Good gravy, does the news pile up if I let the cycle go an extra week. This cycle’s NNR will be extra jam-packed, though I did my best to keep the overall length the same. I can’t promise the content is fun to read. (That said, I personally find that reading about 45’s indictments never gets old.)
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 a drug price!–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 think at this point, we can just assume that Election Rejection stories will involve 45 for the duration. Here’s what has happened since last time:
- Indictment Season (again again). The Georgia case indictment, which came down just ahead of our last NNR, turned out to have 13 separate counts against Trump and 41 charges total in its 98 pages–many of which relate to racketeering. It’s a big, sprawling matter, with 19 different people charged in all. If you were hoping all of this maybe this would make 45 be less obnoxious for five seconds, I’m afraid I have to disappoint you, because Trump used his booking as a fundraising opportunity. At the time that I type this, all nineteen defendants have surrendered in GA, and most have already pleaded not guilty (though they have until Wednesday to do so). At the time that I type this, Trump has moved to sever his case from the others because he wants his trial to take a billion years. That said, the Georgia DA is requesting that all 19 defendants’ trials begin in October. Meanwhile, his January 6 federal case was scheduled to begin on March 4, 2024, which is both a totally normal timeline and two years earlier than his ridiculous request last cycle. For those of you playing the home game, that means it will fall directly over Super Tuesday. And speaking of January 6, several convicted Proud Boys were sentenced this cycle, all of whom got ten years or more in prison for their troubles.
We have a surprising glut of news this cycle on the Biden Rebuilding front, possibly because the House Republicans are kind of forcing the point. Here’s what I have for you:
- Labor and Libel. The big positive news on the Biden front this week is that his administration proposed new overtime rules, which would dramatically expand the number of workers entitled to overtime pay. The shine of this news is dulled a bit, though, by the House nonsense that is happening at the same time. More specifically, we’re staring down the barrel of yet another government shutdown because McCarthy made mouth noises about impeaching Biden and now the Freedom Caucus is doing their thing in response. I really want to stress that as far as I can tell, Biden has done literally nothing that merits impeachment, and this is now just the GOP playbook for obstruction. It’s worth noting that the GOP is calling to impeach the Georgia DA prosecuting Trump as well.
Your New Normal:
- Climate Change Catastrophes (again). This cycle saw yet another wave of alarming weather, some of which was definitely caused by climate change. In California, tropical storm Hilary was the first to hit the region in 80 years, causing massive flooding and mudslides. (The region was also hit by an earthquake while preparing.) Shortly after, Hurricane Idalia pummeled Florida, making landfall as a Cat 3 storm on the southern part of the eastern coast. There was also massive flooding in Black Rock City, NV, where the annual Burning Man festival had drawn more than 70,000 visitors. This left many of those people stranded in a muddy desert over the weekend, though some folks have been able to leave as I type this.
The Bad:
- Political Determinants of Health (again). The health news this cycle is a gauntlet of political determinants and restricted access. In Texas, a total ban of gender-affirming care for minors went back into effect after the state’s supreme court ended the injunction pausing it. A similar ban in Alabama was put back into effect the same way. All things considered, that makes it difficult to feel optimistic about Georgia’s ban on gender-affirming care, which was blocked by a federal district court judge this cycle. Meanwhile, in abortion access news, South Carolina’s all-male supreme court just upheld a six-week ban. This coincides with a 5th Circuit decision to restrict mifepristone, which is now being teed up to go to the U.S. Supreme Court and I hate everything.
The Good:
- Recent Health Resilience. We did get a touch of good health news this week, when the White House released its list of the first ten drugs that will be eligible for Medicare price negotiations. The list marks the first step forward under the new Inflation Reduction Act, which authorizes Medicare to negotiate directly with drug manufacturers for the first time since the program’s inception in 1965. These negotiations will likely be ongoing for some time, and the final prices will go into effect in 2026. Still, it’s a big deal!
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 