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Year 8, Weeks 18-19 (May 19 – June 1)

June 4, 2024 Kara HurvitzLeave a comment

Friends, I’m sure most of you have probably already heard the biggest story of this cycle by now – but we can go through all of it again anyway. Have a little schadenfreude, as a treat.

Standard standing reminders still apply: I may be starting my eighth 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 criminal trial!–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:

We do have both Trump Court Cases and Trump’s Horrifying Stumping stories in the Election Et Cetera column this cycle, though of course his conviction looms the largest. Here’s what has happened since last time:

All 34 Counts. Trump was already having something of an eventful cycle by the time last Thursday rolled around, between his pet judge refusing to issue a gag order in the Florida case and getting booed out of a libertarian convention. But things took a sharp turn on Thursday, when the New York criminal trial ended with the jury finding him guilty on all 34 counts of falsifying records. Trump celebrated being the first convicted former President in U.S. history by holding some impressively disturbing press conferences and then fundraising off of the verdict. (Though in fairness to the cheeto, the Biden administration did stage a press conference at the courthouse, so his claims that Biden is behind the verdict are slightly less deranged than they might be otherwise.) The Internet, naturally, celebrated by having an entire field day. When the dust settles, Trump will almost certainly appeal, and when his sentence comes down, he’s also extremely unlikely to face jail time. That said, the sentence date is four days before the Republican National Convention, so have fun with that GOP.

In contrast, the Capitol Hill Dales stories were relatively minor. Here’s what I have for you:

The Rest of the Capitol Hill News. Of course nothing feels quite as dramatic as the above, but things do continue onward on Capitol Hill. In the least stunning political announcement of 2024, Joe Manchin announced that he’s not a Democrat (but like, for really real from now on). Joe Biden continues to walk a fine line with the war in Gaza, proposing a ceasefire which has Israeli popular support after an airstrike on Rafah killed two dozen people last weekend. And in other Biden news, Hunter Biden’s gun trial will begin tomorrow, as a jury was empaneled today.

Your New Normal:

My Wife Likes Flags. This cycle saw yet another Supreme Court ethics scandal, this time centering around Justice Alito flying not one, but two different insurrectionist flags on his properties over multiple years. Alito then refused to recuse himself from the Jan 6 cases currently before SCOTUS, responding to Democrats’ demands with an obnoxious letter that basically boiled down to “My wife likes flags, and anyway you can’t make me.” (Ethics experts had some good commentary on the letter; on X, a New York University Law professor rightfully describes said letter as “trolling us.”) Then Chief Justice Roberts, not to be outdone, refused to meet with Democrats about the very real ethics problems he has with several justices on his bench. Folks, I don’t think most outlets reporting on this are really capturing just how bad it is, so I want to take a few minutes to unpack it. Alito himself mentions in his letter that the standard here is whether impartiality might be reasonably questioned. This is because modern judicial conduct codes are designed to capture even activity that gives off an appearance of impropriety, whether or not impropriety is actually occurring. In other words, the point isn’t whether he has an opinion about insurrection (although yeah, he probably does support it), because it’s a problem if anyone even thinks he has an opinion about insurrection. And Alito is out here arguing that yeah, he was pulled over with an open handle of vodka sitting next to him in the cup holder, and yeah, he was captured on camera going 80 down the highway, but it was his wife’s cupholder, and she has the right to drink vodka while he goes 80 down the highway, so how dare anybody question his driving and he’s definitely not going to stop doing it.

The Bad:

Bad Health Law Blues. This was a rough cycle for health law news. In a disturbing expansion of the forced birth playbook, this cycle Tennessee became the first state to create a right to sue adults who help minors receive gender-affirming care. Meanwhile, last cycle’s Louisiana bill to make abortifacients a scheduled substance with possession a criminal felony is somehow already signed into law, making it through the entire legislative process in two weeks. And in Texas, the Texas Supreme Court reversed a decision which clarified abortion law exemptions, saying that the law was clear enough on its face and, in effect, it’s not the law’s fault that the plaintiffs were denied abortions when they had life-threatening conditions.

The Good:

Wu Tang World Premier. The world’s most expensive album — sold to Martin Shkreli in 2015 for $2M, seized by the U.S. government in his trial, and eventually sold off as an NFT for $4M — has been loaned out to the Museum of Old and New Art in Australia. The museum plans to play it for the public twice daily for nine straight days, from June 15 to 24. This will be the first time this album, called “Once Upon a Time in Shaolin,” has ever been played in public at all. It’s a fascinating development in what is a fascinating piece of musical history in its own right.

So that’s what I have for you, and let’s all be glad it’s not worse. For still reading these roundups, you deserve this doggo pool exit 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 more hours in the day!

