If you joined us today at noon, you know E. Jean Carroll and I managed to discuss a wide range of topics. We discussed Trump lawyer Alina Habba’s courtroom performance (E. Jean gave her a higher grade than most journalists and explained why), Trump’s misidentification of a photo of E. Jean as his second wife Marla Maples, and what she plans on doing with the $88.3 million Trump owes her when she gets it.
E. Jean is a national treasure, and her new book Not My Type is a really good read. It’s smart, it’s fearless like she is, and it’s somehow the best of political commentary without feeling overbearing. Also, in case you need the reminder, this is the woman who beat Trump in court when others failed, not once, but twice. Right now, we need to hear from people who can inspire us, because much of the news is bad. If you missed us live, you can watch the video above.
Interested in some frivolous distraction tonight? I’m trying to put together a playlist to listen to while I’m editing my book and I’d appreciate your suggestions! I wrote the book to a heavy diet of Taylor Swift; I couldn’t have done it without her. There are a lot of other artists included, too. I’m grateful for all of the music, but it’s time for me to retire that beloved playlist and put together a new one, and I’d love to have your help.
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This morning, the Supreme Court announced its decision in Skrmetti, the challenge to Tennessee’s restrictive law on gender affirming care for transgender minors. This one was more or less a foregone conclusion. The Supreme Court was not going to tell states they couldn’t deny transgender kids access to the care they needed. The Court held that the Tennessee law that restricted access to puberty blockers or hormone therapy, treatments that are available to cisgender people who need them for medical reasons, does not violate the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment. Instead of a higher level of scrutiny, the state need only articulate a rational basis for its law in order for it to survive constitutional scrutiny.
Of course, the impact of this decision isn’t limited to Tennessee. The Court has given other states inclined to deny access to treatment to transgender youth, and perhaps even adults, the roadmap for doing so. The decision was a 6-3 split along ideological lines.
More to come from the Supreme Court on Friday. There are sixteen cases still pending, as well as cases like the birthright citizenship/nationwide injunction matter on the shadow docket.
If you’re concerned about the future of medical research in this country after the Trump cuts, read this piece from Birmingham, Alabama, doctor Mike Saag, an infectious disease specialist involved in treating COVID patients. If you’re not concerned, it’s even more important that you read it. “Most critically, young scientists, many of whom have just completed their training, will find it difficult to impossible to secure funding to support their new careers in a funding environment that awards fewer than one in 30 grant applications. These scientists – who represent our future strength and national dominance in scientific research - will have no choice but to abandon a career in science and will need to find work in other fields that likely will do so much less for our country and our state.” Saag says we’ll all be affected as medical care begins to suffer from a decrease in supply of doctors and innovative treatments that never come online because the programs that supported their development got axed.
If today’s Substack Live conversation with E. Jean Carroll felt like the kind of community you want to be part of—engaged, informed, and committed to democracy—I hope you’ll consider becoming a paid subscriber. Your support helps sustain this space and everything we build together here at Civil Discourse.
We’re in this together,
Joyce
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