03/05/24

Good morning! It’s Tuesday, March 5th.

Super Tuesday!

That’s right – today is the day when the most amount of delegates, in one day, will get handed out.

If you’re in a Super Tuesday state, get on out there and cast your ballot. If not… it’s still a fun day. We can watch all the results! KiMSNBC will be watching Khaki Kornacki and a bunch of other places to see the numbers come in. Because I know how to party.

And now, the news.

Opill Has Begun Shipping

-via NPR

It was a day filled with news, so stick with me…

Starting with the news that Opill, the first oral contraceptive available without a prescription, has begun shipping. It will be sold over-the-counter in grocery stores, drug stores, and convenience stores starting this month.

This is one of those things that feels big and small at the same time.

But since Republicans continue to launch assault after assault on the rights of… well most people, to be honest but for the purposes of this story I’m talking specifically about reproductive rights, making the pill more widely available is huge. And the fact that the pill is something that now doesn’t require a doctor’s appointment and won’t show up on insurance paperwork or credit card statement will genuinely save lives.

This is a big one.

France Guarantees Abortion in Constitution

-via AP News

In “this could be us you, the Republicans, playin” news…

On Monday, French lawmakers voted to make France the first country to specifically guarantee the right to abortion in the country’s constitution. It was specifically proposed as a way to safeguard the country from what they are seeing happening here in the states.

And that’s a bummer… they did this great thing, specifically because we are a warning sign to them.

President Macron promised the measure, which passed on a 780-72 vote so it’s not like rights were in danger in that moment anyway, after the Dobbs ruling.

Congratulations France!

Israel-Hamas War

-via CNN

This is a story that I would normally put at the end of an episode, so you could avoid it if you wanted to, but I can’t really do that today so just a warning that this segment is going to be about sexual violence, if you want to skip forward a little bit.

On Monday, the United Nations announced that they found overwhelming evidence that, while Hamas carried out their October 7th terrorist attack on Israel, some of the hostages they took were raped in Gaza.

This is a developing story.

Meanwhile, cease-fire talks continue as Vice President Harris, ahead of her meeting with Israeli war Cabinet member Benny Gantz, has called for an immediate cease-fire. She also criticized Israel for not allowing aid in Gaza. Gantz, it should be noted, is visiting the White House in defiance of Israel’s Netanyahu.

The hope is that a cease-fire can be reached before Ramadan begins at dusk on March 10th.

Supreme Court Freezes Abbott’s Law

-via CNN

After a request from the White House, the Supreme Court has hit pause on Greg Abbott’s Texas law that allows law that allows law enforcement to arrest and detain people they suspect of entering the country illegally.

Just… arrest on a hunch.

Super normal and for sure not racist and dangerous.

Under arrest based on vibes.

This pause will halt the law until March 13th, giving the Supremes more time to review the case in front of them, so we shouldn’t read too much into this.

Allen Weisselberg Pleads Guilty

-via NY Times

Allen Weisselberg, the former CFO of Trump Organization, who has already served time at Riker’s for his evading taxes on $1.7 million worth of compensation he got from the Trump Org, pleaded guilty to lying on the stand when Tish James was investigating Trump for money crimes, the one he just was ordered to pay what is now $465 million in fines on.

Turns out that Weisselberg lied while on the stand.

He did not implicate Trump as he gave his guilty plea and statement.

His sentencing date will come in April, as prosecutors have asked to send him back to Rikers for another six months for the lie.

Imagine being 76 years old and facing another stint at Rikers, all because you, a fully grown adult with autonomy, willingly aligned yourself with Trump.

Co. SCOTUS Decision

-via AP News

But, of course, the big news of the day is that the Supreme Court came back with a ruling that yes, actually, Trump can stay on the ballot in Colorado, et al.

It broke first thing Monday morning, and this is what I want to tell you…

This ruling sucks – but it didn’t really have a chance not to suck. We needed the Supreme Court to take this on, to offer guidance, but we also kind of needed this ruling.

Do I believe that states should be able to decide their own elections in the primary? Yes, of course (within reason). But Trump was on the ballot, and people were already voting for him. Removing him would have led to chaos, and, moreover, one state does not get to decide entire elections. Which is also what removing him would have done.

Trump did insurrection, but that’s not what the Court was asked to decide. The Court was asked to decide if federal candidates, including Trump, can be removed from the ballot under the 14th Amendment.

The Senate let Trump go. In the many many cases against him, and there are many, none are technically for insurrection (confusing, since so many of them are because he did election stealing).

Because of this, the Court ruled unanimously that Trump can remain on the ballot.

However, it doesn’t mean they were unanimous in all of their thoughts and feelings, as the three liberal judges on the Court expressed in a dissent that it can’t be that only Congress can decide if someone is an insurrectionist. I mean, there are literal insurrectionists in Congress right now, so we can’t let that be the only way someone can be found to be an insurrectionist.

That dissent is important historically, but in the here and now it’s a moot point because Trump is not being charged anywhere with insurrection. (Not without trying though, I’m sure. On both sides, actually. I’m sure people wanted to charge him and I’m very sure that he would have gone further if he’d had the chance.)

This Court ruling only effects federal elections, so it does mean that states can decide to keep House and Senate candidates on the ballot, for example, based on their actions surrounding January 6th.

This is technically Trump Crime Update Time, but it didn’t really feel like a great moment for it. I know that a lot of people are really worried, seeing this ruling. So I want to remind you that today is Election Day for fifteen states.

We have elections.

It’s not a perfect system, and I am admitiadly a little romantic about elections. But how could I not be? Today, in fifteen states, people get to make their voices heard. They get to get out there are decide what they want for their future.

Voting requires optimism. Optimism requires a little romance.

All the Supreme Court has done is decide that Trump gets to remain on the ballot – we are the ones that decide what that means. We are the ones that decide who wins this presidential election.

Feel however you need to feel about this, and then ask yourself – what can I do, right now, to make something good?

It’s Election Day in fifteen states.

We have a democracy.

Us it.

And that’s it. That’s the news.

I’m proud of you.