Year 8, Weeks 15-17 ( April 28 – May 18)

May 21, 2024 Kara HurvitzLeave a comment

April showers appear to be bringing May… showers, at least where I live. But they also bring gloomy news updates! Hooray, spring in 2024.

Cleanup in Aisle 45:

The theme of the Election Et Cetera stories this cycle is both Trump Court Cases and Trump’s Horrifying Stumping. Here’s what has happened since last time:

It’s A Wonderful Cannibal. We have yet another cycle full of news from Trump’s first criminal trial, where Stormy Daniels and then Michael Cohen testified for several days straight. Along the way, Trump was fined a grand and threatened with jail time for violating his gag order a billion times, and roasted for falling asleep during his own trial. Meanwhile, Trump’s pretty much just straight-up telling reporters that he won’t accept 2024 election results if Biden wins, and also took a moment to praise Hannibal Lecter as “a wonderful man” in the middle of a rant against immigrants. And just for maximum “the rules are made up and the laws don’t matter,” Trump’s pet judge in Florida also made the classified document case go away.

In contrast, the Capitol Hill Dales stories were relatively minor. Here’s what I have for you:

Capital Hill Infighting. The news in pettiness from Capitol Hill this cycle is that Marjorie Taylor Greene again attempted to oust Speaker Johnson, and again failed to get the votes – in part because the Democrats supported him again. Johnson, meanwhile, scolded the Oversight Committee this week after Greene blew up a hearing by insulting a Dem’s visage on the record and then saying she “would never apologize.” He smoothed things over with the press by saying “we’re going to maintain decorum,” making one wonder if he has ever met his colleagues. There was, of course, also some jockeying about Israel, but we’ll discuss that more below.

Your New Normal:

Marijuana and Misoprostol. The biggest news in the health world is that the Department of Justice announced that they are reclassifying marijuana, moving it from a Schedule I to a Schedule III substance. The change will not cause decriminalization in entirety, but is a first step down that path. In seemingly direct contrast, Louisiana legislators moved this cycle to make abortifacients a scheduled substance for the first time in history. (If that’s not an apt metaphor for American health politics at the moment, I don’t know what is.)

The Bad:

Ongoing Conflict in Gaza. The ongoing war in Gaza continues to have implications for American politics. Though Biden attempted to negotiate away from a full-scale invasion of Rafah, Netanyahu pressed forward with a full invasion and closed down Al-Jazeera while he was at it. This move, along with a report that Israel may be committing war crimes using U.S. resources, prompted Biden to threaten to withhold weapons – which of course immediately drew Republican ire. As I type this, the death of Iran’s president, as well as the International Criminal Court’s decision to seek an arrest warrant for Netanyahu alongside Hamas, make the entire situation even more unpredictable.

The Good:

Recent Market Resilience. This cycle in “good news that wouldn’t even be news in a normal timeline,” the Supreme Court rejected a challenge to the Fed’s authority to fund the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau celebrated by moving forward on its efforts to crack down on predatory payday loans.

So that’s what I have for you, and I’m sorry, there are no news refunds. For still reading these roundups, you deserve this gentle cat suggestion 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 more time to take naps!

Year 8, Weeks 12-14 ( April 7-27)

April 30, 2024 Kara HurvitzLeave a comment

My apologies for the longer cycle than intended this go-round, folks – Passover really snuck up on me, and the Seder took precedence last Monday. Thankfully, we appear to have passed over the worst types of news this cycle as well. So I suppose it all evens out!

Standard standing reminders still apply: I may be starting my eighth 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 noncompete clause!–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:

The theme of the Election Et Cetera stories this cycle is definitely Trump Court Cases. Here’s what has happened since last time:

45 Court Cases. This cycle marked the beginning of the first criminal trial against Trump, which is the hush money case being brought in New York. It’s going about as well for him as you might expect – his request to delay was denied, and a great deal of detail is coming to light about his illegal catch-and-release process during the 2016 campaign. He also tried and failed to dismiss the Georgia and classified document criminal cases against him. The Presidential immunity case, which SCOTUS heard oral arguments on this cycle, appeared to go better for him – or at least, it appears likely to delay several other cases. Meanwhile, Arizona and Michigan both named him an unindicted conspirator in elector interference cases; Arizona’s new indictments bring the total number of states charging Trump allies with election interference to six.

In contrast, the Capitol Hill Dales more-or-less run the gamut. Here’s what I have for you:

Capitol Hill Highlights. Capital Hill was fairly functional this cycle, as a bill package that funded Ukraine and Israel while potentially banning Tiktok managed to make it through both houses and onto Biden’s desk. The Biden administration also forgave more student debt and proposed a plan to close the “gun show” loophole in background check requirements. Meanwhile, the Senate dismissed the House’s nonsense impeachment of U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas.

