05/30/23
Good morning! It’s Tuesday, May 30th.
International Hug Your Cat Day!
But ONLY if they want it! Because first and foremost… consent matters.
But also – have you ever tried to hug a cat that doesn’t want it? Or even if they do, for that matter… it’s not their most favorite. So… how about we can call it, “carefully, and actually maybe only with your thoughts… hug your cat day.”
And now, the news.
Debt Ceiling Update
-via NPR
Let’s start with the debt ceiling. My favorite!
Sounds like we’ve got ourselves a deal! (mayhaps)
Here’s where we are: President Biden and Speaker McCarthy have signed off on a 99-page deal that would suspect the debt limit through 2025, avoiding a sprint and leap off the financial cliff.
It includes a fund dedicated to veterans exposed to toxic substances, rescind about $30 billion in unspent covid relief funds, expanded work requirements for SNAP (aka Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program that used to be known as food stamps), hits start on the student loan pause (though, luckily for those with loans, aka Kim and others, the Republican goal of erasing the debt erasure was not included in the bill).
The deal is now is the hands of Congress – a sentence sure to bring comfort to all.
Next steps are for the House to vote on it, which is expected to happen tomorrow, before it beep bop boops on over to the Senate for approval.
Ken Paxton
-via NPR
I have a correction (ish) in a story from last week.
Last week, in the story about Texas AG Ken Paxton, I said he’d be impeached in the state House. In fact, he had only been recommended for impeachment.
But over the weekend, it turns out I was wrong, sure, but also… maybe I was just, as always, ahead of my time.
(No no. To be clear. I was wrong. I’m sorry.)
On Saturday, the Texas House did, however, vote to impeach Paxton. He was immediately suspended from his job, pending the Senate trial.
I’ll keep you updated as this goes on. Why? Because we love consequences for actions in this house.
The stars are night, are big and bright, deep in the heart of don’t do crimes and you won’t get in trouble.
Partial Apartment Collapse in Iowa
-via CBS News
Everyone’s okay, but eight people were rescued on Sunday night after a six-story apartment building partially collapsed. The cause of the collapse was not immediately clear, but in the week prior to collapse, falling bricks from repair work were reported.
The rest of the apartment was evacuated as the fire department worried over the structural integrity of the building.
Uganda’s New Anti-Gay Law
-via NPR
Uganda has passed one of the world’s deadliest anti-gay laws that calls for LIFE in prison for anyone convicted of homosexuality, while anyone who just attempts it can face up to 10 years in prison. It also calls for the death penalty for anyone convicted of what’s called “aggravated homosexuality,” defined as anyone having same-sex relations with children, vulnerable people, or anyone HIV-positive.
Amnesty International is calling for a repeal of the law.
Judge Blocks South Carolina Anti-Abortion Bill
-via Washington Post
And finally… a South Carolina judge has blocked the sex-week abortion ban until it can be reviewed by the state’s Supreme Court.
Until the Court rules, the state’s law now reverts back to abortion being legal until the 22-week mark, which Planned Parenthood called a “welcome reprieve.”
Ai yi yi
As a reminder, I’m making a short documentary called Still Standing, about Wendy Davis’ 2013 filibuster and what we can learn from it, as we enter the next phase of the fight for reproductive justice.
Because… you know… we need it.
And that’s it. That’s the news.
Hey! You know what? I’m proud of Ruth. She’s 30/70 on hugs. But she’s super into like… just being near people. And that’s cute.
But more than that. More than when the alarm goes off way too early in the morning, and she just looks at me all frustrated because she just wants to sleep and honestly – same girl… because you also value that REM cycle, but also don’t bully me about it… I’m proud of you.