This was a week of endings, between the official end of the COVID public health emergency and the official end of Title 42 asylum policies at the border. (The way we’re headed, I also haven’t ruled out an end to the debt ceiling.) Needless to say, the NNR remains available for your snarky coverage needs.
Standard standing reminders still apply: I may be well into my seventh year of journalism, but I summarize news within my areas of expertise. NNR summaries often contain some detailed analysis that’s outside my expertise–I’m a lawyer, not an amendment!–but all offroad adventures are marked with an asterisk. And, of course, for the things that are within my lane, I’m offering context that shouldn’t be considered legal advice. Okay, I think that’s about it for the disclaimers. Onward to the news!
Cleanup in Aisle 45:
I wasn’t quite sure where to stick the story below, but it does involved both Election and Rejection, so I figured this was the place for it. Here’s what has happened:
- Santos Malos. On Wednesday, still-current GOP rep George Santos was taken into custody and charged with thirteen counts of fraud, presumably due to, y’know, all the fraud. Though he originally pled not guilty, he quickly confessed to crimes in Brazil in order to make those charges go away. Just today, he dodged a vote to expel him by the skin of his teeth, and the matter instead went to the House Ethics Committee. Santos has already refused to resign several times, so in a GOP-led house, it seems likely he’s not going anywhere.
The main news story on the Biden Rebuilding front this week is immigration-related. Here’s what I have for you:
- The End of Title 42. With the immigration policy known as Title 42 ending last week due to the end of the public health emergency, there have been a lot of eyes on the southern border. Initial fears of a massive asylee surge appear to have been unfounded, as the Biden administration made clear they planned to deport asylum seekers en masse under Title 8. Still, it’s unclear what may come next, as Title 8 under Biden’s plan will be rough on Mexico. It’s very possible that the whole thing will prompt Congress to revamp relevant legislation.
Your New Normal:
- Creeping Healthcare Concerns. As I mentioned last week, Thursday also marked the official end of the COVID public health emergency. As if to puncture the point, the CDC celebrated by finally releasing ventilation guidelines sought by health professionals for literal years–nothing says “you’re on your own” quite like “the pandemic’s over, by the way change your airflow regularly.” Meanwhile, in reproductive health news, North Carolina passed a twelve-week abortion law by overriding the governor’s veto on the matter. And in New Orleans, the Fifth Circuit appears poised to reinforce the nonsense decision issued by a federal district court judge in Texas regarding access to mifepristone.
The Bad:
- Raise the Debt Roof (again).* Also as I mentioned above, we appear to be gearing up for a(nother) wild ride on the debt ceiling. Although Biden and Congress have been meeting regularly to try to strike a deal, it’s increasingly obvious that the House GOP isn’t playing ball. In response, Biden has signaled that he’s beginning to consider using the 14th Amendment as a workaround. Just today, several Senate Democrats sent him a letter officially urging him to push that button. If nothing is done, we may slam right into default as soon as June 1, so time is rather of the essence–I’ll keep folks posted on this.
The Good:
- Recent Health Resilience. A small trial published this week shows potential great promise for a pancreatic cancer vaccine developed using mRNA technology. This is a really big deal, as scientists have long been trying to figure out how to use mRNA to tailor vaccines to patients’ specific tumors. We’re still early stages, but it’s a potential major milestone. Hooray progress!
So that’s what I have for you this week, and I’m sorry, there are no news refunds. For making it through, you deserve this attention-seeking lamb and a more functional government. I’ll be back next week with more restructured and improved news, and I hope you will be back as well–but in the meantime, feel free to ping the National News Roundup ask box, which is there for your constructive comments. Send me questions! Send me feedback! Send me cloning technology; I’ll use it responsibly!
National News Roundup 