year 6 – Page 4 – National News Roundup

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.

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.

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!

Year 6, Week 21 (June 5-11)

June 14, 2022 Kara Hurvitz1 Comment

The January 6 hearings have started, and so far the theme of both of them has been “You knew it was bad, but you probably didn’t know it was this bad.” Needless to say, that’s not the light reading I was hoping for last week. Nonetheless, it’s better to know this stuff than to be bitten by it later, so the NNR is here to ruin your Monday again. (You’re welcome.)

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: The Hearing Hoopla. Appropriately, there was indeed a lot of sturm und drang leading up to the first hearing. News outlets put out lots of materials on how to watch and what to expect (the short version: insurrection), except of course for Fox News and miscellaneous MAGA Internet, which opted to ignore the hearings and complain about them respectively. There were also a number of stories about Trump at the top of the week, particularly regarding 1) his children agreeing to testify in the NY investigation of the family business and 2) super shady emails regarding his big plan to use fake electors in Georgia.

Insurrection Update: The First Hearings. At the time that I type this, we’ve completed the first two publicly-televised hearings, and so far the main theme is “yeah, this was really bad.” There are a lot of pieces out there already summarizing the key takeaways from the first hearing, and a few from the second one that happened earlier today already as well, which I recommend reading. That said, descriptions of “carnage” aside, here’s what stands out to me most so far: 1) Basically all of the people testifying are either nonpartisan witnesses or are Trump’s own people; 2) Everyone seems pretty clear that Trump knew what was going to happen and also knew there was no voter fraud, but nonetheless actively encouraged the insurrection; and 3) Witness narratives increasingly depict Trump as unable or unwilling to accept the reality in front of him regarding his November 2020 loss. (I think that last one is a very important distinction, though with 45 it can be genuinely hard to tell which one has occurred.) The next hearing is on Wednesday, and we’ll have more updates by this time next week.

In light of his instructions on this issue last week, I’m going to go ahead and consider the current Congressional work on responsible gun legislation to be part of Biden Rebuilding. Here’s what has happened:

Responsible Gun Laws. This week saw actor Matthew McConaughey speaking in front of Congress about his hometown of Uvalde and responsible gun ownership, and thousands participated in the March for Our Lives on the National Mall this weekend as well. With all of that high-profile pressure, perhaps it’s not surprising that we’ve also seen incremental legislative movement in both the House and the Senate. At the time that I type this, the House has passed a package largely along party lines, and the Senate has brokered a bipartisan deal among 10 Republicans and 10 Democrats. The Senate deal is actually pretty substantive, and includes a lot of important provisions that would make it the most meaningful gun legislation in decades–it’s truly noteworthy that this deal even happened. I would be remiss if I did not note, however, that those ten Republicans still potentially do not constitute enough votes to move us past a filibuster in the Senate if even one or two Democrats defect.

Your New Normal:

State of the COVID-19. We did indeed stop making airlines test people before they fly to other countries this week, which we knew was coming but it still sucks. In slightly better COVID news, Moderna is seeking authorization for an omicron-specific booster that it says outperforms existing vaccines. Meanwhile, the FDA voted to authorize a more traditional vaccine based on proteins instead of messenger RNA technology, which will create more options for people who can’t take the current vaccines. We’re still waiting for a pediatric vaccine for children under 5, but the FDA has signaled that it may approve Moderna and Pfizer’s submissions in the near future. Finally, the White House is redirecting remaining COVID funds to vaccination and therapeutics rather than testing, a move which reflects the reduced funding available after Congress didn’t authorize more.

The Bad:

Insurrection Update: Primaries Edition. While all of the January 6 hearings are happening, we’re also still holding primary elections, which wouldn’t be bad news except that they’re more related to January 6 than we would prefer. First off, Michigan’s gubernatorial candidate was arrested for January 6 insurrection this week, but he’s still running–making him the first active candidate charged but probably not the last. And just to top that off, former Trump aide and notable governmental embezzler Ryan Zinke is now officially the GOP candidate for Montana House rep. I suppose there’s technically nothing that precludes either of these things from happening, so obviously they’re just going to go ahead and happen, but it would be cool if there were literally any consequences for candidates.

