12/15/23
Good morning! It’s Friday, December 15th.
National cupcake day.
I bet you thought I’d go with Bill of Rights Day, because of what an absolute nerd I am but first of all – wow. How dare you? You’re really out here calling me a nerd? Because what? Because I have a few books that break the Bill of Rights down? Wow. I don’t even know you anymore.
Second of all… I do love the Bill of Rights though.
And now, the news.
Congress Passes Defense Bill
In fairly shocking news, to me and also to my mom who said “think they can pass this in time?” and I said “not at this point”… Congress has passed a defense policy bill that now heads to the president’s desk for signature.
The bill includes a 5.2% increase in servicemember pay, which is the biggest in 20 years. It also does not include language to would block the Pentagon's abortion travel policy or restrict gender-affirming health care for service members and dependents.
It also includes an extension of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which allows the government to collect communications of non-Americans outside of America without warrents. However, this is meant to be a short-term extension so that more time can be given to reach a compromise on what to do about it.
Listen, this isn’t my most favorite either but apparently Republicans were also upset about it and I do have to roll my eyes so hard I have a migraine over that. This week Kate Cox, a women here in America, had to leave the state to receive medical care that she was seeking, because you absolute freaks need to know what’s happening in the uterus of everyone that has one. Whole states are criminalizing gender-affirming care because you absolute freaks need to know what’s happening in the chonies of everyone in your state. But sure, throw your little fake outrage at the FISA extension.
Anyway, it’s expected to get signed off on by the president so there we go. Funding for Ukraine is in the bill.
However, the Senate announced on Thursday that it will return on Monday to continue working on more funding for Ukraine and Israel, as well as border security.
So the Senate still has another week of work. However, the House is done for the year. Which means that, while Kevin McCarthy will remain a House rep until the end of the year, he has likely cast his last vote as a House rep. And since, spoiler alert, this the last episode of the year, it’s the last time I’ll do an episode with him as an elected official.
Goodbye Kevin McCarthy. We hardly knew ye. I mean, we knew a lot, we knew enough, but we also hardly knew ye because you lacked, and still lack, any interesting features of your personality that would tell us you’re a real person and now just a version of yourself that you drew when you were a kid and told yourself that you wanted to be a real important big guy when you grew up and ya got the jawline right but that was about it. Please know I mean this from the bottom of my heart: these may be your final weeks as an elected representative, but as long as you live a public life, as long as you continue to suck up to Donald Trump, know that even if it doesn’t happen on this podcast, somewhere, somehow… I will be out there in the world, making fun of you.
You absolute dinkus.
SCOTUS Gun Ruling
-via CBS News
On Thursday the Supreme Court left an Illinois assault-style weapons ban in place – can ya believe it?
The law restricts the sale and purchase of semi-automatic assault weapons as well as large-capacity ammunition feeding devices. Anyone who lawfully had them before the law was passed can keep them, but must submit an affidavit to state police by January 1.
So the ban will stay in plan while a case before a federal appellate court continue.
Trump Crime Update Time
-via CNN
And how about one last
Trump Crime Update Time
For the year?
In regards to Trump’s civil New York money crimes case, a New York appellate court rejected Trump’s gag order challenge on Thursday, which means he’s still, this is so wild… not allowed to threaten, harass, and provoke his followers to do the same, when it comes to the judge’s staff.
So wild.
What do we know about the First Amendment? It’s the right to free speech, but not without consequence.
Now if only we could find a way to put in a place a gag order against him for any and all future remarks.
Oh wait… we can’t, but we kind of can. Go to www.raisingvoters.org to make sure you and all your friends and family are registered to vote. We’re nonpartisan, but wowzers does your vote matter.
And that’s it. That’s the news.
For the year!
I’m taking three weeks off, but I’ll be back next year to talk about the news!
In the meantime – between now and then, there will be a lot of holidays. Lots of bis stuff happening. But please know, more and after all of that, and more than all of it combined… I’m proud of you.