Read Shan’s take on various political and cultural happenings (and Tweets!) below. East Palestine: Real Costs of the Railroad Lobby East Palestine residents have been told by EPA officials that they are not in any danger, but videos surfacing regularly showing plants and animals dying and complaints of chlorine smells in the rain have all contributed to alarming questions about the long term health concerns of exposure. Over 200 citizens attended and voiced their concerns at a town hall in the small city of 5,00. So far, more than 2 million gallons of water and liquid waste have been removed along with 1400 tons of solid waste. The EPA has mandated Norfolk Southern do extensive testing as well as provide compensation to the lives disrupted, but this isn’t the first derailment to this capacity we’ve seen. Regulations like higher safety standards for trains carrying hazardous materials, electronic braking systems for...

In only the first month of 2023, a lot happened on the U.S. political stage. Read Shan’s take on various political and cultural happenings (and Tweets!) below. AG Garland Likes to Appoint Special Counsels Will AG Garland be as quick to appoint a special counsel over former VP Pence’s classified documents as he was for Biden?  Read Tweet Former Vice President Pence’s Classified Documents Put AG Garland in a Box The discovery of classified documents at former VP Pence’s home in Indiana puts AG Garland in a box – having prematurely appointed a Special Counsel for Biden’s documents Garland now likely must appoint one for Pence as well.  Read the article President Biden’s classified documents The early facts we know from the discovery of “several classified documents from President Joe Biden’s time as vice president” by Biden’s lawyers while packing up his former office at the Penn Biden Center, show...

Under the Scope: The midterm election results demonstrated a path forward for our country as well as highlighted ongoing issues of law, policy and social justice. Georgia, Another Run Off for the Battleground State: Senator Warnock won his second run off in Georgia, securing 6 more years in the Senate and the majority for the Democrats, despite the fact that the run-off process in Georgia is itself descended from racist efforts to suppress black representation.  Georgia has seen some of the harshest voter suppression policies in the United States but was still able to mobilize for success in this election, but this model isn’t sustainable. Warnock’s win means senators  Kyrsten Sinema and Joe Manchin will have diminished power to hold legislation hostage. Senator Sinema declared herself an independent, which many felt was some sort of protest to these results but more likely it had to do with the likelihood that...

These past few months, I’ve had my eyes on:  Individual Cases and Elections Adnan Syed, October Adnan Syed, the subject of the popular podcast Serial, had his charges dismissed by the Baltimore State Attorney’s office. This followed two decades of controversy about Syed’s innocence. The charges were dismissed because the prosecution discovered evidence suggesting Syed’s innocence that was never disclosed to his original defense attorney. Instances like this show the unique position that prosecutors are in to not only represent their client – the state – but to also constantly be moderating whether justice is being upheld in the court room. Prosecutors in Florida have recently shown a similar respect for the fair implementation of law by refraining from prosecuting abortion cases.  Keith Ellison Election, October Keith Ellison is up for re-election for Attorney General of Minnesota, and the GOP is pouring support into his opponent, an inexperienced prosecutor who...

If you have a Twitter – and even if you don’t – you’ve probably heard about the Elon Musk takeover during the last few weeks. Musk’s blustering statements about free speech and censorship have made headlines, but so have criticisms of the mogul’s policies. Former federal prosecutor Shan Wu has made a recent foray into the national discourse by tweeting a bold condemnation of Musk for enabling hate speech. Read on for more context behind Shan’s most recent viral analysis. Musk’s rocky takeover For those who haven’t been following the saga, here’s a quick rundown of the events: Musk first began buying up Twitter stock in January of 2022. He then announced that he planned to buy the social media company in April. He publicly promised Twitter a $44 billion price tag, then promptly backed out of the deal a few weeks later. Twitter took Musk to court, and the...

In his latest national media appearance, former federal prosecutor Shan Wu weighed in on the question of former President Donald Trump’s potential criminal charges for an article in Newsweek. The potential for Trump to be charged with fraud has been a burning question in the media ever since the FBI raided Trump’s residence at Mar-a-Lago in August. With many wondering whether Trump will be charged before the Midterm elections in November, there is quite a bit of political and legal uncertainty around the case. But Shan thinks that legal action before the Midterms is unlikely. Read about his contribution to the discussion in Newsweek below, as well as his other recent media appearances discussing the saga of Trump’s fraud conspiracy. An arrest before Midterms is unlikely The Department of Justice has had a longstanding policy against taking investigative steps or filing charges within 60 days of an election, to prevent...

In February, I had my eyes on:  LAW & POLITICS NY DA Probe of Trump Falters Shockingly, lead prosecutors in Manhattan DA’s office resigned over new DA Alvin Bragg expressing doubts about a criminal case against Trump.  It’s very rare for a top prosecutor – especially one brand new to the job - to go against the prosecutors closest to the case. NY AG James' case should be unscathed by this so all eyes will turn to her civil matter now. AAPI ISSUES: Criticism of Olympic gold medalist Eileen Gu reflects racial animosity towards AAPIs stoked by racist rhetoric. While countless American athletes have participated under the flag of different nations in the Olympics, whether for greater opportunity or for ancestral heritage, none have drawn attention and controversy like Eileen Gu. The 18 year old gold medalist differs from many of these athletes because she was easily skilled enough to...

Whats new in January 2022: Justice Stephen Breyer’s anticipated retirement emphasizes the evolution of Supreme Court Justices to monoliths of powers in today’s political sphere. This over concentration of power in a small ground can undermine democracy and upset the three equity of the three branches of government, especially when the next generation of judicial leaders are groomed with particular political paradigms. Read more at my most recent publication.  A vigil was held to honor Michelle Go, a Bay Area native who was senselessly killed while waiting for her train. Simon Martial turned himself in for pushing her and is being charged with second degree murder. Go was known for volunteering with homeless initiatives and was an engaged member of her community.  While it is still unclear whether race was a factor in her death, it is a painful reminder that violence against the Asian American and Pacific Islander community...