The Good:

Recent Medical Advancements. There was a cancer drug trial that was in the news this week because, incredibly, 100% of subjects went into remission after the drug was administered. Obviously this is still early, but I can’t overstate how amazing that is! I look forward to reading more about this drug as trials continue.

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 judgy doggo 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 20 (May 29–June 4)

June 7, 2022 Kara HurvitzLeave a comment

The overarching theme of the news this week is structural and physical violence–which, after the last few weeks, is the continued trend none of us needed. It’s likely we’ll have another media circus by this time next week, which hopefully will give us something lighter to review. In the meantime, take care of yourselves, y’all.

Cleanup in Aisle 45:

Though there are still primaries–and Dr. Oz is now the official GOP candidate in PA–mostly, we’re back to January 6 on the Election Rejection front. Here’s what I have for you:

Insurrection Updates. Just today, a grand jury returned a slew of sedition charges against five top Proud Boys, who join about a dozen Oath Keepers in Charged with Obvious Treason Land. Speaking of charging, there was also a whole inexplicable House panel saga this week about not charging various truculent Trump staffers with contempt of Congress when they refused to do things. (In the end, the House panel charged and indicted former Trump advisor Peter Navarro, but not sketchy former chief of staff Mark Meadows or fellow social media scumbag Dan Scavino.) And, of course, the House Panel is gearing up for televised hearings that begin on Thursday, which they’re hoping will capture the nation’s attention as prime time viewing.

We also saw a few odds and ends of Biden Rebuilding, though not as many as I might have hoped. Here’s what has happened:

Biden Student Loan Progress. Biden did show up on prime time and make an impassioned speech about responsible gun laws that none of his former Senate colleagues cared about, but most of the coverage this week was about his ongoing will-he-won’t-he with student loans. In fairness, this is in part because he did actually cancel debt for students defrauded by Corinthian Colleges, which caused everyone to pay renewed attention to the possibility of more cancellation. I’m a bit dubious that he’ll take any steps that apply to all debt holders, but I suppose we’ll see what happens.

Your New Normal:

State of the COVID-19. COVID news is also pretty bleak this week, though thankfully cases are starting to go down as I type this. The biggest piece of concrete news is a published study showing that inaccurate oximeter readings result in delayed or incomplete COVID treatment for Americans with darker skin. This has apparently been a known problem with the equipment since the 1990s, but that didn’t stop us from relying on said equipment during the pandemic. Also, airlines want us to stop stop making them test people before they get on airplanes and fly to other countries, so that’s fun.

The Bad:

Myriad Mass Shootings^. There are, of course, further updates on Uvalde, where police officials continue to change their story of events over and over. That said, it’s a bit overshadowed by the sheer number of additional shootings since I last sent this newsletter.The past week or so saw: 1) twelve mass shootings over Memorial Day weekend; 2) a mass shooting Wednesday at a medical building in Tulsa, OK which killed five people, including the assailant’s treating physician; 3) multiple mass shootings Saturday in an entertainment district in Philly, PA, which killed three people and wounded 12 more; and 4) multiple mass gun and vehicle attacks early Sunday outside a nightclub in Chattanooga, TN, which killed three people and injured 14 more. And though the House has advanced some new legislation that they’re calling the Protect Our Kids Act, it’s still dubious whether the Senate would consider any of said bills. As I mentioned above, the Senate has already rejected Biden’s laundry list of relatively targeted changes–many of which are also in the House legislation, such as renewing the assault weapon ban that expired in the early 2000s.

The Good:

Recent Labor Resilience. I do have a modicum of positive labor news to report this week, which is nice to be able to say. More specifically, the Alphabet Workers Union won a 90-day extension for Google Maps contract workers who did not want to return to unsafe office conditions. It’s particularly heartening to read that a deal was reached within only a few hours of threatening to strike; organizing seems to have made a huge difference in this negotiation.

So that’s what I have for this week, and I’m sorry, there are no news refunds. For making it through, you deserve these enterprising catfrens 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 the lyrics to your favorite song!