Your New Normal:

Health News Roundup. A lot of health news happened this cycle. The Biden administration clarified some points regarding HIPAA protections, attempting to deter illegal subpoenas of medical records like the ones issued in Tennessee earlier this year. The Supreme Court heard oral arguments on a case about whether emergency rooms are required to perform life-saving abortions under the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act. In a fascinating separation of powers tug-of-war, Arizona both reinstated a Civil War era abortion ban and began the process of de-reinstating it. And finally, the Biden administration admitted that it has more-or-less given up on the FDA menthol cigarette ban it’s supposed to be finalizing.

The Bad:

Encampments on College Campuses. An “ovation” of protest encampments on college campuses which began on Columbia’s campus has spread from coast to coast this cycle, with protests on 40 campuses and counting as I type this. The encampments at this point have resulted in remote classes, canceled commencements, student suspensions, and over 600 arrests of both Jewish and Muslim participants. Several outlets are reporting both anti-Semitic and Islamophobic violence as tensions escalate, as well as excessive police force from squads in riot gear in several places. Needless to say, this is a complicated situation, but many colleges seem to be badly mismanaging it.

The Good:

Recent Market Resilience. The Federal Trade Commission agreed by 3-2 vote this cycle to ban noncompete agreements, noting that these contracts stifle innovation, suppress wage growth, and prevent new business formation. It’s very likely that this rule will be challenged in court, but it’s still a really encouraging decision.

So that’s what I have for you, and I’m sure next cycle will be worse. For still reading these roundups, you deserve this gay icon 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 fortitude to make it to the end of this holiday!

Year 8, Weeks 9-10 ( March 17-30)

April 2, 2024 Kara HurvitzLeave a comment

Well folks, it’s April, and the news is full of fools. (I wish I could claim this was intentional, but sadly it is not.) Nonetheless, the NNR is here, and that’s no joke!

Standard standing reminders still apply: I may be starting my eighth 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 electoral candidate!–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 hope everybody’s ready for another episode of The Trump and Biden Show, because we’re back with more Election Et Cetera. Here’s what has happened since last time:

45 Annoyances. We did have some news this cycle about South Carolina using an illegal districting map for the November election, which is always fun–but the vast majority of the news involved Trump. At the top of the week, there was a giant rigmarole about his bond payment on the civil fraud case, which he did successfully argue down to $175M from its original $454M pending appeal and then paid today. He was also placed under a gag order for the hush money case, which is scheduled to begin in a couple of weeks. That gag order was then promptly expanded to include comments about the judge’s family after Trump wouldn’t shut up about said judge’s adult daughter. Meanwhile, the Trump attacked Biden for acknowledging Trans Day of Visibility–something he has done every year of his Presidency–because this year it happened to fall on Easter.

Unsurprisingly, the Capitol Hill Dales also remain pretty election-flavored this cycle. Here’s what I have for you:

Capitol Hill Highlights. Likely as part of a campaign push, Biden announced another student debt forgiveness wave this cycle, this time for public service workers. He also signed a final budget deal, which will keep the government funded until September. That is particularly helpful because the House GOP is again calling for the removal of their own Speaker, even as their majority drops to a margin of a single vote due to Rep. Mike Gallagher retiring early. We also learned that the Department of Justice is suing Apple for having a monopoly, and the EPA issued new rules that incentivize electronic vehicles and cutting carbon emissions in cars.

Your New Normal:

Health News Roundup. This was something of a promising cycle for health news. AstraZeneca announced a $35 cap for inhaler costs, following the example of Boehringer Ingelheim earlier this month. And in oral arguments before SCOTUS on the mifepristone case, the court seemed to signal that it might reject the appeal for lack of standing – which would keep medication abortion relatively accessible in much of the country. Obviously, we’ll have to see what happens when the opinion comes out, but it’s a promising sign.

The Bad:

Baltimore Key Bridge Collapse. Much of the country was shocked this cycle by the collapse of the Key Bridge in Baltimore, which was hit by a massive cargo ship after the ship lost power. Incredibly, there were no cars on the bridge when this happened, because the ship was able to send a distress signal fast enough for officers on site to block access – and the crew of the ship survived as well. There are, however, six construction workers who went missing when the bridge collapsed, and at this point are presumed dead. President Biden has promised that the federal government will cover costs of rebuilding, but the process will likely take a long time.

The Good:

Recent Survey Resilience. In news that is exciting if you’re me, the U.S. Census Bureau is refining its race and ethnicity census questions. The new census question will ask about race and ethnicity together, and offers options for identifying as Latino or Middle Eastern/North African. It’s a major improvement for two populations that have been inaccurately measured for a long time.

