year 7 – Page 2 – National News Roundup

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

February 27, 2024 Kara HurvitzLeave a comment

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

Standard standing reminders still apply: I may be starting my eighth year of journalism, but I summarize news within my areas of expertise. NNR summaries often contain some detailed analysis that’s outside my expertise–I’m a lawyer, not a primary!–but all offroad adventures are marked with an asterisk. And, of course, for the things that are within my lane, I’m offering context that shouldn’t be considered legal advice. Okay, I think that’s about it for the disclaimers. Onward to the news!

Cleanup in Aisle 45:

I think it’s likely that Election Rejection will feature 2024 election news from here on out, though I’m going to keep the name for now. Here’s what has happened since last time:

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

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

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

Your New Normal:

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

The Bad:

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

The Good:

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

So that’s what I have for you, and I think we can agree that it was more than enough. For making it through, you deserve these parrots’ cactus love affair and a more functional government. I’ll be back next time with more restructured and improved news, and I hope you will be back as well–but in the meantime, feel free to ping the National News Roundup ask box, which is there for your constructive comments. Send me questions! Send me feedback! Send me better news in the next cycle dear God.

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

February 6, 2024 Kara HurvitzLeave a comment

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

Cleanup in Aisle 45:

I think it’s likely that Election Rejection will feature 2024 election news from here on out, though I’m going to keep the name for now. Here’s what has happened since last time:

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

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

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

Your New Normal:

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

The Bad:

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

The Good:

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

So that’s what I have for you, and there’s definitely more where that came from. For making it through, you deserve Elmo checking in on you and a more functional government. I’ll be back next time with more restructured and improved news, and I hope you will be back as well–but in the meantime, feel free to ping the National News Roundup ask box, which is there for your constructive comments. Send me questions! Send me feedback! Send me more chocolate because we’re running out!

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

January 23, 2024 Kara HurvitzLeave a comment

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

Standard standing reminders still apply: I may be rounding out my seventh year of journalism, but I summarize news within my areas of expertise. NNR summaries often contain some detailed analysis that’s outside my expertise–I’m a lawyer, not an election campaign!–but all offroad adventures are marked with an asterisk. And, of course, for the things that are within my lane, I’m offering context that shouldn’t be considered legal advice. Okay, I think that’s about it for the disclaimers. Onward to the news!

Cleanup in Aisle 45:

This cycle featured an unholy melding Election Rejection and semi-regular election news. Here’s what has happened since last time:

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

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

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

Your New Normal:

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

The Bad:

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

The Good:

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

So that’s what I have for you, and there’s definitely more where that came from. For making it through, you deserve this brave rescue pupper and a more functional government. I’ll be back next time with more restructured and improved news, and I hope you will be back as well–but in the meantime, feel free to ping the National News Roundup ask box, which is there for your constructive comments. Send me questions! Send me feedback! Send me a better timeline before November!

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

January 9, 2024 Kara HurvitzLeave a comment

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

Standard standing reminders still apply: I may be rounding out my seventh year of journalism, but I summarize news within my areas of expertise. NNR summaries often contain some detailed analysis that’s outside my expertise–I’m a lawyer, not a voting ballot!–but all offroad adventures are marked with an asterisk. And, of course, for the things that are within my lane, I’m offering context that shouldn’t be considered legal advice. Okay, I think that’s about it for the disclaimers. Onward to the news!

Cleanup in Aisle 45:

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

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

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

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

Your New Normal:

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

The Bad:

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

The Good:

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

So that’s what I have for you, and I’m sorry, there are no news refunds. For making it through, you deserve Edgar Allan Poe ukulele and a more functional government. I’ll be back next time with more restructured and improved news, and I hope you will be back as well–but in the meantime, feel free to ping the National News Roundup ask box, which is there for your constructive comments. Send me questions! Send me feedback! Send me the energy to shovel my driveway!

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

November 28, 2023 Kara HurvitzLeave a comment

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

Standard standing reminders still apply: I may be rounding out my seventh year of journalism, but I summarize news within my areas of expertise. NNR summaries often contain some detailed analysis that’s outside my expertise–I’m a lawyer, not a gag order!–but all offroad adventures are marked with an asterisk. And, of course, for the things that are within my lane, I’m offering context that shouldn’t be considered legal advice. Okay, I think that’s about it for the disclaimers. Onward to the news!

