January 6 – Page 4 – National News Roundup

Year 6, Week 30 (August 7-13)

August 17, 2022 Kara HurvitzLeave a comment

Political news continued to explode in a shower of schadenfreude for another week, with details coming in at a clip that’s tough to catch. I’m not naïve enough to think this week’s NNR snapshot puts a neat bow on everything, but we’ve got to come up for air sometime! I’ll be here next week to keep everyone posted.

Standard standing reminders still apply: I guess after six years I’m conceding that I’m a journalist, 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 text!–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 was an absolutely bananas week for Election Rejection news. Here’s what I have for you:

Insurrection Update: Everything Else. We are for sure going to talk about the ongoing Mar-A-Lago circus, but since it’s awesome that we know so much about what’s going on, that’s being handled under The Good this week. In the meantime, there sure is a lot of other election rejection news to flag! Here’s a quick rundown: 1) A federal appeals court ruled that Congress can indeed gain access to Trump’s tax returns; 2) Trump plead the fifth instead of answering deposition questions on the New York AG’s civil business investigation; 3) the FBI delivered subpoenas to several PA GOP lawmakers about the fake elector plot, and seized Scott Perry’s phone; 4) the January 6 missing text saga is at a bit of an impasse; and 5) several members of the Trump rogue’s gallery, including Rudy Giuliani and, surprisingly, Lindsey Graham, have been subpoenaed for the Georgia criminal investigation into the local plot to overturn the 2020 election.

There are also some significant advancements on the Biden Rebuilding front. Here’s what has happened:

Recent Biden Resilience. Joe Biden had the pleasure of signing into law two bills that we’ve discussed already at length this week. First across his desk was the PACT Act, which was the bill providing aid for veterans exposed to toxic burn pits. Then just today, he signed the final version of the Inflation Reduction Act, which the House passed on Friday. Passing a version of his signature bill is a big milestone for November, and the policy changes in the final bill are a big milestone all on their own. And frankly, with a megaflood expected in California, the Arctic melting even faster than anticipated, and a new report suggesting a permanent “extreme heat belt” in the US, it’s a milestone that couldn’t come soon enough.

Your New Normal:

Contagion Corner. The biggest contagion news this week is the CDC’s decision to basically cut us loose, COVID-wise. More specifically, the CDC issued a bunch of new guidance that pushes personal responsibility narrative instead of public health policy, particularly regarding known exposure events, and as I type this I’m still big mad about it. Among the changes: 1) schools no longer have to screen students who have been exposed; 2) unvaccinated people no longer need to quarantine after known exposure events; and 3) apparently social distancing is no longer a thing just kind of in general. Meanwhile, polio was found in New York City’s wastewater, and the US is moving to stretch out its supply of monkeypox vaccine because we don’t have enough. So A++ public health policy all around right now.

The Bad:

Reproductive Justice Struggles. Another near-total abortion ban that had been in legal limbo was upheld this week, when the Idaho Supreme Court said that the ban could go into effect on August 25. Meanwhile, a Nebraska case gained a lot of attention after Facebook data was used to criminally charge a mother and daughter regarding medication abortion. This is an issue we can expect to see come up more and more in the wake of the Dobbs decision, and activists caution that social media data can be used extensively in these types of cases and in policing of social issues in general.

The Good:

Recent Labor Resilience. A semi-local Trader Joe’s in Hadley, Massachusetts was in the news for being the first Trader Joe’s to unionize in the country. The news comes just before a few other stores across the country take on union voting, so here’s hoping this is the beginning of another Starbucks phenomenon. I’ll try to keep folks posted on this–we can all use some good news, and it’s always good to see labor protections emerging.

So that’s what I have for this week, and I think we can agree that it’s more than enough! Nonetheless, for making it through, you deserve this adorable polyglot 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 your favorite chillhop youtube videos!

Year 6, Week 29 (July 31–August 6)

August 9, 2022 Kara HurvitzLeave a comment

This was the rare week when everything exploded over the weekend; we’ve had major developments in three stories and counting since Saturday as I type this. (Most of them are even net positive, which is doubly rare!) I’m for sure doing a little dance in my seat, because this was a fun week to document and I have to take my wins where I find them. You’re all invited to my impromptu dance party–anybody from Kansas gets in free.

Cleanup in Aisle 45:

This was an absolutely bananas week for Election Rejection news. Here’s what I have for you:

Insurrection Update: Records and Raids. The week was already off to a strange start, when Trump announced on Tuesday that he was “backing Eric” in the Missouri senatorial election–conveniently ignoring that the frontrunners, former governor Greitens and state Attorney General Schmitt, are both named Eric. (Hilariously, when asked for comment, his spokesperson apparently said the statement “speaks for itself.”) But things only got weirder from there, when the high profile Alex Jones defamation case somehow resulted in a plaintiff’s attorney being accidentally sent two years of Infowars phone records–phone records that likely included texts about January 6, 2021. Unsurprisingly, those records were immediately turned over to the January 6 panel, as the plaintiff’s attorney involved was happy to cooperate with them. Somehow, this still isn’t the most salient news of the week, because that honor goes to Trump liveblogging about the FBI raiding Mar-a-Lago today–which of course was how we found out that the FBI probably really did raid Mar-a-Lago today. Regardless of whether anything comes of this, it is a huge deal that a warrant was granted, and we’ll almost certainly see more information in the next few days.

