I return triumphant from my one-week engagement in the woods, and good gravy, there’s a lot to report. I’ll do my best to cover all the highlights and lowlights; this is a news cycle that is quite a ride. As always, my inbox is here if you have any questions.
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 indictment!–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:
This week is yet another drink from the gross firehose, as Election Rejection stories involve 45 yet again. Here’s what has happened:
- Indictment Season (again again). Initially, the biggest news this cycle was the four new indictments against Trump regarding his actions on January 6, which dropped last Tuesday and bring us to 78 total indictments against him as I type this. That said, that number is very likely to change imminently–the Georgia election case, which was in grand jury proceedings and hearing testimony for most of the day, returned an indictment this evening. (Clear details are not yet known on that, which means we all get to enjoy unwrapping Indictmas criminal charges tomorrow unspoiled.) In more petty news, we also had an entire mini-saga about whether Trump can say whatever he wants about the Jan 6 proceedings (spoiler: an annoyed judge says no he can’t). Meanwhile, we also saw new charges in the Mar-a-Lago documents case for Trump and his valet, and Twitter got fined for refusing to cough up Trump data when the special counsel requested it.
There are a handful of odds and ends on the Biden Rebuilding front, largely involving courts unpausing policies. Here’s what I have for you:
- Biden Court Cases. The Biden asylum plan that was barred last cycle is already back in place as I type this, resumed by the Ninth Circuit while the underlying court case about it plays out. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court did the same thing, deciding 5-4 to resume Biden’s restriction of ghost guns while that case plays out. So I guess it was a good week for the Biden administration getting to do things that courts said they couldn’t do.
Your New Normal:
- Health Mini-Roundup. The big news in health this week, of course, is that we have a full-blown new COVID variant yet again, known as EG.5 or “Eris.” (Where can I return my ticket for the world’s worst showing of Groundhog Day?) Symptoms appear to be cold-like in most people, with runny noses and dry coughs being common. Experts currently believe bivalent vaccines should still be effective against it–we’ll see if that stays true. In more optimistic health news, the CDC approved an RSV antibody for infants this week, and the FDA approved its first postpartum depression pill in the U.S. as well.
The Bad:
- Tragedy in Hawaii. Hawaii has been experiencing massive conflagration since Wednesday, destroying the historic city of Lahaina and killing at least 100 people. The fire is still burning as I type this. Experts say it is the deadliest wildfire in over a century, and believe that both mismanagement of the local alarm system and climate change played a role in its severity. Hundreds have been displaced while the fire is raging, and Lahaina’s destruction is a huge cultural blow to the people of Hawaii. Needless to say, Hawaiians will likely benefit from financial support as they grieve and rebuild, and Governor Green has recommended donating to the Maui Strong fund, run by the Hawai’i Community Foundation, if you want to help.
The Good:
- Recent Legal Resilience. This cycle was a good one for civic and legal resilience. In Tennessee, the two Democrats who had been illegally ousted from the House due to peaceful protest several months ago regained their seats in a special election. In Ohio, voters rejected anti-abortion efforts to change their constitutional amendment process. (Fun fact: As some outlets noted, abortion rights have won literally every single time they have come onto a popular ballot since the Dobbs case was decided, in both blue and red states.) We had similar good news in recent court cases; in Mississippi, the Fifth Circuit concluded that Mississippi‘s practice of disenfranchising people for life post-conviction is unconstitutional. And just today in Montana, a judge concluded that state agencies were infringing on a constitutional right to a clean and healthful environment by permitting development of fossil fuels. Progress!
So that’s what I have for you, and I think we can agree it was more than enough. For making it through, you deserve this canine betrayal and a more functional government. I’ll be back next time 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 energy for unpacking things!
National News Roundup 