Cleanup in Aisle 45:

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

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

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

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

Your New Normal:

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

The Bad:

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

The Good:

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

So that’s what I have for you, and I’m sorry, there are no news refunds. For making it through, you deserve this possum snacktime and a more functional government. I’ll be back next time with more restructured and improved news, and I hope you will be back as well–but in the meantime, feel free to ping the National News Roundup ask box, which is there for your constructive comments. Send me questions! Send me feedback! Send me luck cause this week will be weird!

Year 7, Weeks 40-42 (October 22 – November 11)

November 14, 2023 Kara HurvitzLeave a comment

Friends, I won’t lie to you – it was very, very hard for me to synthesize the news this cycle. This is a rough time for many Americans, between present horrors and the specter of next year’s election, and I don’t see that improving anytime soon. But I am here, and I will continue to try to make it bearable, and I will continue to call for us to exercise our humanity. As Elie Wiesel said, “I continue to cling to words because it is up to us to transform them into instruments of comprehension rather than contempt.”

Standard standing reminders still apply: I may be rounding out my seventh year of journalism, but I summarize news within my areas of expertise. NNR summaries often contain some detailed analysis that’s outside my expertise–I’m a lawyer, not a continuance!–but all offroad adventures are marked with an asterisk. And, of course, for the things that are within my lane, I’m offering context that shouldn’t be considered legal advice. Okay, I think that’s about it for the disclaimers. Onward to the news!

Cleanup in Aisle 45:

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

45 Court Cases. Trump’s court cases and 2024 campaign continue to co-exist, which is graduating from entertaining to terrifying. He may have managed to get the Mar-a-Lago document case delayed, though I don’t believe that has been finalized as I type this. (Of course, several colleagues have already taken deals in the Georgia election case, so I’m not sure how much time this will buy him.) We also saw the reappearance of his gag order in the January 6 case, and yet another violation of a different gag order in the New York civil case. But probably the most sensationalized 45 case story is the Trump family testimony in the New York fraud case, which went about as well as you might expect. Meanwhile, lawsuits to bar Trump from the 2024 ballots due to any of the above sank in Minnesota and are ongoing in Colorado, so we likely will still have to deal with his election campaign. Which is not great, because he is leading in the polls in several places and what passes for his platform is truly disturbing.

Meanwhile, the Biden Rebuilding front is really more the Why Is the House Like This front this cycle. Here’s what I have for you:

A House (and Senate) Divided. Though we do have a House speaker again (and he sure is a piece of work), things are still a mess over there. Perhaps due to his gladhandling the Freedom Caucus, there are still no tenable funding bills as we near the end of our 45-day stopgap, and it seems shutdown is a real possibility again. Meanwhile, the Senate spent this cycle stalling out military promotions (Republicans) and highlighting all of Clarence Thomas’s rampant corruption (Democrats), which led to SCOTUS issuing a hollow ethics code. Finally, Joe Manchin announced that he was retiring but possibly also running for President? (Your guess is as good as mine on that one.)

Your New Normal:

More Normal Election News. We did have a federal election this past Tuesday, which was something of a mixed bag. In Mississippi, several majority Black districts apparently ran out of ballots during the gubernatorial race, which may have contributed to the Republican incumbent’s victory. Meanwhile, several secretaries of state were sent sketchy substances via mail. In more positive news, abortion rights were preserved in several states, including through a ballot initiative in Ohio. We also saw an exonerated Central Park Five member win a seat on city council, the first Black RI federal Senator, and the first openly trans Southern state senator.

The Bad:

Watching the War Fallout. As Israel continues its assault on Gaza, with both the UN and WHO expressing concern about civilian casualties and the effect on hospitals, the U.S. sees ripple effects. in both foreign policy and domestic issues. Though Biden has called for humanitarian pauses several times, this has mostly been both ineffective and criticized by other world leaders. (That said, we did see four-hour pauses last week, which has allowed some refugees to get out.) Here in the U.S., in Chicago, a six-year-old was fatally stabbed because he was Palestinian, and in Indianapolis a woman drove her car into a building because she believed it was an Israeli school. Several college campuses have reported a rise in antisemitism, while several academics have also reported losing their jobs because they posted support for Palestine. And our nation’s only Palestinian-American elected official, Rashida Tlaib, was censured by the House this week after multiple calls to vote. The first call, incredibly, came because Marjorie Taylor Greene decided that Tlaib’s support of Jewish calls for a cease-fire constituted an antisemitic “insurrection.” The second and successful call was due to Tlaib sharing protest footage with the chant “from the river to the sea,” which Jewish Americans commonly regard as a call for a single Palestinian state. In her defense on the House floor, she noted, “The cries of the Palestinian and Israeli children sound no different to me. Why? What I don’t understand is why the cries of Palestinians sound different to you all.” Needless to say, this is an incredibly difficult and frightening time to be Palestinian or Jewish in America.