There’s a great deal to report on the Biden Rebuilding front, though some of it is captured under the New Normal. Here’s what has happened:

Recent Biden Resilience. In addition to the passing of the Inflation Reduction Act, which we’ll talk more about below, Biden took some noteworthy executive actions. This week, he signed an executive order that provides some basic protections for abortion access–and though it’s not as comprehensive as one might hope, it does invite states to apply for Medicaid waivers to fund abortion travel. (For those folks who are wondering how this interacts with the Hyde Amendment, which prohibits federal dollars to be spent on abortion access, it presumably funds the provision’s exceptions.) I also don’t think we’ve yet talked about his proposed changes to Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act, which were issued at the top of last week. The proposed changes provide additional supports for people seeking abortions and gender affirming care, and I’m excited to write public comments on them.

Your New Normal:

An Apparently Functional Senate. The other biggest story came from the Senate yesterday, where Democrats managed to pass the proposed bill that Manchin and Schumer had drafted together last week. Since it was a reconciliation bill, the GOP managed to retaliate by blocking a proposed price cap on insulin for private insurance entities at the time of passing, although the provision will apply to Medicare. Additionally, getting Sinema to fall into line was likely no mean feat, but part of onboarding her involved dropping most of the proposals about taxing the rich–frustrating, but likely inevitable. Still, the bill remains a major vehicle of change, particularly regarding healthcare and climate change. As one last follow-up to last week, I also wanted to note that the bill addressing toxic burns of veterans that the GOP sullenly blocked last weekdid make it through this week as well.
Contagion Corner. No updates on the COVID front this week, unless you count Biden finally testing negative again for reals. That said, there’s plenty of monkeypox news–namely, that the WHO, several states, and eventually the US itself declared a public health emergency over it. At the time that I type this, the C.D.C. is reporting nearly 9,000 cases in the U.S., which is conclusively now the largest global infection rate by an order of magnitude.
Black Lives Still Matter. The Department of Justice took a step in the correct direction this week when it charged several officers involved in the killing of Breonna Taylor. The charges include both those related to the execution of the warrant and those related to fabrication of evidence to obtain the warrant in the first place. I’ll definitely keep folks posted on developments on this.

The Bad:

Reproductive Justice Struggles. The biggest bad news of the week is that Indiana passed a near-total ban on abortion services–the new law provides exceptions for incest, rape, risk of health of the mother, and fatality of the fetus, but otherwise bans abortion at conception. It’s the first bill of its type passed through legislature since the Dobbs opinion in June; though other states have trigger laws that kicked in automatically, none had gone through the process of voting to completion. Notably, Indiana was the state where the now-famous 10-year-old rape survivor from Ohio traveled to receive abortion services. It’s clear that this development will create a lot of unrest for both for the state and for the nation.

The Good:

Recent Labor Resilience. A semi-local Trader Joe’s in Hadley, Massachusetts was in the news for being the first Trader Joe’s to unionize in the country. The news comes just before a few other stores across the country take on union voting, so here’s hoping this is the beginning of another Starbucks phenomenon. I’ll try to keep folks posted on this–we can all use some good news, and it’s always good to see labor protections emerging.

So that’s what I have for this week, and for once, it doesn’t feel like I kicked several puppies! Nonetheless, for making it through, you deserve this impressive Connect 4 game 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 photos of your dance moves!

Year 6, Week 28 (July 24-30)

August 2, 2022 Kara HurvitzLeave a comment

It was a quieter week this week, but it feels a bit like the calm before a much larger storm–and of course, the literal large storms in parts of the country don’t help dissipate the sense of dread. I’m hoping that things stay relatively quiet for at least a bit longer, but even if they don’t, I’ll be here to tell you about it.

Standard standing reminders still apply: I guess after six years I’m conceding that I’m a journalist, 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 recession!–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:

There are no more public hearings, but the Election Rejection front still had plenty going on. Here’s what I have for you:

Insurrection Update: New Norms. There were several stories about the Department of Justice investigation into the events of January 6, which appears to be picking up some steam in the wake of the House hearings. Meanwhile, the first convicted insurrectionist was sentenced to 7 years of incarceration for his role in events. There was also news about the Secret Service missing texts probe, as Democrats noted that maybe the guy who didn’t mention the missing texts for months shouldn’t be, y’know, in charge of investigating the missing texts. And, of course, though the public hearings have wrapped, the House Jan 6 panel is still going, and is beginning to interview former cabinet members. It’s clear we’ll continue to see news trickle in on this front for the foreseeable future.