Year 6, Week 19 (May 22-28)

May 31, 2022 Kara HurvitzLeave a comment

There are quite a few odds and ends from the last week or so that didn’t quite make it into the draft on Wednesday, though thankfully we’ve seen a fairly quiet Memorial day weekend. You can think of today’s draft as the tail-end mop-up–the stories are still worth tracking, but they’re bits and bobs of larger pieces.

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 panel!–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:

Beyond primary elections, we did see a few more developments on the Election Rejection front. Here’s what I have for you:

Insurrection Updates. Justice Clarence Thomas’s wife Ginni Thomas was in the news again for pressuring elected officials to ignore elections, this time in Arizona. Meanwhile, news also broke that a senior State Department official met with election deniers about overturning election results on January 6, and House Panel testimony suggests that Trump expressed support for hanging Pence, so that’s fun. Finally, the D.C. Circuit blocked the House panel from obtaining RNC records as part of its January 6 investigation.

We also saw a few odds and ends of Biden Rebuilding, though not as many as I might have hoped. Here’s what has happened:

Administrative (In)action. Biden was in the news regarding a plan to order minor police reform and some collaborative initiatives on the anniversary of George Floyd’s death. (Though it was overshadowed by Uvalde news for obvious reasons, this did indeed happen on Wednesday.) However, despite a Presidential trip to Uvalde on Sunday, we haven’t seen much follow-up on police misconduct during the shooting. That said, he did open a DOJ investigation, which we’ll talk more about below.

Your New Normal:

State of the COVID-19. We have already talked some about the fifth Covid wave, which doesn’t seem to be deterring Americans from traveling over Memorial Day weekend because Murrica. This past week also saw some more studies about the nature of long Covid, which hopefully heralds more research to come. More specifically, studies this week confirmed that Covid vaccines do not prevent long Covid, though they do provide a bit of protection. There is also research that suggests that long Covid might be more common from minor infection, because most diagnosed cases occur in people who weren’t hospitalized during their initial infection. Finally, and speaking of hospitalization, the White House is trying to figure out ways to get Paxlovid to more people to prevent death during the current wave.

The Bad:

Uvalde Updates^. The Uvalde story unquestionably saw the most movement, and the developments remain extremely upsetting. By Thursday, several outlets had picked up the thread about police inaction at the shooting site, noting the deleterious role that police play in shootings in general as well as the myriad ways the police messed up in Uvalde in particular. Eventually, after several narrative inconsistencies issued by police were clarified, we had a clearer timeline of events: The shooter was inside the school and unengaged by police for almost 90 minutes while students called 9-1-1 repeatedly and parents begged officers to go inside. As I mentioned above, the U.S. Department of Justice is opening an investigation into the police response. Depressingly, this is the only federal initiative moving forward right now, as the Senate adjourned on Friday without voting on either of the two background check bills that have already passed in the House. (Before leaving, the GOP also blocked voting on a domestic terrorism bill that was a response to the Buffalo shooting.) Nonetheless, Senate Democrats say that they’re working on bipartisan legislation. There were also a few stories about how many mass shootings have occurred in 2022, which in total average more than one per day–and the Washington Post reported that another fourteen have occurred in the past week. Finally, the NRA held its annual convention this weekend in Houston, which involved a lot of repeating disproven talking points while teachers protested outside.

The Good:

Recent Labor Resilience. We did see some positive labor news over the past week or so. The U.S. Women’s Soccer Team finalized a deal that closes their pay gap and creates equal pay with men’s soccer, which is really exciting. There were also several unionizing victories for Starbucks franchises. Finally, Vice reports that Raven software QA voted to form the first AAA video game union in the country.

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 inquisitive octopus 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 opinions on word puzzle games!

Year 6, Week 18 (May 15-21)

May 26, 2022May 26, 2022 Kara HurvitzLeave a comment

The NNR this week comes with a content warning–we have several stories that show a shocking cultural disregard for children’s wellbeing. I have marked the stories that involve child endangerment with a caret (^) symbol, so that you have the ability to skip them if you need to. Please take care while reading, and take care of yourself.