The Good:

Recent Labor Wins. We had several additional favorable strike settlements this cycle. The UAW reached a deal with GM, ending a six-week auto strike with record wage increases. And SAG-AFTRA reached a deal last Thursday, marking the end of an incredible 118-day strike with protections against AI and another significant wage increase. Progress!

So that’s what I have for you, and I think we can agree it was more than enough. For making it through, you deserve this porcupette guitar solo and a more functional government. I’ll be back next time with more restructured and improved news, and I hope you will be back as well–but in the meantime, feel free to ping the National News Roundup ask box, which is there for your constructive comments. Send me questions! Send me feedback! Send me more hours in the day!

Year 7, Week 38-39 (October 8-21)

October 24, 2023 Kara HurvitzLeave a comment

Secret voting! Kenneth Chesebro! Agents of Egypt! The news has really outdone itself this cycle with its general… now-ness. I recommend the application of ice cream.

Standard standing reminders still apply: I may be well into my seventh year of journalism, but I summarize news within my areas of expertise. NNR summaries often contain some detailed analysis that’s outside my expertise–I’m a lawyer, not a gag order!–but all offroad adventures are marked with an asterisk. And, of course, for the things that are within my lane, I’m offering context that shouldn’t be considered legal advice. Okay, I think that’s about it for the disclaimers. Onward to the news!

Cleanup in Aisle 45:

We’re now back to 45 stories on the Election Rejection front, as the House nonsense gets its own section. Here’s what has happened since last time:

Gag Real and Plea Deals. Within only a few days of Trump appealing a gag order placed on him in the D.C. election interference case, he was fined $5,000 for violating said gag order. (The judge declined to hold him in contempt this time, but made it clear that prison was on the table when he inevitably does this again.) Meanwhile, former Trump attorneys Sidney Powell and Kenneth Chesebro both pled guilty this cycle on the GA election case. This brings us to three flipped henchmen on that case, as Scott Hall pled guilty last cycle.

We also have a handful of odds and ends on the Biden Rebuilding front, though things were pretty upstaged by everything else going on. Here’s what I have for you:

Zero Tolerance, $105 Billion. Biden was in the news this week for reaching a settlement deal with the ACLU regarding the families separated during Trump’s illegal Zero Tolerance policy. However, he got considerably more attention for requesting $105 billion in aid to Ukraine and Israel for their respective wars, going so far as to give a rare Oval Office address on the topic. Of course, given the Congressional dysfunction on display at the moment, he can’t actually get the funding right now–but more on that below.

Your New Normal:

The Headless House Mess. Since the last news cycle, when I covered the hot Speaker mess created from McCarthy’s ouster, the House GOP has hit rock bottom and started to dig. First, charming fascist Steve Scalise got the nomination, but he withdrew from the running because he lacked the votes. Then nightmare man Jim Jordan had his fifteen minutes, but after he managed to lose votes by alienating his own allies and making several death threats, the GOP held a secret vote and pulled the plug on his nomination. So now we have a bunch of insurrectionists in the running, and the acting Speaker is threatening to quit because people keep trying to make him hold votes he can’t legally hold. And while all of this is going on, the House hasn’t functioned for nearly three weeks.

The Bad:

Social Media Sown Confusion. Social media has been flooded with gruesome and inaccurate posts about the Israel-Hamas war this cycle, exacerbating tensions and anxieties that were already sky-high. Particular attention is being paid to Elon Musk’s brave new twitter, which has been especially full of fetid falsehoods. This problem is exacerbated by Twitter’s formerly large role over the past fifteen or so years in spreading information from the ground–particularly in Iran and Egypt.

The Good:

Recent Labor Wins. The news is weird and dire this week, but we did see a few labor wins. The workers at Kaiser Permanente reached a deal, ending the largest health sector strike in history with favorable terms. The WGA strike ended recently on favorable terms as well, although the SAG-AFTRA strike is still going after talks fell through badly this week.