This was a week of relatively ominous quiet for the Biden Rebuilding section, though we did get some news that’s not great. Here’s what has happened:

The Path to Recession.* Biden did signal that he might be hopping back on the student loan forgiveness merry-go-round this week, as he considered extending the federal pause again–though nothing concrete has been announced as I type this. But the biggest administration story by far is economics more broadly. First the Fed raised interest rates again for the fourth time in one year. This coincided very closely with us learning that the economy is shrinking again for the second quarter in a row. The two signs in tandem are a big deal, because they likely forecast an oncoming recession. Nonetheless, the Biden administration is saying nothing is set in stone, and it would appear that we’re not there yet at this time.

Your New Normal:

Contagion Corner. The big news on the contagion front this week is that the US is a world leader in monkeypox–but not in response, just in infection. As I type this, both New York and San Francisco have declared public emergencies due to outbreak rates. And in COVID news, Biden has a rebound infection; we’re also now hoping to get more omicron-responsive vaccines in place by September. I’ll definitely keep folks posted on that one.
An Almost-Functional Senate. The Senate this week was a wild ride, particularly because Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer and Senate pain in the rear Joe Manchin announced they had reached a last-minute deal on a climate change bill this past Wednesday. This is a big deal in all senses of the word, and the proposed bill would effectuate change in many areas at once, including healthcare and tax reform as well as climate change. But even though things look promising, we aren’t out of the woods yet because other Senate pain in the rear Kyrsten Sinema could still defect from party cooperation. And just in case you thought the Senate was improving, the GOP is here to correct the record; on Thursday, they refused to support veterans exposed to toxins on account of they were big mad about the Wednesday Manchin deal.

The Bad:

Climate Change Struggles. Climate change was also in the news on the ground this week, as much of the country experienced another heat wave and both Missouri and Kentucky experienced dangerous flooding. The Kentucky flooding was particularly devastating due to infrastructure failures and other compounding issues; at the time that I type this, at least 37 people have died and the area is expecting more flooding today and tomorrow. These dangerous conditions are almost certainly linked to climate change issues, and infrastructure to address natural disasters needs to be part of any long-term plans and policies we set.

The Good:

Recent Labor Resilience. A semi-local Trader Joe’s in Hadley, Massachusetts was in the news for being the first Trader Joe’s to unionize in the country. The news comes just before a few other stores across the country take on union voting, so here’s hoping this is the beginning of another Starbucks phenomenon. I’ll try to keep folks posted on this–we can all use some good news, and it’s always good to see labor protections emerging.

So that’s what I have for this week, and I’m sorry, there are no news refunds. For making it through, you deserve this roman numeral joke 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 more hours in the day!

Year 6, Week 27 (July 17-23)

July 26, 2022 Kara HurvitzLeave a comment

I’m back from family time in Philly, and the news is back right on time as well! (I know, I’m as shocked as you are.) This week’s stories are more of a continuation than anything else, but that doesn’t mean they are unimportant–there were a lot of updates this week.

Standard standing reminders still apply: I guess after six years I’m conceding that I’m a journalist, 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 hearing!–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:

As you might imagine would happen during the week of the last public hearing, the Election Rejection front was busy. Here’s what I have for you:

Insurrection Update: Odds and Ends. The final public hearing regarding January 6 was held this past Thursday, and it primarily focused on what was happening during the 178 minutes that Trump refused to call off the insurrectionist mob. (That said, it also touched on how scary it was to be on Mike Pence’s detail that day.) The panel plans to continue investigating, and the DOJ has signaled that they will continue investigation even if he runs in 2024, which he seems to be planning as I type this. And speaking of future planning, a group of Senators want to make the Vice President’s role in vote counting ceremonial so that January 6 doesn’t happen again in 2025. Meanwhile, Steve Bannon was found in contempt of court at his trial on Wednesday because he didn’t bother to defend himself. And in the Georgia election interference case against Trump et al, Giuliani was ordered to testify this week. Needless to say, this segment isn’t winding down anytime soon.

There’s also a fair amount going on with the Biden Rebuilding section, though I know a lot of us wish there were more. Here’s what has happened:

Climate Change Trundling. Biden briefly considered declaring a national climate emergency again this week, but contented himself with several executive orders instead. Since the whole country sweltered through a massive heat wave while all this was happening, that wasn’t necessarily ideal, but it’s possible we’ll see more movement on this front soon. I’ll keep everyone posted.

Your New Normal:

Contagion Corner. There’s a lot going on in the contagious disease world right now. Both Biden and Manchin have caught COVID in the current wave, and BA.5 is now the dominant strain worldwide. Nonetheless, as we move into a crappy endemic stage of the pandemic that never ends, the administration is reorganizing to create a more permanent pandemic division. They’ve also signaled that second booster shots are on hold for people under 50–the idea is that we’ll have omicron-specific vaccines by the fall, though that’s far from a given as I type this. Meanwhile, monkeypox is now officially a global emergency, because of its global spread but also possibly because it is now spreading to kids. And just to top everything off, New York reports that polio is back in circulation, because this is the worst timeline.