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 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:

The name of the game for Election Rejection is, ironically, primary elections, but they’re still unfortunately quite topical. Here’s what I have for you:

Primary Blues. Since we’re a bit off our normal schedule, I’m bringing you news from not one, but two primary election dates, and much of it is a hot and/or fraudulent mess. North Carolina chucked local orgy aficionado and sitting Congressperson Madison Cawthorne after an extensive smear campaign from his own party, and down in Georgia, former Senator and full-time racist David Perdue enjoyed a similar table-turning. In the PA Senate primary, Trump-backed gremlin Mehmet Oz heads to a recount with hedge fund flavored David McCormick, though election rejection guy Doug Mastriano definitely won the gubernatorial GOP bid. The setbacks of these Trump-backed candidates highlight the fight currently happening within the party, especially as sitting officials in Georgia who refused to overturn 2020 results such as Governor Brian Kemp and Secretary Brad Raffensperger remained in the race. Meanwhile, five GOP candidates in Michigan were punted from the gubernatorial race because they committed election fraud to get themselves on the ballot, forging the necessary signatures to qualify.

I also have a lot for you on the Biden Rebuilding front, because we’re doing a dive into the formula shortage. Here’s what has happened:

Infant Formula Shortage.^ A shortage of infant formula in this country has been coming to a head for several months, but we saw a particular amount of movement this week, which makes it a good time to unpack it all. Essentially, only four companies in the U.S. make modern infant formula, and we have major restrictions on importation as well. These facts started a cascading failure in February when the FDA shut down a plant that produced much of company Abbott’s formula supply. The shutdown absolutely needed to happen, because unsanitary conditions were basically poisoning the supply, which resulted in four documented cases of infection and two infant fatalities. But while Abbott jerked the FDA around, declining to acquiesce to governmental requests, there was no real backup plan in place for replacing the lack of production. This exacerbated an already-existing shortage. Eventually this week, Biden invoked the Defense Production Act and began ordering importation from Europe, but these are only very temporary stopgaps. Abbott’s plant in Sturgis has now reached an agreement with the FDA, but it will take two months for them to start producing formula again. It’s a very rough and harrowing time for families that is unlikely to be fixed in the next few weeks.

Your New Normal:

State of the COVID-19. We have more information about the next COVID wave, brought to you courtesy of yet another dominant subvariant, and it’s… not great. Federal officials say that in many places in the US, we should all be masking. However, their messaging makes it clear that they don’t think they can make us, likely because Murrika freedom lawsuits suggest that they in fact cannot. This, predictably, means more rising cases.

The Bad:

Elementary School Shooting^. For the second week in a row, I am forced to report horrific gun violence, this time involving a highly fatal elementary school shooting in Uvalde, Texas. Though details are still settling, it appears that an eighteen-year-old man bought two AR-15 rifles on his birthday and a few days later shot his grandmother, fleeing that location by car when she called police. He drove his car to Robb Elementary School, crashing it in a ditch nearby and reportedly engaging police officers present, who declined to follow him into the building. Then he entered the school and barricaded himself in a room, opening fire with said AR-15, ultimately killing nineteen elementary students as well as two teachers and injuring several more people. Needless to say, this nauseating story highlights the massive amounts of preventable gun violence that plague America, which as I noted last week has become even worse during the pandemic. We’re also already seeing the by-now-familiar pattern of no Congressional corrective action occurring, which is very difficult to watch.

The Good:

Recent Pediatric Resilience. In light of the above stories, I thought it might be helpful to talk a bit more about progress on pediatric vaccination–there was a lot of it this week. Early data from Pfizer suggests that they may have created an 80% effective vaccine for children under 5 by adding a third dose. Meanwhile, both the FDA and the CDC have cleared booster shots for kids aged 5-11 for Pfizer as well. It’s important progress that hopefully heralds more movement soon.

So that’s what I have for this week, and I’m so sorry for the contents. For making it through, you deserve these porcine nommers, these suggestions for how to help Uvalde, and a country that is less heartbreaking. 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 articles on self-care because we all need them!