So that’s what I have for you, and let’s enjoy this relative reprieve while we can. For making it through, you deserve this truth in advertising 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 your peep recipes!

Year 8, Weeks 6-8 (February 25 – March 16)

March 19, 2024 Kara HurvitzLeave a comment

Folks, I won’t lie to you – the NNR was postponed because I really, really struggled emotionally with some of this cycle’s stories. If you are someone with a personal stake in Gaza, someone gender nonconforming, or someone who was very traumatized by Orange Mussolini Round 1, you might want to have emergency icecream at the ready for this one.

Standard standing reminders still apply: I may be starting my eighth 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 electoral candidate!–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:

Now that we’ve officially locked in candidates, the Election Et Cetera section is going to be the Trump and Biden show for the foreseeable future. Here’s what has happened since last time:

Election Rapid Fire. (CW: racism, threat of violence) Obviously, the biggest news this cycle is that Super Tuesday came and went, and Donald Trump and Joe Biden are now the official candidates for the 2024 Presidential election. Mike Pence celebrated by refusing to endorse Trump, while Mitch McConnell celebrated by endorsing him but announcing his retirement at the end of the year. This news is possible in part because the Supreme Court unanimously ruled that Trump can stay on the ballot in all 50 states, although they didn’t agree about why. They also agreed to hear the case about his made-up presidential immunity in April, so that will be fun. Meanwhile, the endless parade of upsetting Trump news has already kicked into high gear. In the past three weeks, we have confirmed that he can’t pay the $464M fraud penalty on his New York civil case, in part because absolutely no companies will loan him money (except that one company that helped with his other civil penalty). He is also now down to 88 criminal charges pending after three were dismissed this week, and those live ones include several about misusing classified documents, but he’s nonetheless getting intelligence briefings again. His early stump speeches include such gems as “we will throw Liz Cheney in prison for investigating me,” “immigrants aren’t people,” and “if I don’t get elected, it’s going to be a bloodbath.” So get ready for another 33 straight weeks of this reheated hell, I guess.

Unsurprisingly, the Capitol Hill Dales are also pretty election-flavored this cycle. Here’s what I have for you:

Capitol Hill Highlights. Biden had his State of the Union this cycle, which unsurprisingly contained several campaign elements as well as tackling reproductive rights, assistance to Ukraine, and Medicare pricing. We also saw Congress keep the lights on for another few weeks, with the next shutdown deadline coming up this Friday. Finally, the Biden administration issued a new cap on credit card late fees – they now cannot exceed $8.

Your New Normal:

Gazing at Gaza. (CW:starvation, death) The Biden administration and Congress have also become more vocal about the situation in Gaza this news cycle. Vice President Harris has been calling for a cease-fire and more humanitarian aid, while President Biden has ordered construction of a temporary aid port. The pushes come as Gaza is on the brink of famine, with reports of people eating animal feed and grass. In total, over 30,000 people have died in Gaza in the past five months, including 112 people who died waiting for aid last week after Israeli troops fired into an agitated crowd; meanwhile, an estimated 99 Israeli hostages have still not been released. There are also thousands of people missing. Notably, several Jewish members of Congress have started to speak up, including Senate leader Chuck Schumer, who called for another Israeli election this week. President Biden reportedly backed Schumer, though he did take a call with Netanyahu for the first time in a month today.

The Bad:

Fires in TX and Examiners in OK. (CW: death, hate crimes) An issue with the power lines, apparently caused by power company facilities, has resulted in the largest Texas wildfire in history this cycle. The wildfire has killed over 7,000 cows, burned over 1M acres, and destroyed over 500 structures, which is likely to have long-lasting implications for the agriculture industry there. The situation was exacerbated by the hottest February on record, which created unusually dry conditions – and is itself the ninth broken record in a row for monthly temperatures. In unrelated news, except that it makes me incandescently angry, the one-page medical examiner report of Nex Benedict’s death was released last week, which concluded that Benedict’s death was a suicide caused by taking benadryl with Prozac. (Reader, you may read that and think “Isn’t that an incredibly common antidepressant combined with an incredibly common antihistamine, neither of which are contraindicated with each other?” Yes, that is true, and no, you are not missing anything, and I’m sorry, welcome to this terrible party.) Needless to say, many LGBT advocates are skeptical of this finding, including yours truly.

The Good:

Recent Health Resilience. We did have some good health news this cycle. Alabama passed a law that protects in vitro fertilization, returning business on that front to normal after the practice was threatened by a court decision last month. And just today, the Biden administration banned asbestos, a long-overdue measure that was decades in the making. Progress!