So that’s what I have for you, and I’m sorry, there are no news refunds. For making it through, you deserve this reluctant heffalump and a more functional government. I’ll be back next time with more restructured and improved news, and I hope you will be back as well–but in the meantime, feel free to ping the National News Roundup ask box, which is there for your constructive comments. Send me questions! Send me feedback! Send me pumpkin spice flavored things!

Year 7, Week 36 to 37 (September 24 – October 7)

October 10, 2023 Kara HurvitzLeave a comment

Well folks, I sure picked a time to restart the NNR. (Thank you for your patience over these last few weeks while I sorted out a very frenetic time, by the way.) We’re not going to do a deep dive into this week’s international stories, such as Israel’s declaration of war on Hamas or the massive earthquake in Afghanistan, because there’s so much news just on the national front. But suffice to say, there’s a lot happening on the global stage right now too.

Standard standing reminders still apply: I may be well into my seventh year of journalism, but I summarize news within my areas of expertise. NNR summaries often contain some detailed analysis that’s outside my expertise–I’m a lawyer, not a motion to vacate!–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 have a change from our usual fare for Election Rejection stories this cycle, but it’s nonetheless a wild ride. Here’s what has happened since last time:

Votes and No Confidence. Despite serious concern from basically all of us over the last few weeks, Congress managed to pass a stopgap measure to keep the lights on for another month (just in time for Fat Bear Week!). However, this was partially achieved by Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy negotiating with Democrats, which made the Freedom From Reality Caucus big mad. And since Kevin McCarthy had given them a big metaphorical stick in exchange for getting to be Speaker, Matt Gaetz used it to call for McCarthy’s removal. Then those Democrats who worked with McCarthy to keep the government open didn’t actually like him enough to save him from his own party, and voted as a block to remove him. So for the first time ever, a Speaker of the House was removed by a motion from his own party in the middle of a session. Then Republicans spent a week posturing about how Trump should be the new Speaker and ceremoniously kicking Democrats out of offices because said Dems didn’t save them from themselves. Now, we finally have some candidates for new Speaker, which are alt-right nightmare men Jim Jordan and Steve Scalise and… possibly Kevin McCarthy again, as of today? Honestly, your guess is as good as mine about what is even happening over there.

We also have a handful of odds and ends on the Biden Rebuilding front, though I’m not loving most of them. Here’s what I have for you:

Bills and Building a Wall. As foretold by prophecy, by which I mean the Biden administration, federal student loan payments officially became due again this news cycle after over three years of pause. And in other administration and funding news, Biden was in the news this week for resuming construction on Trump’s asinine wall at the southern border. Biden is saying that he had no choice, but he was already facing increasing complaints from his own party about how he is handling asylum issues, and that seems like a relevant factor here.

Your New Normal:

COVID Redux. Though it has gotten much harder to track cases, it would appear that COVID cases are on the rise again with the start of fall, particularly for hospitalization and death rates. That said, this rise coincided with the release of new COVID vaccines, which are recommended for everyone over six months old. The Biden administration has also announced that they will resume sending test kits through the mail, though only four tests per household at this time. Hooray, everything new is old again. Good thing we ended that public health emergency, amirite?

The Bad:

Political Determinants of Death. On a somewhat related note, multiple outlets ran stories this week about political determinants of health. STAT released an article about conservative rhetoric causing a drop in American health outcomes because doctors can’t safely do their jobs. Meanwhile, the Washington Post wrote an entire series of articles on the the plummeting American life expectancy, which are some of the bluntest I’ve ever seen from such a mainstream outlet. One article directly linked Republican policy to early death. Another meticulously unpacks other death inequities within the U.S., noting how income gaps and politics are hurting subpopulations in our country. There’s also an interactive article which invites the reader to compare their life expectancy to that of residents in other countries–spoiler, the results aren’t awesome.

The Good:

Recent Biden Policy Wins. We did have a couple of bright spots from the Biden administration this cycle. Biden announced the launch of the American Climate Corps, which will be a new kind of job corps designed to train young people in clean energy. He also announced a new policy which will grant veterans’ benefits to people who were discharged under Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell just for being gay. Finally, he visited the UAW strike to encourage workers to keep striking, something no President has ever done before. Credit where credit is due, these are all good things.

So that’s what I have for you, and I think we can agree it was more than enough. For making it through, you deserve this excited dove dance and a more functional government. I’ll be back next time with more restructured and improved news, and I hope you will be back as well–but in the meantime, feel free to ping the National News Roundup ask box, which is there for your constructive comments. Send me questions! Send me feedback! Send me several extra hours of sleep!