Year 6, Week 17 (May 8-14)

May 17, 2022 Kara HurvitzLeave a comment

I’m running out of new ways to say that the news was actual garbage for another week, but nonetheless: The news was actual garbage for another week. Maybe I could just swap it up by typing it in a different language every roundup? Let’s be real, at this point you’d still know what I wrote. (Les nouveaux sont de vraies ordures, et le singe est sur la branch.)

Standard standing reminders still apply: I am no journalist, though I play one in your inbox or browser, so I’m mostly summarizing the news within my area of expertise. NNR summaries often contain some detailed analysis that’s outside my expertise–I’m a lawyer, not an email!–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 had a fair number of updates on the Election Rejection front, but they pretty much all suck. Here’s what I have for you:

Insurrection Updates. Yet another batch of bonkers emails was released this week, this time showing conservative lawyer John Eastman’s attempts to get legislators to toss absentee ballots through some kind of convoluted New Math scheme. Meanwhile, a final court decision means Marjorie Taylor Greene‘s officially allowed to stay on the ballot in Georgia, which I think we can agree is a loss for Georgia. And speaking of court decisions, Trump’s civil contempt will be dropped, but only if he pays the $110K total he owes–so let’s be real, he’s gonna stay in contempt of court. Finally, the Jan 6 House panel has graduated to subpoenaing 5 GOP legislators, including current House minority leader Kevin McCarthy, so that should be interesting.

In contrast, I don’t have a huge amount for you on the Biden Rebuilding front. Here’s what has happened:

Recent Biden Economy Stuff.* For another week, the biggest Biden news is that inflation sucks. This time, there’s renewed focus on sky-high gas prices, and also Biden insisting that the inflation is all MAGA America’s fault (which, to be fair, is probably extremely true.) But he also expanded a discount Internet program, which is pretty cool. And also cryptocurrencies had a total meltdown, much like everybody else experiencing 2022.

Your New Normal:

Reproductive Justice News. As predicted by prophecy, the Senate voted on reproductive justice protections this week, but the vote went 49-51 with Joe Manchin literally voting to block voting on it. The Senate did, however, successfully pass a bill making it harder to protest outside of SCOTUS judge’s houses. Meanwhile, Senator Warren and Rep Jayapal proposed a bill creating accountability of any kind for Supreme Court justices, but my guess is that one probably went straight into the circular filing cabinet, because I’ve heard exactly nothing about it being advanced at all. Aren’t Congressional priorities fun?

The Bad:

State of the COVID-19. COVID news this week was a bit quiet, beyond the official confirmation of one million deaths in the U.S. The Biden administration is also mailing another round of free COVID tests, this time 8 tests per household. Finally, a few outlets ran stories this week about misappropriated COVID relief funds, covering things like identity theft and, in Texas’s case, diversion to immigrant detention programs. (The Texas thing is particularly galling when you consider that Title 42 is restricting immigration because of COVID.)
White Supremacist Shootings (again). This was a truly awful week for gun violence. On Saturday, a white supremacist shot up a grocery store in Buffalo, NY, livestreaming the entire thing on Twitch as he did so, and resulting in 10 deaths and 3 injuries. We know the shooter is a white supremacist because he published a 180-page manifesto telling us he is, repeating the batshit “great replacement” theory that the alt-right propagates in campaign ads about white people being replaced by other cultures. Though the Buffalo shooting has gotten the most attention, there were two other racially-motivated mass shootings this week as well–on Wednesday, three women were shot in a hair salon in Dallas and on Sunday, five people were shot at a church in California. These shootings come on the same week as a report from the CDC documenting heightened gun violence during the pandemic; the report notes that gun homicides in 2020 were the highest in 25 years.

The Good:

Recent Medical Resilience. For a second week in a row, I’m excited to announce a long-awaited piece of good news: Scientists have identified a risk marker for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. This is a huge breakthrough which opens up the long-term possibility of testing and treatment–and, of course, it’s also really valuable information for grieving parents. I’m gratified to be able to give you a bright spot in an otherwise dark news cycle.

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 pouting Mastiff as well as a more consistently improved 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 review of Our Flag Means Death!