The Bad:

Black Lives Still Matter.^ An off-duty corrections officer in the Bronx shot and killed an eighteen-year-old who was playing with a water gun during the heatwave on Friday. The corrections officer is facing murder charges, though he apparently won’t be terminated from his job unless he is convicted. The shooting happens in the same week that footage from Uvalde shows that officers waited 77 minutes to enter the classroom where shooting was happening. All told, it’s a very rough and frustrating week of news regarding police forces and violence against children.

The Good:

Recent House Resilience. The House had a productive week this past week! First it passed a right to contraception bill, which managed to get eight GOP votes and pass by 228-195 vote. Then for an encore, they passed a bill protecting marriage equality, this time with considerable bipartisan support and a 267-157 total vote. The bipartisan support in the House on the latter might mean support in the Senate as well, and I’ll definitely keep folks posted on this one.

So that’s what I have for this week, and I’m sorry, there are no news refunds. For making it through, you deserve this dogpro-captured ball game, this happy lizard, 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 cooler weather because heat waves are still the worst!

Year 6, Week 26 (July 10-16)

July 20, 2022July 20, 2022 Kara HurvitzLeave a comment

Okay, last week I said that July was apparently a slow news window. I am now eating those words, because this week’s news is ten gallons in a five-gallon hat. Buckle up, y’all, because a lot is happening! (And on the subject of warnings, I would be remiss if I did not also mention a content warning: The Bad this week includes mention of child rape. It is marked with the Content Warning Caret accordingly.)

Standard standing reminders still apply: I guess after six years I’m conceding that I’m a journalist, 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 hearing!–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:

For a window with only one January 6 hearing (and only one remaining after this), the Election Rejection front sure was busy. Here’s what I have for you:

Insurrection Update: Testimony Miscellany. We had another hearing on Tuesday, this one largely focusing on the role played by extremist groups such as the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers. But since a star witness was former White House counsel Pat Cipollone, it also featured testimony about Trump’s attempts to obfuscate plans and screaming matches in the White House that passed for strategy sessions. Then we learned on Friday that a bunch of Secret Service texts from Jan 5 and 6 were deleted, apparently as part of a device replacement program. It was confirmed earlier today that these texts cannot be replaced to be provided to the House panel, so that’s not concerning at all. At any rate, the final public hearing will be held in a few days on July 21, and will focus on why Trump didn’t do anything for 187 minutes during the Jan 6 attack. And during the last hearing, we heard from the panel that Trump has attempted to contact the witness who will be testifying on Thursday, so clearly he has learned a lot during this whole ordeal.

There’s also a lot going on with the Biden Rebuilding section, though some of it is in Senate Dysfunction below. Here’s what has happened:

Emergency Room Arguments. The Biden administration told hospitals at the top of the week that they had to offer life-saving abortions in instances where the pregnant person’s life was endangered, on account of, y’know, EMTALA says so. (For those of you confused about how he can order this, life saving procedures are an exception to the Hyde Amendment.) Naturally, enforcing federal laws as old as I am is so beyond the pale that Texas is already suing about it, arguing that they can’t be forced to save people’s lives because–and here I quote–it’s “flagrantly disregarding the legislative and democratic process” to, you know, follow the legislative process. Meanwhile, inflation is still at a forty-year high and that has healthcare access implications, along with everything else it messes up, which means emergency room care is likely to become even more relevant.

Your New Normal:

Contagion Corner. Novax, a more traditionally structured COVID vaccine, was authorized for emergency use this week; experts hope that people who just don’t trust mRNA vaccines will be willing to take it. (I don’t think that’s what the hold up is, but you know what, you do you FDA.) Meanwhile, the Biden administration wants to make a second booster shot available more broadly. Here’s hoping more infrastructure is actually created, because BA.5 isn’t messing around and it’s very adept at reinfection.
Senate Dysfunction. As foretold by literally everyone who has paid attention in the last two years, local Senate robber baron Joe Manchin went ahead and pulled the Build Better Back football away from Senate Dems this week before they could punt it towards climate change. Now Biden’s trying to get the Dems to at least shore up healthcare, which as I noted above is likely to be impacted by inflation. Meanwhile, the House managed to pass bills to codify Roe and preserve same sex marriage, which would probably be more reassuring if the Senate were capable of tying its own shoes.

The Bad:

Reproductive Health Recap.^ In addition to the gross Texas lawsuit I mentioned above, there was plenty of other gross reproductive health news to go around too. An Ohio individual was charged with raping the ten-year-old girl that Biden mentioned in his speech, hopefully slowing the GOP’s (and the Wall Street Journal’s!) claims that she didn’t exist. Meanwhile, the Indiana doctor who performed the procedure had to prove that she properly reported it, which of course she did. And people are reporting difficulty accessing medications that can be used as an abortifacient, even in instances when they are clearly treating unrelated issues. The Biden administration did issue guidance this week about maintaining access to medications, but we’ll need to see if that helps anything.

The Good:

Recent Health Access Resilience. The FDA is considering an application for an over-the-counter contraceptive pill this week, which could potentially do a great deal to help maintain access to contraceptive care. Meanwhile, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline has launched a new universal call code, 9-8-8, which hopefully will streamline access to call-based supports.