So that’s what I have for you, and I’m sorry, there are no news refunds. For making it through, you deserve a new hope for Voyager 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 better news in the next cycle again cause the last one didn’t take.

Year 8, Weeks 3-5 (February 4-24)

February 27, 2024 Kara HurvitzLeave a comment

We’re doing a bit of before-spring cleaning here at the NNR as we settle into Year 8 – good gravy, it’s hard to believe we’re in our eighth year of this. I’m open to feedback if anybody has it, but no worries if not – despite the flood of stories this week, we’re still ramping up, news-wise. Which is a bit dispiriting, because several of this cycle’s stories are truly painful.

Standard standing reminders still apply: I may be starting my eighth 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 primary!–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 it’s likely that Election Rejection will feature 2024 election news from here on out, though I’m going to keep the name for now. Here’s what has happened since last time:

Election Rapid Fire. A whole pile of stuff has happened since the last NNR, so we’re just going to do a listicle to cover it all: 1) Joe Manchin has officially announced he’s not running for President, thanks goodness for small miracles; 2) Trump trounced Nikki Haley in her home state of South Carolina, when she was already having a bad time in Nevada – making him more-or-less a shoo-in for the official Republican nomination (though Haley refuses to drop out before Super Tuesday in March); 3) Trump was fined a giant pile of money and barred from conducting business in the New York civil fraud suit, which he likely doesn’t have and the RNC will probably pay; 4) Trump’s New York criminal trial is moving forward (likely with a gag order) and will begin on March 25; 5) the DC appeals court found that Trump has no Presidential immunity from January 6 prosecution, and consequently he is appealing to SCOTUS; 6) the GA criminal case is technically proceeding forward but is a hot mess; and 7) Biden’s now enjoying a funding advantage in the 2024 election because Trump keeps making the RNC pay his legal bills.

Similarly, I’m rebranding the “everything else federal government” section to more accurately reflect its range. We’re going to call this one the Capitol Hill Dales, at least for now. Here’s what I have for you:

Capitol Potpourri. I’ve got a similar list for you in federal government news: 1) Biden is officially absolved of wrongdoing for holding onto classified papers, though the report stirred up some rumors about his memory that he’s now trying to shake; 2) Biden also announced a new student loan forgiveness plan that prioritizes people with loans under $12K who have already made 120 payments, which says truly damning things about how student loans work in this country; 3) the House did manage to impeach Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas on the second try by a single vote; and 4) the Senate passed a $95B military aid package, but the House appears poised to kill it a second time.

Your New Normal:

Infections and In Vitro. The CDC announced this cycle that they plan to relax the 5-day covid isolation standard in the near future, which of course puts immunocompromised people in a bad position. Meanwhile, as Florida has another measles outbreak at a Broward County elementary school, its state surgeon general basically told parents YOLO. But the biggest health news by far this cycle is the Alabama Supreme Court’s decision to rule that frozen embryos are legally children, which immediately created massive disruptions for the state’s in vitro fertilization facilities and access to fertility treatments. Unsurprisingly, this was unpopular with a lot of Americans, and the GOP began falling all over itself to show how pro-IVF it is almost immediately. By the time that I type this, Alabama lawmakers and Donald Trump are both publicly claiming they are going to pass legislation to protect IVF procedures.

The Bad:

This Month’s Senseless and Preventable Murders. (CW: murder, hate crimes, bigotry) Two men and two juveniles have now been criminally charged after opening fire into a Superbowl parade in Kansas City earlier this month. The mass shooting killed a much-beloved local DJ, Lisa Lopez Galvin, and injured 21 other people. In other lethal news from this cycle, a sixteen-year old nonbinary student who lived on a reservation in Oklahoma, Nex Benedict, died after being beaten in the bathroom of their high school. Benedict’s family report that they experienced severe bullying for at least a year leading up to the incident. Notably, Oklahoma has introduced 54 pieces of anti-trans legislation in the 2024 legislative session, and had previously issued rules requiring Benedict to use the girl’s bathroom where they were attacked. In the wake of Benedict’s death, an Oklahoma state senator called Benedict “filth”, while school superintendent Ryan Walters reiterated his belief that trans students should not be allowed to live in accordance with their gender identity. It is painfully ironic that this story unfolds in the same cycle that 2022 Trans Survey data shows 94% of trans and gender-diverse adults have more life satisfaction when living authentically in a gender identity not assigned at birth. Needless to say, both of these deaths were preventable tragedies that should never have happened in the first place.

The Good:

Recent House Resilience. Surprisingly, given everything else going on, the House managed to extend the Child Tax Credit with strong bipartisan support this past week. I genuinely have no idea how that happened, but I’ll take it.