Year 7, Week 31 to 33 (August 13–September 2)

September 5, 2023 Kara HurvitzLeave a comment

Good gravy, does the news pile up if I let the cycle go an extra week. This cycle’s NNR will be extra jam-packed, though I did my best to keep the overall length the same. I can’t promise the content is fun to read. (That said, I personally find that reading about 45’s indictments never gets old.)

Standard standing reminders still apply: I may be well into my seventh year of journalism, but I summarize news within my areas of expertise. NNR summaries often contain some detailed analysis that’s outside my expertise–I’m a lawyer, not a drug price!–but all offroad adventures are marked with an asterisk. And, of course, for the things that are within my lane, I’m offering context that shouldn’t be considered legal advice. Okay, I think that’s about it for the disclaimers. Onward to the news!

Cleanup in Aisle 45:

I think at this point, we can just assume that Election Rejection stories will involve 45 for the duration. Here’s what has happened since last time:

Indictment Season (again again). The Georgia case indictment, which came down just ahead of our last NNR, turned out to have 13 separate counts against Trump and 41 charges total in its 98 pages–many of which relate to racketeering. It’s a big, sprawling matter, with 19 different people charged in all. If you were hoping all of this maybe this would make 45 be less obnoxious for five seconds, I’m afraid I have to disappoint you, because Trump used his booking as a fundraising opportunity. At the time that I type this, all nineteen defendants have surrendered in GA, and most have already pleaded not guilty (though they have until Wednesday to do so). At the time that I type this, Trump has moved to sever his case from the others because he wants his trial to take a billion years. That said, the Georgia DA is requesting that all 19 defendants’ trials begin in October. Meanwhile, his January 6 federal case was scheduled to begin on March 4, 2024, which is both a totally normal timeline and two years earlier than his ridiculous request last cycle. For those of you playing the home game, that means it will fall directly over Super Tuesday. And speaking of January 6, several convicted Proud Boys were sentenced this cycle, all of whom got ten years or more in prison for their troubles.

We have a surprising glut of news this cycle on the Biden Rebuilding front, possibly because the House Republicans are kind of forcing the point. Here’s what I have for you:

Labor and Libel. The big positive news on the Biden front this week is that his administration proposed new overtime rules, which would dramatically expand the number of workers entitled to overtime pay. The shine of this news is dulled a bit, though, by the House nonsense that is happening at the same time. More specifically, we’re staring down the barrel of yet another government shutdown because McCarthy made mouth noises about impeaching Biden and now the Freedom Caucus is doing their thing in response. I really want to stress that as far as I can tell, Biden has done literally nothing that merits impeachment, and this is now just the GOP playbook for obstruction. It’s worth noting that the GOP is calling to impeach the Georgia DA prosecuting Trump as well.

Your New Normal:

Climate Change Catastrophes (again). This cycle saw yet another wave of alarming weather, some of which was definitely caused by climate change. In California, tropical storm Hilary was the first to hit the region in 80 years, causing massive flooding and mudslides. (The region was also hit by an earthquake while preparing.) Shortly after, Hurricane Idalia pummeled Florida, making landfall as a Cat 3 storm on the southern part of the eastern coast. There was also massive flooding in Black Rock City, NV, where the annual Burning Man festival had drawn more than 70,000 visitors. This left many of those people stranded in a muddy desert over the weekend, though some folks have been able to leave as I type this.

The Bad:

Political Determinants of Health (again). The health news this cycle is a gauntlet of political determinants and restricted access. In Texas, a total ban of gender-affirming care for minors went back into effect after the state’s supreme court ended the injunction pausing it. A similar ban in Alabama was put back into effect the same way. All things considered, that makes it difficult to feel optimistic about Georgia’s ban on gender-affirming care, which was blocked by a federal district court judge this cycle. Meanwhile, in abortion access news, South Carolina’s all-male supreme court just upheld a six-week ban. This coincides with a 5th Circuit decision to restrict mifepristone, which is now being teed up to go to the U.S. Supreme Court and I hate everything.

The Good:

Recent Health Resilience. We did get a touch of good health news this week, when the White House released its list of the first ten drugs that will be eligible for Medicare price negotiations. The list marks the first step forward under the new Inflation Reduction Act, which authorizes Medicare to negotiate directly with drug manufacturers for the first time since the program’s inception in 1965. These negotiations will likely be ongoing for some time, and the final prices will go into effect in 2026. Still, it’s a big deal!