So that’s what I have for this week, and I think we can agree that it’s more than enough. For making it through, you deserve these cuddling capybaras 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 cooler weather because heat waves are still the worst!

Year 6, Week 25 (July 3-9)

July 12, 2022July 13, 2022 Kara HurvitzLeave a comment

It has been a relatively quiet week since the last roundup–July is a slow time in the news field too, it would appear. That said, don’t get too used to the lull; we’re definitely still gearing up for some chaotic news weeks ahead.

Standard standing reminders still apply: I guess after six years I’m conceding that I’m a journalist, 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 subpoena!–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’re still in a relatively quiet period for January 6 proceedings and the Election Rejection front. Here’s what I have for you:

Insurrection Update: Testimony Miscellany. For another week, most of the updates are about testimony (or lack thereof). As foretold by prophecy, former White House counsel Pat Cipollone did indeed cooperate with the panel, and gave closed testimony this week. In a much more surprising turn of events, Steve Bannon also agreed to testify after refusing for a dog’s age. The about-face is likely in part due to his upcoming contempt trial, which a judge refused to continue this week–but recent court filings also suggest that Trump never invoked executive privilege for him at all. Needless to say, there’s a lot to watch here.

There’s a little bit more going on with the Biden Rebuilding section. Here’s what has happened:

Reproductive Health Steps. Facing growing pressure to do something, Biden signed an executive order this week that offers modest protection for several forms of reproductive health. Though it’s no substitute for federal legislation, the executive order will likely make it easier to maintain access to medication abortion and contraceptive care. And given the ongoing march of new restrictions, which we’ll talk more about below, that access is likely to be meaningful.

Your New Normal:

Contagion Corner. The biggest story by far this week is the likelihood of a new BA.5 wave, given the increased case instance and hospitalization rates we’re seeing on the ground. The increased rates can likely be linked to the heightened immunity invasion of this strain, which became the dominant variant sometime last week. Needless to say, this isn’t awesome, and it’s safe to say the pandemic isn’t actually over. That said, we don’t yet know how these variants interact with long Covid estimates, and it’s possible the virus is also becoming milder–I’ll keep folks posted.
Senate Dysfunction. Now that the Safer Communities Act has passed, Senate Democrats are back to trying to get some version of Build Back Better on the books too. As far as I can tell, this mostly just involves yet another round of courting Joe Manchin into pretending he’s a “Democrat” who “cares about party agenda” and “wants to keep the House and Senate.” We’ll see if this results in any actual legislation this time around.

The Bad:

Reproductive Health Recap. News on this front remains grim. Despite a brief injunctive reprieve, the near-total bans in MS and FL both went into effect this week. This is resulting in the closure of Mississippi’s final abortion clinic, which obviously will have a lot of implications for the state. Providers in other states are concerned about their growing liability as well, not just for abortion but for fertility treatments as well. Meanwhile, the Washington Post ran a story about how few maternal supports exist in most of the states mandating births.

The Good:

Black Lives Still Matter. Derek Chauvin, the officer primarily responsible for the death of George Floyd, received a 21-year federal sentence this week for use of excessive force under color of law. This federal sentence is a big deal, because it basically obviates his appeal of the state sentence and guarantees that Chauvin will serve a twenty-year sentence.

So that’s what I have for this week, and I’m relieved it isn’t worse. For making it through, you deserve this guy’s urban rescue ranch humor 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 cooler weather because heat waves are the worst!

Year 6, Week 24 (June 26–July 2)

July 6, 2022 Kara HurvitzLeave a comment

This week is an odd combination of winding down and gearing up. Some things, like the Supreme Court season, officially wrapped, while other things, like the aftermath the court created, are only beginning.

Standard standing reminders still apply: I guess after six years I’m conceding that I’m a journalist, 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 subpoena!–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’ve hit a pause point on January 6 proceedings and the Election Rejection front. Here’s what I have for you:

Insurrection Update: Odds and Ends. The biggest Jan 6 update by far happened last Tuesday, and I’ve already reported on it. The major stories from here are all about testimony itself; Ginny Thomas’s lawyer says she can’t be bothered to testify, but likely panel ally and former Trump attorney Pat Cipollone has been subpoenaed. Meanwhile, outlets gave attention to Trump’s witness bribing attempts, and House panel leader Liz Cheney opined that Trump could face multiple criminal referrals from the panel. We’ll see what next week brings.

Honestly, there hasn’t been much Biden news in any direction since Tuesday, but nonetheless here we are in the Biden Rebuilding section. Here’s what little has happened:

Filibuster Framework (Finally). The biggest piece of Biden news is that he said he would support an ‘exception’ to filibuster rules to pass legislative action on the right to reproductive services and voting rights. This wasn’t paired with any particular concrete action, mind you, but it nonetheless represents a small step forward.

