Welcome to a Tuesday night edition of Progress Report.
I keep thinking today is Wednesday, and then when I realize it isn’t, my initial thought is that it must be Thursday. The past two days have just been that chaotic and busy, and I’m not even including the five or so hours I spent at the WGA picket line in front of the famed Silvercup Studios here in New York on Monday (story coming soon).
The big national headlines tonight provided a bit of catharsis through justice. First, Donald Trump was found liable for sexually assaulting and defaming the columnist E. Jean Carroll in the 1990s and ordered to pay her $5 million. Shortly thereafter, word broke that GOP Rep. George Santos, the multi-talented bon vivant from Long Island, has been charged by the federal government for some unspecified crime. Could be anything!
Unfortunately, the legal system has not been entirely cooperative today. A lawyer for Harlan Crow, the billionaire Nazi tchotchke collector, told the Senate Finance Committee to buzz off with its request for a complete list of that Crow has showered upon his pal Clarence Thomas over the past 30 years.
So what will Democrats do about it? Committee chair Ron Wyden is none too happy with the response, and Sen. Dianne Feinstein is apparently returning to Washington, so now is the moment to get tough and let the subpoenas fly. Will they do it? What do you think?
Just keep in mind that it looks as if Democrats, who control both the White House and Senate and have an array of legitimate options that include just ignoring the issue altogether, are starting to cave to the GOP’s catastrophic and politically toxic demands over the debt ceiling.
Remember: So many of America’s political problems could be solved by a Democratic Party that is serious about using its power to fix problems instead of maintaining the institutions that perpetuate them.
OK, there’s much more to discuss tonight, including some good policy news for a change, along with some alarming updates on the GOP’s war on democracy.
Health Care and People Care
Minnesota: Let’s start with some good news, yeah? The Minnesota state Senate on Monday night voted to create a state-run paid family and medical leave program.
The program would pay Minnesotans to take up to 12 weeks off from work to address a personal health issue, care for a newborn baby, or help a sick family member. It would also provide partial pay for up to 20 weeks should a worker take leave to care for both themselves and a family member. The state would cover an average of 66% of a worker’s salary, though it could run up as high as 90% for lower-wage workers.
The one-seat Democratic majority held firm to deliver on one of the party’s major campaign promises. Once reconciled with the House’s very similar version of the bill, it will be signed into law by Gov. Tim Walz.
Right now, only 24% of the workforce in Minnesota has access to paid leave. Unfortunately, the program won’t go into effect until 2025, preventing people from accessing a desperately needed benefit until right after a presidential election.
Democracy on the Brink
Several alarming stories with big updates for you tonight.
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