04/09/24
Good morning! It’s Tuesday, April 9th.
National Gin and Tonic Day.
Finally.
Even just saying the words has filled me with a joy unlike any other.
Should you be interested in partaking, it’s your favorite glass, your favorite ice (I prefer a big chuck of ice but you gotta go with your heart when it’s something so joyful), then we’ve got 3oz gin (Grey Whale, if you wanna get wild), a half a lime, and you know… 6oz or so of tonic. I like to taste to tonic. I like to taste the gin and tonic.
And that’s it. That’s a lovely drink.
And now, the news.
Total Eclipse of the (Sun)
The big story is, of course, the total eclipse that was cool to see (for some. Here in Los Angeles, it was like 50% and honestly it was… lackluster).
I don’t really have much else to say. The pictures are cool for sure.
Everything was totally fine.
Which I mention, because Arkansas’ Governor, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, declared a national emergency from Monday until Wednesday. That’s right, although the eclipse is long-gone, the state, right now, is still under a State of Emergency. A directive that allocates $100,000 from them Governor’s Disaster Response and Recovery Fund to be used at the discretion of the Director of the Arkansas Division of Emergency Management.
In other states I’d be like – this is weird. We should look closely at how the director of the Arkansas Division of Emergency Management is related to the governor and where that money is being spent.
But honestly, I think she’s just a goof.
Anyway, the eclipse is done. We survived the once in a lifetime eclipse that we’ve now seen multiple times.
Biden’s Student Loan Relief Continues
-via AP News
Hey, remember when President Biden promised that he’d erase billions of dollars in student debt for millions of borrowers and the Supreme Court was like – yeah but how does that help us? Denied!
Well, Biden is still out here canceling student debt.
In fact, on Monday he said that another 30 million borrowers would see what he called “life-changing” relief with a new plan that utilizes the Higher Education Act, under which the secretary of education can waive student loan debt in certain cases.
This includes resetting balances for borrowers who, thanks to interest, now owe more than they borrowed. For those folks who make less than $120,000 a year (or couples who make less than $240,000 a year), they’ll see $20,000 of their debt erased.
Folks eligible for other federal forgiveness programs, but haven’t yet applied, would also see their loans bye-bye’d.
If you’ve been paying your loans for at least 20 years, or 25 for grad school borrowers, your debt will be erased.
And finally, those who attended college programs of “low financial value” (aka programs that cheated students or left graduates with low incomes compared to their loans), will also see their debt erased.
A great reminder that Biden knows this matters, and is going to continue to fight for what actually helps people.
Vegas Law Office Shooting
-via NBC News
Two people are dead, as well as the suspect, in a Las Vegas law office shooting that took place Monday morning.
Details are not yet being made public, including the suspect’s relationship with the two people killed.
In September of 2021, a new law made it legal in Texas for most people 21 and up to carry a handgun in a holster without a permit. The gun must be in a holster but can be carried openly or concealed… again, without a permit.
Trump Crime Update Time
-via NY Times (Appeals Court) and NY Times (Abortion Restrictions)
And finally, how about some
Trump Crime Update Time
(Bummer for you, good for law, edition)
A head of next week’s criminal trial for Trump in his hush money (better name pending) case, Trump’s legal team has asked an appeals court to his pause and move the case out of Manhattan.
He is also expected to ask to overturn the gag order, which seems insane for anyone to even consider, but that has not been made public. That’s not likely to go forward and is a little complicated (it’s an appeal in the form of a suit) so I’ll cover it if we need but I don’t expect to need it do it. Which would be great – because I don’t mean to brag but... I am confused by it.
But on those public pretty pleases – the appeals court judge, Lizbeth Gonzalez, has already hard passed. Rejecting both the pause as well as the move. As a reminder, he was already granted a pause for his team to review materials that they were late to ask for and therefore received too close for comfort to the original trial start date.
The judge in that case thought it was absurd to delay at all, but still granted it. So it’s not super shocking that this judge has also denied the delay.
But this denied delay means we’re still on track to see a former president seated for a criminal trial, a historical first, on Monday, April 15th.
And I did this yesterday and I wonder if maybe this is a good segment to add but here’s a reminder of what’s at stake with a Trump presidency:
Also on Monday, in a video statement, Trump said that he believes abortion rights should be left to the states.
Make no mistake – he took down Roe (and bragged about it). He’s talked about a 16-week ban because he likes that it’s a round number. And now he’s saying this is a state issue.
Reproductive rights will be erased, erased, under a Trump presidency.
He may say that Florida’s six-week abortion ban is a “terrible mistake,” but saying it’s a state rights issue means he’s actually fine with the ban.
Today’s reminder of what’s at stake under a second-term for Trump: he will erase reproductive rights. Full stop.
And that’s it. That’s the news.
I’m proud of…
Gin and tonic.
Or however else you relax. It’s an election year where Trump is running. Let’s all find our ways to relax.
But more than that… more than a perfectly balanced gin and tonic on a lovely evening… because you are also classy as heck… I’m proud of you.