Your New Normal:

Contagion Corner. The big news on this front isn’t really news, because we already knew that the current dominant omicron substrains sucks monkeypox. But nonetheless, FDA officials recommended omicron-specific boosters for the fall, though we likely won’t see them before October or so. Meanwhile, since monkeypox remains a thing in the U.S., we’re expanding vaccine campaigns on that too.
SCOTUS Misery Season Finale. The current SCOTUS season wound down on Thursday, with a few parting shots and a retirement on its way to summer recess. We finally got a holding on West Virginia v EPA, and many people more expert than I have already written about the impact it will have on our climate change efforts (hint: not a good one). That said, though the decision was wildly ill-advised given the critical timing of climate change response, the holding itself was narrower than expected and stopped short of blowing up all administrative law norms, at least for now. There were also a handful of other noteworthy cases: 1) OK v. Castro-Huerta, which limited the scope of a landmark 2020 tribal rights case to say that Oklahoma can still prosecute non-native people who commit crimes on tribal land–a scary decision when the state also just lined up 25 executions; 2) Biden v. Texas, a 5-4 decision that somehow beyond all odds granted Biden the right to end the practice of expelling asylum seekers to Mexico while they awaiting case decisions; and 3) Ardoin v Robinson, a decision that permits Louisiana to use its heavily gerrymandered GOP map for districting–and leaves many advocates extremely worried about the broader redistricting and election law case that SCOTUS plans to hear in the fall. Justice Jackson, who was sworn in on Thursday as the nation’s first Black female SCOTUS justice, has inherited quite a mess from her successor.

The Bad:

Black Lives Still Matter. Though there’s not much ongoing coverage as I type this, unrest remains high in Akron after local police released bodycam footage on Sunday regarding a shooting from earlier in the week. The footage confirms that their department shot Jayland Walker over 60 times, despite his lack of a weapon, as he fled a traffic stop on foot. The mayor declared a city-wide curfew yesterday, and it’s looking like this might turn into another ongoing battle for basic police accountability.
Fourth of July Mass Shootings. A lot of media attention has understandably been given to a mass shooting at a parade in Highland Park yesterday, which killed seven people and injured dozens. That said, that event was apparently the largest of several different shooting incidents on Independence Day, which happened all across the country and resulted in at least twenty fatalities. Frankly, I don’t think I could come up with a more apt metaphor for this terrifying moment in American history if I were trying.

The Good:

Recent Reproductive Resilience. As the fight for reproductive justice continues, we’ve seen progress in several unlikely places. Texas, Florida, and Kentucky all managed to block implementation of new restrictions for several days this week, though the states’ supreme courts have overturned lower court injunctions at the time that I type this. Meanwhile, New York began the process of putting a right to reproductive health in its constitution, though it was the first of many necessary steps. These state battles are likely to be ongoing for a long time as we figure out the best ways to codify new systems and create new protections.

So that’s what I have for this week, and I’m sorry, there are no news refunds. For making it through, you deserve this cane carino 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 more hours in the day!

Year 6, Week 23 (June 19-25)

June 29, 2022 Kara HurvitzLeave a comment

The news this past week was bizarre and horrendous, and a lot of us are scared and hurting as I type this. But that sentiment is starting to lose meaning, because I type it so often–by my count, fourteen times since the year began. I truly think that’s worth highlighting, especially in our second year of Dem control of all houses of government, on the tail end of a pandemic, on the tail end of four years of Trump. We all deserve better than this endless toxic waste.

Standard standing reminders still apply: I guess after six years I’m conceding that I’m a journalist, 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 hearing!–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:

A good chunk of the news this week is January 6 hearings on the Election Rejection front. Here’s what I have for you:

Insurrection Update: This Past Week’s Hearings. The week kicked off with last Tuesday’s hearing, which largely focused on the false elector scheme–notably, we started hearing evidence of Trump’s personal involvement in planning said scheme. (This was, of course, in addition to his harassment of election officials in several states, pressuring them to simply overturn the results.) Then on Thursday, we learned more about Trump’s efforts to pressure his own Department of Justice, as well as more information about the laundry list of allies that scrambled for pardons. Somehow, none of this really quite prepared us for the absolutely ketchup-off-the-wall testimony that happened today.

Insurrection Update: Emergency Bonus Hearing. Initially, though the January 6 panel knew they wanted to continue to hold hearings, they planned to break for the Fourth of July and come back after the recess in a couple of weeks. However, yesterday, the committee suddenly announced that there would be another hearing today based on “recently obtained evidence” that emerged, and when they postpone their own recess for this you know something is probably up. The mystery witness turned out to be Cassidy Hutchinson, a young aide of chief of staff Mark Meadows who had proximity to Trump through her boss’s role. Hutchinson gave truly horrifying but credible testimony about Trump’s knowledge and encouragement of armed protesters on January 6, including demands that metal detectors stop being used because they were screening people out and he wanted maximum protesters in the Capitol building. Perhaps most disturbingly, she quoted Trump as saying that he “didn’t care that they ha[d] weapons” because they “aren’t here to hurt me.” He also apparently tried to join them at the Capitol building by attempting to grab the steering wheel of the Presidential limo while it was being driven, and then assaulting a secret service agent when that didn’t get him anywhere. By the time that I type this, many legal experts are already saying that there’s enough here for an incitement or sedition charge, and I’m frankly inclined to agree.