So that’s what I have for you, and I think we can agree that it was more than enough. For making it through, you deserve these parrots’ cactus love affair 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 better news in the next cycle dear God.

Year 8, Weeks 1-2 (January 21–February 5)

February 6, 2024 Kara HurvitzLeave a comment

It’s a new year, with surprisingly little new news! Which is to say, most of the news I have for you this cycle relates back to elections – either the upcoming 2024 election, or fallout from the insurrection of the 2020 one. And the 2024 election is looking more and more like a complete repeat of the 2020 circus. Everything new is old again, y’all.

Standard standing reminders still apply: I may be starting my eighth 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 primary!–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 it’s likely that Election Rejection will feature 2024 election news from here on out, though I’m going to keep the name for now. Here’s what has happened since last time:

Wins and What? The New Hampshire primary came and went, with Trump soundly beating Nikki Haley and disappointing half the country. Biden won the Democratic primary there as well, despite needing a write-in campaign and therefore earning no delegates. He also won the endorsement of the United Auto Workers, and handily won the first “real” DNC primary in South Carolina this past Saturday as well. It was a good week for E Jean Caroll as well, as she won a $83M verdict against Trump in her defamation suit. Meanwhile, nobody won when the federal DC judge decided to postpone Trump’s insurrection trial this week by vacating the March 4 trial date without selecting a new date. (It’s not canceled, don’t worry – likely the new trial date will be sometime in May.) And for reasons I still don’t understand even after reading the ‘explanation,’ Trump and half of his minions have apparently declared ‘holy war’ on Taylor Swift.

Meanwhile, Biden Rebuilding features a by-now-rare asterisk, as I cover a topic that I think needs attention even though it’s not my lane. Here’s what I have for you:

Airstrikes and Sanctions in the Middle East.* After three Americans were killed in Jordan by drone strike last week, the Biden Administration launched airstrikes on Iraq and Syria this past Friday. They then followed up with a strike on Yemen the following day. Now the Houthis are threatening escalation, though Biden is apparently trying to avoid striking Iran. Foreign policy isn’t exactly my main expertise, but I think this needs attention, especially during an election year and against the backdrop of Biden sanctioning several Israelis in the West Bank last week. I’ll try to keep reporting on this as things develop.

Your New Normal:

Immigration Immolation. The biggest news threads from Capitol Hill right now all center around far-right people absolutely losing it over immigration issues. After the Supreme Court agreed last cycle that Texas needs to stop basically usurping the federal immigration process at the southern border and let Homeland Security function, House Republicans responded by advancing impeachment articles for the Secretary of Homeland Security. They’re also signaling that they will tank the bipartisan deal in the Senate that was successfully brokered yesterday on this very topic, and for some reason Lauren Boebert wants to oust the current Speaker even though he called the Senate deal “dead on arrival.” Meanwhile, Texas governor Gangrene Abbot decided to take the MAGA up to eleven, and created an old-fashioned standoff with federal officials while he blocked their entry to the border. Abbott publicly compared federal presence to a “foreign invasion,” and 25 other governors backed his play.

The Bad:

Violence and Abortion. (CW: sexual violence, miscarriage, forced birth) With the election season now in full swing, there was a lot of news about the reproductive rights, much of it hard to read. The Democratic Women’s Caucus drew attention to a case in Ohio, where a woman faced felony charges after experiencing a miscarriage. A study letter was also published this cycle estimating that 64,565 rape-related pregancies have occurred in states that have banned abortion. On a related note, Texas was in the news because its medical board still hasn’t defined what emergency conditions would make medical abortion permissible.

The Good:

Recent House Resilience. Surprisingly, given everything else going on, the House managed to extend the Child Tax Credit with strong bipartisan support this past week. I genuinely have no idea how that happened, but I’ll take it.

So that’s what I have for you, and there’s definitely more where that came from. For making it through, you deserve Elmo checking in on you 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 more chocolate because we’re running out!

Year 7, Weeks 51-52 (January 7-20)

January 23, 2024 Kara HurvitzLeave a comment

This past cycle has been something of a surreal odyssey of election (rejection), between Iowa primaries last week and New Hampshire semi-official primaries this coming Tuesday. It makes me think we’re getting a preview of what Year 8’s prolonged election season will be like, and let me tell you, I don’t really want to see that movie. Alas, we all bought a ticket just by living here.

