Thomas’ alma mater, for the “Justice Thomas Portrait Fund,” tax filings show. Crow said that he and his wife have funded a number of projects that celebrate Thomas. “We believe it is important to make sure as many people as possible learn about him, remember him and understand the ideals for which he stands,” he said. To trace Thomas’ trips around the world on Crow’s superyacht, ProPublica spoke to more than 15 former yacht workers and tour guides and obtained records documenting the ship’s travels. On the Indonesia trip in the summer of 2019, Thomas flew to the country on Crow’s jet, according to another passenger on the plane. Clarence and Ginni Thomas were traveling with Crow and his wife, Kathy. Crow’s yacht, the Michaela Rose, decked out with motorboats and a giant inflatable rubber duck, met the travelers at a fishing town on the island of Flores. First image: From left, Crow, Paoletta, Ginni Thomas and Clarence Thomas in Indonesia in 2019. Clarence Thomas flew to the country on Crow’s jet, according to another passenger on the plane. Second image: A worker from Crow’s yacht ferries Thomas and others on a small boat in Indonesia. Credit: via Facebook Touring the Lesser Sunda Islands, the group made stops at Komodo National Park, home of the eponymous reptiles; at the volcanic lakes of Mount Kelimutu; and at Pantai Meko, a spit of pristine beach accessible only by boat. Another guest was Mark Paoletta, a friend of the Thomases then serving as the general counsel of the Office of Management and Budget in the administration of President Donald Trump. Paoletta was bound by executive branch ethics rules at the time and told ProPublica that he discussed the trip with an ethics lawyer at his agency before accepting the Crows’ invitation. “Based on that counsel’s advice, I reimbursed Harlan for the costs,” Paoletta said in an email. He did not respond to a question about how much he paid Crow. (Paoletta has long been a pugnacious defender of Thomas and recently testified before Congress against strengthening judicial ethics rules. “There is nothing wrong with ethics or recusals at the Supreme Court,” he said, adding, “To support any reform legislation right now would be to validate these vicious political attacks on the Supreme Court,” referring to criticism of Thomas and his wife.) The Indonesia vacation wasn’t Thomas’ first time on the Michaela Rose. He went on a river day trip around Savannah, Georgia, and an extended cruise in New Zealand roughly a decade ago. During a New Zealand trip on Crow’s yacht, Thomas signed a copy of his memoir and gave it to a yacht worker. Credit: Obtained by ProPublica As a token of his appreciation, he gave one yacht worker a copy of his memoir. Thomas signed the book: “Thank you so much for all your hard work on our New Zealand adventure.” Crow’s policy was that guests didn’t pay, former Michaela Rose staff said. “You don’t need to worry about this — it’s all covered,” one recalled the guests being told. There’s evidence Thomas has taken even more trips on the superyacht. Crow often gave his guests custom polo shirts commemorating their vacations, according to staff. ProPublica found photographs of Thomas wearing at least two of those shirts. In one, he wears a blue polo shirt embroidered with the Michaela Rose’s logo and the words “March 2007” and “Greek Islands.” Thomas didn’t report any of the trips ProPublica identified on his annual financial disclosures. Ethics experts said the law clearly requires disclosure for private jet flights and Thomas appears to have violated it. Thomas has been photographed wearing custom polo shirts bearing the logo of Crow’s yacht, the Michaela Rose. Credit: via Flickr, Washington Examiner Justices are generally required to publicly report all gifts worth more than $415, defined as “anything of value” that isn’t fully reimbursed. There are exceptions: If someone hosts a justice at their own property, free food and lodging don’t have to be disclosed. That would exempt dinner at a friend’s house. The exemption never applied to transportation, such as private jet flights, experts said, a fact that was made explicit in recently updated filing instructions for the judiciary. Two ethics law experts told ProPublica that Thomas’ yacht cruises, a form of transportation, also required disclosure. “If Justice Thomas received free travel on private planes and yachts, failure to report the gifts is a violation of the disclosure law,” said Kedric Payne, senior director for ethics at the nonprofit government watchdog Campaign Legal Center. (Thomas himself once reported receiving a private jet trip from Crow, on his disclosure for 1997.) The experts said Thomas’ stays at Topridge may have required disclosure too, in part because Crow owns it not personally but through a company. Until recently, the judiciary’s ethics guidance didn’t explicitly address the ownership issue. The recent update to the filing instructions clarifies that disclosure is required for such stays. How many times Thomas failed to disclose trips remains unclear. Flight records from the Federal Aviation Administration and FlightAware suggest he makes regular use of Crow’s plane. The jet often follows a pattern: from its home base in Dallas to Washington Dulles airport for a brief stop, then on to a destination Thomas is visiting and back again. ProPublica identified five such trips in addition to the Indonesia vacation. On July 7 last year, Crow’s jet made a 40-minute stop at Dulles and then flew to a small airport near Topridge, returning to Dulles six days later. Thomas was at the resort that week for his regular summer visit, according to a person who was there. Twice in recent years, the jet has followed the pattern when Thomas appeared at Crow’s properties in Dallas — once for the Jan. 4, 2018, swearing-in of Fifth Circuit Judge James Ho at Crow’s private library and again for a conservative think tank conference Crow hosted last May. Thomas has even used the plane for a three-hour trip. On Feb. 11, 2016, the plane flew from Dallas to Dulles to New Haven, Connecticut, before flying back later that afternoon. ProPublica confirmed that Thomas was on the jet through Supreme Court security records obtained by the nonprofit Fix the Court, private jet data, a New Haven plane spotter and another person at the airport. There are no reports of Thomas making a public appearance that day, and the purpose of the trip remains unclear. Jet charter companies told ProPublica that renting an equivalent plane for the New Haven trip could cost around $70,000. On the weekend of Oct. 16, 2021, Crow’s jet repeated the pattern. That weekend, Thomas and Crow traveled to a Catholic cemetery in a bucolic suburb of New York City. They were there for the unveiling of a bronze statue of the justice’s beloved eighth grade teacher, a nun, according to Catholic Cemetery magazine. Thomas attended the 2021 unveiling of a statue of his eighth grade teacher. Credit: via Catholic Cemeteries of the Archdiocese of Newark As Thomas spoke from a lectern, the monument towered over him, standing 7 feet tall and weighing 1,800 pounds, its granite base inscribed with words his teacher once told him. Thomas told the nuns assembled before him, “This extraordinary statue is dedicated to you sisters.” He also thanked the donors who paid for the statue: Harlan and Kathy Crow. Do you have any tips on the courts? Josh Kaplan can be reached by email at joshua.kaplan@propublica.org and by Signal or WhatsApp at 734-834-9383. Justin Elliott can be reached by email at justin@propublica.org or by Signal or WhatsApp at 774-826-6240. Matt Easton contributed reporting. Design and development by Anna Donlan.