I’m not super thrilled with Biden at the moment, but he did manage to get the new gun violence bill passed, which is the main news in Biden Rebuilding. Here’s what has happened:

Responsible Gun Law Finalized. The bipartisan deal that was reached in the Senate on responsible gun legislation was drafted into a coherent bill called the Safer Communities Act at the top of this week. It then managed to pass on the Senate floor by Thursday, notably overcoming a filibuster in the process. This prompted a quick House vote on Friday, where the bill passed along party lines. The bill then went to Biden’s desk, and he signed it into law on Saturday evening. The final version does not include all of Biden’s asks, but it’s nonetheless the most noteworthy federal gun legislation in 30 years.

Your New Normal:

State of the COVID-19. The biggest COVID news this week is a local study suggesting that some Omicron subvariants may escape antibody response, which obviously is not a sentence you want to read. The study is echoed by a similar study in China, but we’re still in very early stages of research; I will continue to track this and keep folks posted. Meanwhile, the WHO debated whether monkeypox should be considered its own global emergency, but opted not to declare it one. It’s important to understand that this decision may reflect stigmatization and structural inequities that harken back to early AIDS response, rather than a lack of true emergency. This is particularly true given repeated overemphasis on same-sex sexual transmission. On a related note, given the political nature of this issue as well as the virus’s increasing case numbers, you may start seeing more about monkeypox in the NNR.
Roe vs WTAF. A great deal of news attention has been given to the Dobbs decision issued on Friday, which overturned the landmark case Roe v. Wade, and which you may remember was leaked a couple of months ago. The published decision is pretty similar to the leaked draft, which is to say, it’s a stare-decisis-is-for-suckers nightmare that gleefully tosses fifty years of reproductive right precedent right out the window. And as predicted when the draft leaked, Clarence “Why Am I Not Impeached Yet” Thomas issued a concurrence that straight-up told us that he’s gunning for all right to privacy precedent, including the right to marriage equality under Obergefell, the right to sexual expression under Lawrence, and the right to privacy at its root under Griswold. (Somehow, right to interracial marriage under Loving didn’t make the list–gosh, can’t imagine why.) The decision to remove a fundamental right after fifty years is terrifying, and the proponents’ blatant disregard for reproductive health and the safety of pregnant people is terrifying too. But I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that in the context of several other cases that SCOTUS released over the past week, the Dobbs decision is even scarier.
Other SCOTUS Misery. It’s extremely important to understand that Dobbs, while horrifying all on its own, is part of a much larger trend of our highest court running completely amok. There were four other court cases decided in the same week that bear mentioning: 1) NY State Rifle and Pistol Association v Bruen, a case which held that New York can’t restrict the right to carry concealed firearms, as it has done for a hundred years, because that violates the 2nd Amendment; 2) Vega v Tekoh, a case which curtails police officers’ responsibility to inform suspects of their constitutional rights; 3) Carson v Makin, a case which held that Maine must provide tuition aid to schools run by Christian churches; and 4) Kennedy v. Bremerton School District, a case which held that a public school cannot fire a coach for making students pray at the 50-yard line because it violates the Free Exercise clause. We’re also still waiting on a ruling for West Virginia vs EPA, which is widely expected to dramatically curtail administrative authority for executive actions on climate change. I want to stress that all of these decisions have the same flagrant disregard for stare decisis that characterizes Dobbs; they basically all overturn or ignore existing legal tests for determining constitutional rights and restrictions. This is like if a driving instructor suddenly decided that red lights mean go and stop signs mean turn left and started failing everybody who used known traffic rules–except, in this analogy, the driving instructor also gets to decide what happens to literally the entire country. Additionally, they seem to be leading towards something concrete–Dobbs, Vega, Carson, and Kennedy all dramatically reduce personal freedoms in favor of fundamentalist Christian sensibilities; meanwhile, Bruen and the anticipated West Virginia decisionplace limits on the government’s ability to create meaningful safety-based regulations. Vega and other recent cases such as Egbert v. Boule, which limits citizens’ ability to sue federal agents, restrict accountability of law enforcement bodies–when we still desperately need that accountability, if the current mess in Uvalde is any indication. Taken in tandem, these cases paint a picture which includes a lot of elements of a nascent Christofascist state, and we absolutely must track that bigger picture.

The Bad:

Migrant Lives Matter. News broke yesterday that fifty-one people were found dead in a tractor trailer in San Antonio; several other people found at the scene still alive were taken to nearby hospitals. The incident appears to be related to increased migration at the border, where reduced access is still in effect and many people are unable to enter through more conventional means. It’s also almost certainly related to record temperature highs in the area; officials say that the metal trailers can get up to 173 degrees inside and the bodies were found with no evidence of water inside. It’s a deeply horrifying and preventable tragedy that highlights the desperation of people fleeing unsafe circumstances in the northern triangle of South America.