Standard standing reminders still apply: I may be rounding out 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 election campaign!–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 cycle featured an unholy melding Election Rejection and semi-regular election news. Here’s what has happened since last time:

Primary Chaos. I’m sure most folks reading this already know that Trump won the Iowa primary by a country mile, forcing most other GOP primary candidates to drop out – including Ron DeSantis, who had originally been considered his strongest contender. We’re now left with only two GOP candidates as we go into New Hampshire’s primary tomorrow: Nikki Haley and the indicted Cheeto. Meanwhile, it’s still an open question whether he’s even allowed to be a candidate in Colorado and Maine – oral argument on the Colorado case will be on February 8, and Maine has decided to pause until that is resolved. And while all this is happening, people in New Hampshire are reporting they are receiving robocalls telling them not to vote from an AI that sounds like Joe Biden. We’re definitely back on the track to unprecedented times, if we ever even left.

With election season officially underway, much of Biden Rebuilding looks like a campaign trail – but more about that below. Here’s what I have for you:

Another Month, Another Stopgap. As foretold by prophecy, we did indeed reach a deal to avoid shutdown this cycle with a 314-108 House vote–but just like last time, it only kicks the can down the road. The process also wasn’t without its drama, as the Freedom Caucus doesn’t seem to like the new Speaker much more than the old one; in fact, all but two opposing votes came from Speaker Johnson’s own party. And now we get to do this whole thing again in a little over a month, when the first of the funding runs out on March 1.

Your New Normal:

SCOTUS POCUS. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention Supreme Court activity from this cycle. In oral arguments last Wednesday, the court appeared to signal that it plans to gut our existing administrative law system, which has functioned under the Chevron precedent for as long as I’ve been alive. (That said, we won’t know the full extent until the opinion is issued, which will likely be months from now.) Then today, in the wake of three migrants dying while trying to cross the Rio Grande, it agreed that Texas needs to stop basically usurping the federal immigration process at the southern border. This paves the way for the Biden administration to remove the razor wire that Texas placed there, among other things, though the underlying case is still ongoing.

The Bad:

Shouldn’t We Talk About the Weather? Most of the continental U.S. was hit this week with a series of winter storms, resulting in bitter cold and/or severe flooding in many places. The storms set new low records in much of the country, as normally-temperate places like Houston hit the teens and ordinarily-cold places like Kansas City had highs in the negatives. The weather also leaves more properties than normal at risk of repeat flooding. Shocking no one, research suggests that these extremes may also be caused by artificial climate change.

The Good:

Recent Campaign Resilience. As Biden hits the beginnings of his campaign trail, he has been forecasting or introducing a lot of constituent-pleasing initiatives this cycle. Last week, he announced a proposal to curtail surprise overdraft fees from most banks, which will be open for public comment until April 1. Some outlets have also suggested that the White House is again considering moving the menthol ban forward. But the biggest news of the cycle came just today, when he announced additional plans to expand access to reproductive health care through coverage of contraceptives and medications. It’s quite clear that the Biden administration plans to make reproductive health a central issue of his campaign.

So that’s what I have for you, and there’s definitely more where that came from. For making it through, you deserve this brave rescue pupper 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 a better timeline before November!

Year 7, Weeks 46-50 (December 3 – January 6)

January 9, 2024 Kara HurvitzLeave a comment

Hello from the other side of the holidays! The last few weeks were truly chaotic for me, and I appreciate your patience while we closed out 2023. Now it’s a whole new year, and the NNR is back, baby! Sadly, so is the terrible news.

Standard standing reminders still apply: I may be rounding out 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 voting ballot!–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:

Boy howdy, did a lot happen on the Election Rejection front during the break. Here’s what has happened since last time:

45 Rollercoasters. I’m sure most of y’all have already heard by now that Trump was removed from the ballot in both Colorado and Maine last month due to his previous insurrection. (Fun fact, there are movements in IL and MA to do the same thing, though Michigan officially closed the door this week.) Unsurprisingly, Trump has appealed the CO decision to the Supreme Court, which agreed to hear the case on Friday. In other Trump court news, the D.C. Circuit Court decided that he did not have Presidential immunity when he committed said resurrection – but he still went ahead and moved today to dismiss the GA election case on the same exact Presidential immunity grounds. Sadly, all of this remains relevant because he’s kicking every other elephant’s tail in primary polls, despite not even showing up to any GOP debates. And just today, he implied he plans to have Biden indicted if re-elected in 2024. Fun times, amirite?

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the Biden Rebuilding front had a lot of news too. Here’s what I have for you:

Federal Mini-Roundup. There are a lot of odds and ends from Capitol Hill to cover, which we’re just going to address piecemeal: 1) NJ rep George Santos was indeed expelled from the House last month, though it’s not yet clear who is going to replace him; 2) the Biden Administration announced an initiative to replace lead water pipes over the next ten years; 3) NJ Senator Bob Mendez was newly charged with acting as an agent of Qatar this week in addition to all his other foreign agent charges; 4) Biden issued thousands of pardons for people convicted of use and possession of marijuana in DC; and 5) Congress ostensibly reached a deal to avoid shutdown this weekend, though the Freedom Caucus is yelling about it (so who knows if it will actually pass).

