Once again, the winner of the debates was everyone who didn't watch |
I have incredible news out of Alabama—we’re done with Republican primary debates for the year. We did it, Joe! And last night’s was a doozy to end on. Besides the debates, yesterday was a busy day all around, especially at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, with the Biden Administration making moves on Ukraine, student loans, and menthol cigarettes. We’ve got updates on all of it and more—read on! |
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Republican primary candidates debate in Alabama |
Smart move on the part of every Republican candidate who’s dropped out so far—they got to skip a trip to Alabama. Last night, four remaining non-Trump Republican candidates took to the debate stage again in Tuscaloosa, AL to prove to the American public why they’re unfit to lead. Former NJ Governor Chris Christie, FL Governor Ron DeSantis, former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley, and Alex Jones Enthusiast Vivek Ramaswamy duked it out for about two hours, and here's what went down:
- Ramaswamy said of Nikki Haley: "you can put lipstick on a Dick Cheney, it is still a fascist neocon." Except...I spent about 45 minutes looking at photos of Dick Cheney last night, and I'm pretty sure he sometimes did wear lipstick. Someone tell Vivek.
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Christie called Ramaswamy an “obnoxious blowhard.” A bold move – as I’ve always said, don’t call a man a blowhard unless you want people to assume you have hard evidence.
- Ramaswamy called January 6th “an inside job,” which is so false. We all saw the footage; it clearly took place outside.
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Christie was the only one who went after Trump aggressively. He continues to claim his number one goal is to stop a second Trump term. He also said he does not support bans on gender-affirming care for minors because the government shouldn't tell parents how to take care of their children. It was...shockingly thoughtful.
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Ron DeSantis on the other hand really hates transgender people. And really hates immigrants. But we already knew that.
Does any of this matter? The Iowa caucuses are about six weeks away and Trump’s legal problems aren't going away anytime soon, so the race for second place isn’t entirely unimportant. Right now, neither Christie nor Ramaswamy seem to have any chance of winning the nomination. Haley gained on DeSantis in the polls following the recent news that GOP mega-donors, the Koch brothers, have thrown their money behind her. But still, it's fair to say this debate probably didn't change the race much. If the Republicans were smart, they would have coalesced behind one non-Trump alternative by now, but of course, they’re not smart and they haven't. Which is why we were treated to yet another night of mayhem. Read more.
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White House announces new policies around student debt relief, menthol cigarettes, and Ukraine aid |
If you think you’re scrambling to get things done before the holidays, just wait until you hear what the White House got up to yesterday. A few items: -
The White House approved another $4.8 billion in student debt relief, which will impact over 80,000 borrowers. If you’re thinking—wait, I thought the Supreme Court struck down Biden’s student debt relief—you are correct. The Biden administration circumvented the Supreme Court and Congress to get relief to borrowers through fixes to the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program. We love a DIY!
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The White House postponed a ban on menthol flavoring in cigarettes. It’s a complicated issue: on the one hand, the tobacco industry lobbied heavily to get the government to postpone the ban (boo), but on the other, there are many who think that making menthol cigarettes illegal will cause disproportionate financial harm to Black communities, and that the government should tread carefully. The ban is now expected to go into effect in March 2024.
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The White House unveiled a new Ukraine funding package of up to $175 million of aid and equipment. This might be the last aid package we see for a while, as Republicans blocked an emergency spending bill yesterday. Republican leaders have signaled an unwillingness to move forward Ukraine aid without a serious overhaul of US immigration policy, which is obviously extremely related. Read more.
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"Did you hear? 2024's color of the year will be "Peach Fuzz," a warm tone meant to conjure peace and serenity. That's right—we're so screwed that we're counting on the color of one of Uma Thurman's dresses to save us." |
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Shooting in Las Vegas leaves at least three dead |
(TW: gun violence) Do you know what's worse than politicizing gun violence to enact gun control reform? Um...gun violence. According to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, at least three people were killed and one injured in a shooting at the University of Nevada Las Vegas. The shooter was identified by law enforcement as Anthony Polito, a 67-year-old college professor who had unsuccessfully applied for a job at UNLV. He was killed in a confrontation with police on the scene and investigators are still searching for a motive. This is at least the 80th school shooting in the US this year, 29 of which have been on college campuses. I dream of living in a world where the worst thing that happens to college students is their roommate stealing their snacks or the cafeteria meatloaf giving them food poisoning, but apparently Republicans in Congress who refuse to even entertain discussion of gun control legislation that is readily awaiting a vote are okay with a much darker reality. Read more.
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The presidents of MIT, Harvard, and UPenn are all under fire following a congressional hearing in which they were accused of dodging questions about whether calls for the genocide of Jewish people constitutes antisemitic hate speech on their campuses. Whoops. The presidents of Harvard and UPenn clarified their statements afterwards to say that they would discipline students who make antisemitic remarks. The president of MIT has not released a statement.
The Israeli military says they’ve surrounded the home of a Hamas leader in the southern city of Khan Younis, in what they’re describing as a “symbolic victory.” Meanwhile, UN Secretary-General Guterres has referred the situation in Gaza to the UN Security Council, urging the council to take steps to “avert a humanitarian catastrophe.”
Russian lawmakers have set a date of March 17th for a presidential election. Putin is expected to run, though he hasn't confirmed it. And, because of constitutional reforms Putin himself enacted, he’s eligible for two more six-year terms. Plus, free and fair elections aren't really Putin's "thing" so he’ll likely win. Here is your reminder that when Trump admits that if re-elected, he'll behave like a dictator (even if it’s just on “day one”)....believe him. It's happened before.
- Kate Cox, the Texas woman who sued the state to allow her a medically necessary abortion, has been given legal authority to terminate her pregnancy. If only there was a more efficient way to let doctors make decisions they are trained and educated to make. Hmm...
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The House voted 214-191 this morning to censure Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY) for *checks notes* accidentally pulling a Capitol Hill fire alarm when he was in a rush to get to a vote back in September. Glad to see they're sooo on top of their work they have time for silly little side projects!
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INTERNET THOUGHT OF THE DAY |
Congrats @MikeIsaac! Thank you for your service. |
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