The Good:

Recent Reproductive Justice Resilience. The far right wasted no time making ghoulish future plans, and Biden announced pretty early that he has no interest in making changes to the court. Against that backdrop, it’s truly comforting to see state officials and judges stepping up to the plate to preserve reproductive rights–something that Dobbs left them the freedom to do by leaving the issue “up to the states.” At the time that I type this, two states have paused trigger laws by judicial order and several more states have blocked criminal liability for the providing of reproductive health services by either legislative or gubernatorial action. Additionally, Attorney General Garland has indicated that his office will protect use of Mifestiprone, a medication approved by the FDA to terminate early stages of pregnancy. The NNR will continue to track state response on this issue, and we continue to encourage folks to support efforts by organizers and experts who specialize in reproductive rights.

So that’s what I have for this week, and I’m sorry, there are no news or SCOTUS refunds. For making it through, you deserve Jorts the Cat’s fun beachy summer style 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 more sleep because I sure need it!

Year 6, Week 22 (June 12-18)

June 21, 2022June 21, 2022 Kara HurvitzLeave a comment

We had another week of January 6 hearings, and somehow, things feel a bit more optimistic now than they did last week. I’m not sure if that’s the changing poll numbers regarding people who want Trump charged or the DOJ confirming that it’s paying attention, but honestly, either way? I’ll take it.

Standard standing reminders still apply: I guess after six years I’m conceding that I’m a journalist, 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 hearing!–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:

Basically half the news this week is January 6 hearings on the Election Rejection front. Here’s what I have for you:

Insurrection Update: This Week’s Hearings. After Monday’s hearing, we had a brief postponement of Wednesday’s planned session due to “technical issues”. Given the pause, the panel took the opportunity to release footage of a very damning tour led by Georgia Rep Barry Loudermilk on January 5, which featured people later arrested for insurrection scoping out stairways and security checkpoints. Then on Thursday we were back on, with much of the testimony focusing on Mike Pence’s actions to resist growing attempts to invalidate the election. That said, we also learned that Trump’s attorney John Eastman asked to be put on the “pardon list” after pushing for rejection of voting results. The testimony also drew more attention to sketchy SCOTUS wife Ginni Thomas, who corresponded with Eastman and is now being asked to testify herself at a future date. Speaking of future dates, the next hearing dates are this upcoming Tuesday and Thursday.

Insurrection Update: Original Flavor Election Rejection. Just like last week, we still have plenty of insurrectionists at the polls for this year’s primaries. The Washington Post reported that over 100 GOP primary winners back Trump’s narrative of a “stolen” election, a sentiment which the Texas Republican Convention officially adopted this week. Unsurprisingly, several eyes were watching Trump’s endorsed candidates in primaries in Nevada and South Carolina on Tuesday as a result. In South Carolina, his candidates had mixed results, but in Nevada, a vocal election denier won the GOP state secretary ticket. Meanwhile, one of the GOP members of the House panel pointed to these primary results when he reported last night that he’s receiving death threats and worries about a repeat of January 6.

Though some of his updates go under the Bad and the Good respectively, I did want to spend a few minutes on the ongoing negotiations for responsible gun legislation, which as I mentioned last week are part of Biden Rebuilding. Here’s what has happened:

Responsible Gun Laws. After Sunday’s announcement that a bipartisan deal had been reached, surprisingly, the deal hasn’t melted down yet and Mitch McConnell expressed support for it. This may be in part, however, because Republicans feel the proposal doesn’t do much. Needless to say, though we don’t have a scrapped bill, state laws will likely remain very salient for the near future–and they largely are polarized much like the Senate is.

Your New Normal:

State of the COVID-19. We’re beginning to see indications of new subvariations of omicron again, though we don’t yet have a lot of data about what that realistically means. But what we do definitely have are two approved pediatric vaccines for children under age 5, because both Pfizer’s and Moderna’s offerings successfully made it through the FDA and the CDC over the past week. This has been a long time coming, and is excellent news for parents of young children.

The Bad:

Recession Guessing.* Remember a few weeks ago, when financial articles were all “oh, inflation’s bad, but don’t worry, we’re not seeing other signs of an incoming recession?” Yeah, about that. After the Fed raised interest rates again earlier in the week, with the biggest increase in nearly thirty years, the stock market started to freak out. Now a recession is indeed looking more likely–though Biden keeps saying it isn’t inevitable, and he’s technically not wrong. Either way, borrowers of all types can expect a rougher ride for loan approvals and for repayments, which isn’t exactly a picnic for those folks whether we get the recession label or not.

The Good:

Recent Biden Resilience. I was really hoping we’d have more good news this week than just Lizzo (no offense, Lizzo), and I’m really glad to be reporting on something positive Biden did for once. More specifically, he signed a relatively robust LGBTQI+ executive order package on Thursday–just in time for Pride, as the administration is quick to stress. I’m decidedly underwhelmed by the conversion therapy provisions, which seem less designed to prevent a blatantly torturous practice and more designed to just shake administrative heads at it vaguely reproachfully. That said, I do think there are a number of more valuable provisions in there, including guidance for educational, foster and adoption systems as well as expansion to gender affirming medical care.

So that’s what I have for this week, and I think it was more than enough. For making it through, you deserve this extremely fierce living roomba 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 your favorite flavor of ice cream!