Your New Normal:

Contagion Corner (Again, Still). Rough news on the health fronts – as I’m sure folks are mostly aware, we’re in the middle of a new COVID peak due to strain mutation yet again, with this strain being particularly good at reinfection. Meanwhile, flu infection is extra rough this year, particularly with RSV creating additional strain. And though a new study suggests that multiple vaccines protect better against long COVID, the CDC estimates that only about 19% of adults have received the most recent booster. (This matter isn’t helped any by the Florida Attorney General publicly calling for a halt to mRNA vaccines in the state.)

The Bad:

Bad News Frequent Flyers. This cycle also saw several Bad News stories we’ve seen repeatedly before, like rabid moles that keep popping up to bite us. Here are the lowlights: 1) We’ve already had the first high school mass shooting of the year, when seven people were shot at a high school in Perry, Iowa on Thursday; 2) 2023 was officially the hottest year in human history due to human-made climate change; 3) the DOJ is suing Texas over its illegal immigration system yet again; and 4) the Fifth Circuit held that Texas law trumps federal statute on the subject of emergency abortions, continuing its long trend of absolutely Opposite Day abortion opinions. I can’t speak for everyone, but I’m definitely beyond tired of seeing every single one of these stories.

The Good:

Recent Redistricting Resilience. We did get one nice glimmer of sunlight in election news, which was a Wisconsin SJC opinion that ordered new state districting, finding that the current version is badly gerrymandered. (Though opponents are upset that this finding came after a recent change in majority, said districts are also completely non-contiguous, which is pretty egregious, so I’m calling this a fair win.)

So that’s what I have for you, and I’m sorry, there are no news refunds. For making it through, you deserve Edgar Allan Poe ukulele 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 the energy to shovel my driveway!

Year 7, Weeks 43 and 44 (November 12-25)

November 28, 2023 Kara HurvitzLeave a comment

This was a bit of a quieter cycle, unsurprisingly, due to the half-week created by the holiday on Thursday. I assure you, however, that there is plenty to cringe at from this news cycle–our national news is the grift that keeps on giving.

Standard standing reminders still apply: I may be rounding out 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 gag order!–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:

We continue to run 45 stories on the Election Rejection front, and I don’t see that changing anytime soon. Here’s what has happened since last time:

45 Court Cases (Again, Still). As foretold by prophecy last cycle, a Colorado appeals court concluded that the 14th Amendment can’t bar Trump from running – but that decision is being appealed by both sides, so we may see something different out of the Colorado Supreme Court. In other obnoxious court case news, the federal court on the January 6 case is considering a stay of Trump’s gag order, despite him demonstrably slagging on the New York judge immediately after the New York gag order was paused this cycle.

Meanwhile, the Biden Rebuilding front is largely about where Biden isn’t. Here’s what I have for you:

Ballots and Summits. New Hampshire announced this week that it will hold its primary on January 23, against the wishes of the DNC – which means that it’s also officially confirmed that Biden won’t be on New Hampshire’s ballot. (Local supporters are leading a write-in campaign to account for this, but it has got to be the first time that an incumbent President didn’t show up on a state’s primary ballot.) Meanwhile, outlets also noted today that Biden is skipping this year’s U.N. climate summit, despite attending the previous two – which may be because it is being held in Dubai, and widely expected to involve a lot of oil deals.

Your New Normal:

Your Regularly Scheduled COVID News. There was another major study published on Long COVID this cycle, suggesting that Long COVID may make individuals more susceptible to re-infection. In other COVID news, the Biden administration is again issuing four free tests per household to individuals who request them. Just like last time, the tests can be requested at covid.gov.

The Bad:

Watching the War Fallout (cont). Though the region is on a humanitarian pause and conducting a hostage exchange as I type this, the news in the U.S. regarding the Hamas-Israel war continues to be very difficult. The tally of fatal hate crimes and violent altercations against Jewish and Palestinian Americans continues to grow, with three Palestinian American students shot in Vermont yesterday out of the blue while walking down the street. All three are still hospitalized with major injuries today, and one of them is in critical condition. I will continue to keep a close eye out for this type of story, as not all of them are making it to major news outlets.

The Good:

Keeping the Lights On. One silver governmental lining from this cycle is that a government shutdown was officially averted by Congress, though they did kick the can down the road again – we’ll go through all of this again in early January. Still, it’s good to retain basic functionality as we head into the winter holidays.

So that’s what I have for you, and I’m sorry, there are no news refunds. For making it through, you deserve this possum snacktime 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 luck cause this week will be weird!