A few days ago, it seemed obvious what the week’s big news story was: the leadership vacuum in the House of Representatives. Speaker Kevin McCarthy was ousted Tuesday, and the Republican caucus seems to be back where it was in January: holding a narrow majority on paper, but unable to unite that majority behind any single leader or agenda. McCarthy managed to become speaker by making impossible promises to the party’s MAGA fringe and giving them the power to throw him out if he didn’t deliver. He didn’t deliver, and they threw him out.
While the GOP figures out what to do next, the House is frozen and the clock is ticking on the temporary funding that averted a government shutdown last week. New money needs to get appropriated by November 17 or the government shuts down. Averting that shutdown is what got McCarthy booted, so even if a new speaker gets chosen in time, it’s hard to imagine what he will do to resolve the situation. Anyway, that’s the subject of this week’s featured post, which should be out by 10 EDT.
If you’ve been paying attention to the news the last few days, though, the dysfunction in the House is barely a sidebar: Saturday Hamas launched a shocking attack on Israel. Hundreds or even thousands of people, mostly civilians, have already been killed, and no one knows how the situation will resolve. This isn’t the kind of topic I’m equipped to cover, so I’m not planning to write much about it. You’ll need to follow developments through some other news source.
A much slower-breaking news story got some significant coverage this week: the decline of life expectancy in the US. The WaPo had two enlightening articles on it, and Vox had something interesting to say as well.
And we’ve all got numb to the continuing outrages from Donald Trump. Thursday we found out that he had discussed nuclear secrets with a Mar-a-Lago member from a foreign country. Also, his rhetoric went full Nazi in an interview last week: Migrants crossing our southern border are “poisoning the blood of our country”. And there were the usual batch of developments in his criminal cases and the civil fraud trial currently happening in New York.
That’s all in the weekly summary, which should be out around noon or so.
The Weekly Sift 
Comments
Yes GOP seems to be more independent minded and less a flock of sheep blindly following its leader.
Lock-down is less of a lock-down than the term seems to portray. The cash flow can keep the excessively wasteful spending going for quite a while but new funding it stops.
Fentanyl is poisoning the blood of our young ones dying by the dozen and it seems like the Sanctuary States and Cities have recognized what common sense said long ago that open borders is not how we should welcome immigrants while others standing in line for years legally observing wait for their turn.
A population our size with a balanced budget could admit 5 million per year after vetting as long as 3 million brought skills or assets that funded the 2 million fleeing failed communist dictatorships.
“Even if a new speaker gets chosen in time, it’s hard to imagine what *he/she or they* will do”. Please use inclusive pronouns—it’s important.
I always have this debate with myself in situations where are the identified candidates are men. I may do it differently next time. Thanks for weighing in.
Full Stop. The US does not have “open borders”. This is nothing but extremist, reactionary, American Nazi propaganda designed to paint those seeking to immigrate to the US as undeserving sub-humans who are to be excluded by any means – any means – necessary.
Under the Biden administration, much to the dismay of some of its leftist allies, spending on the Border Patrol has increased, deportations have increased, and even additional miles of wall/barriers have been scheduled and expedited.
What’s needed, however, is to stop an American foreign policy that props up right-wing, economic-elitist authoritarians in Central America, but instead makes major investments in those countries so there are options other than drugs and gangs, which is what’s driving the surge. Stop trying to destroy Venezuela, too.
But, the most important thing right here, right now is to immediately respond to any assertion that America has “open” borders. It does not, and no person who is serious about confronting immigration issues asserts otherwise.
> Saturday Hamas launched a shocking attack on Israel…
> This isn’t the kind of topic I’m equipped to cover, so I’m not planning to write much about it.
Your forbearance is appreciated, but it might be timely to post a refresher link to “Terrorist Strategy 101”.