So that’s what I have for you, and I think we can agree it was more than enough. For making it through, you deserve this canine betrayal and a more functional government. I’ll be back next time with more restructured and improved news, and I hope you will be back as well–but in the meantime, feel free to ping the National News Roundup ask box, which is there for your constructive comments. Send me questions! Send me feedback! Send me energy for unpacking things!

Year 7, Week 29 and 30 (July 30–August 12)

August 15, 2023 Kara HurvitzLeave a comment

I return triumphant from my one-week engagement in the woods, and good gravy, there’s a lot to report. I’ll do my best to cover all the highlights and lowlights; this is a news cycle that is quite a ride. As always, my inbox is here if you have any questions.

Standard standing reminders still apply: I may be well into my seventh year of journalism, but I summarize news within my areas of expertise. NNR summaries often contain some detailed analysis that’s outside my expertise–I’m a lawyer, not an indictment!–but all offroad adventures are marked with an asterisk. And, of course, for the things that are within my lane, I’m offering context that shouldn’t be considered legal advice. Okay, I think that’s about it for the disclaimers. Onward to the news!

Cleanup in Aisle 45:

This week is yet another drink from the gross firehose, as Election Rejection stories involve 45 yet again. Here’s what has happened:

Indictment Season (again again). Initially, the biggest news this cycle was the four new indictments against Trump regarding his actions on January 6, which dropped last Tuesday and bring us to 78 total indictments against him as I type this. That said, that number is very likely to change imminently–the Georgia election case, which was in grand jury proceedings and hearing testimony for most of the day, returned an indictment this evening. (Clear details are not yet known on that, which means we all get to enjoy unwrapping Indictmas criminal charges tomorrow unspoiled.) In more petty news, we also had an entire mini-saga about whether Trump can say whatever he wants about the Jan 6 proceedings (spoiler: an annoyed judge says no he can’t). Meanwhile, we also saw new charges in the Mar-a-Lago documents case for Trump and his valet, and Twitter got fined for refusing to cough up Trump data when the special counsel requested it.

There are a handful of odds and ends on the Biden Rebuilding front, largely involving courts unpausing policies. Here’s what I have for you:

Biden Court Cases. The Biden asylum plan that was barred last cycle is already back in place as I type this, resumed by the Ninth Circuit while the underlying court case about it plays out. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court did the same thing, deciding 5-4 to resume Biden’s restriction of ghost guns while that case plays out. So I guess it was a good week for the Biden administration getting to do things that courts said they couldn’t do.

Your New Normal:

Health Mini-Roundup. The big news in health this week, of course, is that we have a full-blown new COVID variant yet again, known as EG.5 or “Eris.” (Where can I return my ticket for the world’s worst showing of Groundhog Day?) Symptoms appear to be cold-like in most people, with runny noses and dry coughs being common. Experts currently believe bivalent vaccines should still be effective against it–we’ll see if that stays true. In more optimistic health news, the CDC approved an RSV antibody for infants this week, and the FDA approved its first postpartum depression pill in the U.S. as well.

The Bad:

Tragedy in Hawaii. Hawaii has been experiencing massive conflagration since Wednesday, destroying the historic city of Lahaina and killing at least 100 people. The fire is still burning as I type this. Experts say it is the deadliest wildfire in over a century, and believe that both mismanagement of the local alarm system and climate change played a role in its severity. Hundreds have been displaced while the fire is raging, and Lahaina’s destruction is a huge cultural blow to the people of Hawaii. Needless to say, Hawaiians will likely benefit from financial support as they grieve and rebuild, and Governor Green has recommended donating to the Maui Strong fund, run by the Hawai’i Community Foundation, if you want to help.

The Good:

Recent Legal Resilience. This cycle was a good one for civic and legal resilience. In Tennessee, the two Democrats who had been illegally ousted from the House due to peaceful protest several months ago regained their seats in a special election. In Ohio, voters rejected anti-abortion efforts to change their constitutional amendment process. (Fun fact: As some outlets noted, abortion rights have won literally every single time they have come onto a popular ballot since the Dobbs case was decided, in both blue and red states.) We had similar good news in recent court cases; in Mississippi, the Fifth Circuit concluded that Mississippi‘s practice of disenfranchising people for life post-conviction is unconstitutional. And just today in Montana, a judge concluded that state agencies were infringing on a constitutional right to a clean and healthful environment by permitting development of fossil fuels. Progress!