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Texas GOP lawmakers ask Supreme Court for emergency shield from disclosing redistricting map 'motives'
May 23, 2022
Three Texas Republican legislators have filed a petition with the U.S. Supreme Court asking that they be shielded from having to explain their motives for creating a discriminatory redistricting map.
The petition states that "Representatives Ryan Guillen, Brooks Landgraf, and John Lujan" were "involuntarily subpoenaed" in a case brought by the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) and other groups. The plaintiffs argue that the state's proposed redistricting maps are discriminatory.
According to the Texas Tribune, the new map would reduce the number of Black and Latino congressional districts.
"People of color accounted for 95% of the state's growth over the last decade, but in the new map there's one less Hispanic majority district and zero districts with a Black majority," the paper noted.
In their emergency petition to the U.S. Supreme Court, the Texas lawmakers argue that they do not have to explain their motives because of legislative privilege.
"[T]he probative value of any one legislator’s motivations or impressions is weak at best, while the affront to federalism and comity is at its zenith," the petition states.
According to Democracy Docket, depositions are set to begin on Tuesday and a ruling would be expected "soon" after that.
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As the West spends billions in aid to support Ukraine’s offensive against Russia, concerns are mounting over the looming possibility of a Chinese invasion of Taiwan. President Joe Biden said Monday that the United States would intervene militarily if the self-governing island came under attack by the mainland. But is Beijing ready to mount a full-scale takeover of Taiwan – and succeed?
Biden’s unequivocal remark about Taiwan came at a news conference with Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida during a visit to Tokyo, as the president responded to a question regarding whether, contrary to his approach to Ukraine, he would use military force to defend Taiwan.
“Yes … that’s the commitment we made,” Biden responded. “The idea that [Taiwan] could be taken by force … would dislocate the entire region and be another action similar to what happened in Ukraine.”
The president’s clear answer departed from the traditional stance of strategic ambiguity: a decades-old US policy of deliberate vagueness regarding the defense of Taiwan in case of Chinese invasion. But as Taiwan has reported a troubling increase in provocative military activity from Beijing, with spikes in Chinese military aircraft overflights in the island’s air defense identification zone, top US and EU officials have openly voiced their support for the democratic island, whose plight has also drawn comparisons to Ukraine.
The White House hurriedly walked back Biden’s statements, denying that the president’s remarks represented any change in policy – but not before they had provoked the ire of Beijing, whose foreign ministry expressed “strong dissatisfaction and firm opposition” within hours.
"Biden wants to send a strong message of deterrence to Beijing," says Mathieu Duchâtel, director of the Asia program at Institut Montaigne. "He wanted to show Beijing that while the US has refused to intervene directly in the war in Ukraine, it is determined to help Taiwan in the event of a Chinese invasion."
All this rhetoric begs the question: Just how feasible is a Chinese invasion of Taiwan at this point?
Invading Taiwan would be “extremely difficult for Beijing”
China’s defence budget, currently at $229 billion, has allowed it to boost research and development into new weapons systems, carriers and military exercises – with an emphasis on strengthening its navy. Currently, the country has considerable military capabilities that would allow it to intervene in and around Taiwan, explains Antoine Bondaz, director of the Taiwan program at the Foundation for Strategic Research.
"China's military spending has increased sevenfold over the past twenty years – and these efforts will continue. Today, there are an estimated 10,000 Chinese marines. It is projected that there will be 100,000 by 2027.”
In the short term, these growing resources are still too limited to envision a total invasion and control of Taiwan, the researcher says. "But if Beijing continues at this rate, it will have the resources necessary in a couple of years.”
Although China may far surpass Taiwan in its military arsenal and manpower, in terms of strategy, such an invasion would remain “extremely difficult for Beijing”, says Duchâtel.
“The Taiwanese, without even taking into account the US intervention, have a strong response capability, and could generate heavy losses for Beijing in case of an amphibious or airborne landing attempt."
Indeed, Taiwan has also boosted its defence spending, allocating in January an extra $8.6 billion on top of a record annual defense budget, dedicated to buying weapons like long-range precision weapons and warships.
Both sides learning lessons from Ukraine war
The island’s defense ministry has also been following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine closely, and has said that it will incorporate lessons from the war into its military exercises. Taiwanese officials and analysts have said that Ukraine’s resistance against the much larger Russian army also brings to mind the importance of asymmetric warfare and reservists.
Indeed, the Chinese are also gleaning insights from the conflict in Ukraine, causing them to reassess their hopes for a quick “lightning war” operation by which “reunification” by force would be possible after a few days, says Duchâtel.
"The Chinese saw the failure of the Russian blitzkrieg. This therefore forces them to rethink their military options vis-a-vis Taiwan and removes the risk of a short-term operation. We also do not know whether Chinese forces would be able to hold Taiwan in the event of an invasion”.
Towards an escalation in Taiwan-China relations?
Though an imminent, short-term Chinese invasion of Taiwan seems unlikely, “the status quo could shift at any given moment”, says Duchâtel.
The researcher points to two key events as being pivotal to the evolution of Taiwan-China relations: the 20th Congress of the Chinese Communist Party in the second half of 2022, and Taiwan’s parliamentary elections scheduled for January 2024.
Could tensions escalate during this period? "Currently, Taiwan, under the presidency of Tsai Ing-wen, takes a very cautious approach towards Beijing," explains Duchâtel. "But this reaffirmed American protection, coupled with China’s declining image on the international stage, could lead Taiwan to take greater political risks. Today, we don't seem to be moving in that direction. But it is a possibility”.
‘The international community must play a dissuasive role’
China’s objective to conquer Taiwan has always been clear, says Bondaz. As the mainland amasses military might, the threat to Taiwan grows – and if Beijing doesn’t have the means to launch a successful attack now, it will in a couple of years, by 2025 according to some estimates.
The researcher thus insists on the role the international community must play to dissuade China from using force. “They have to make Beijing understand that the cost, in human, military and geopolitical terms, is prohibitive.”
Biden’s remarks serve as a warning more pointed than any the US has issued to China over Taiwan in decades. “He underscored the difference between Ukraine and Taiwan” says Duchâtel. How this deterrence will play out concretely as the fraught relationship between Taiwan and China evolves remains to be seen.
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'Such a small man': Former Trump official delivers swift fact check on former president's tirade against Dr Birx
May 23, 2022
In a post to Truth Social this Monday, former President Donald Trump took a swipe at physician, public health expert, and former coronavirus task force member Dr. Deborah Birx, saying she "lost all credibility" when she warned people not to travel as the pandemic surged but chose to visit family anyway.
"What she did was so shameful and egregious that her own family actually turned her in," Trump said. "So cool! How much did they hate her? She had few dresses, many scarves, and no 'class.' I said, You're fired!!!"
Trump is referring to a news story from 2020 when Birx broke her own task force's rules by visiting her family for Thanksgiving while Americans were ordered to shelter at home due to rising virus numbers. Trump is also likely miffed over the publication of Birx's new book, “Silent Invasion: The Untold Story of the Trump Administration, Covid-19, and Preventing the Next Pandemic Before It’s Too Late,” where she offers her side of the story regarding her time in the White House.
READ MORE: Kellyanne Conway describes Trump-bashing husband as 'sinister' in upcoming memoir
But according to former Trump aide Alyssa Farah, Trump is lying about the circumstances surrounding Birx's departure from the White House.
"He’s such a petty, small man. Factcheck: he never fired Dr. Birx," Farah tweeted.
It was widely reported at the time that in the wake of her travel scandal, Birx planned to retire after she helped the incoming Biden administration transition to the White House.
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