It’s 2022. Happy New Year! Can we still say that? Maybe just for this one last day? We’re happy to be back in your inboxes this week, albeit a bit tardily! Unsurprisingly, this year is off to a galloping start news-wise, and, sigh, well, it’s not looking too pretty.
We’ve lost some icons, waved goodbye to many of the more promising promises of Build Back Better and re-remembered the fragility of our democracy (as the frightening fight for control of our own bodies rages on). At least we have each other, right? And we promise to bring some GOOD news your way, soon. Er, we’ll get back to you on that…
News to note 📝
It’s been a year since the January 6 insurrection at the Capitol, during which performative masculinity reigned supreme. Female lawmakers still don’t feel safe. Women in Congress who were there that day say that they are still suffering the repercussions, hiring personal security and taking other measures to keep their families safe. Women of color feel the effects of that day even more strongly, with Reps. Veronica Escobar and Pramila Jayapal pointing out their inability to blend in with white colleagues to stay safe. And Sen. Tammy Duckworth, a wheelchair user, has developed her own plan for evacuating the Capitol in the event of another incident. Adding to the threat: Fellow members of Congress stoking violent and racist conspiracy theories — and the Republican lawmakers who refuse to censure them. [19th]
Girlboss Elizabeth Holmes found guilty of girlbossing too close to the sun. We joke, but being convicted of fraud is no joke, particularly when working in the health sector. A jury found Holmes guilty on four out of 11 counts, with all four counts related to investor fraud (to the tune of an estimated $145 million) and carrying a maximum sentence of 20 years (which will probably be served concurrently). Yes, she’s going to jail. Are we happy or sad about this? No one seems to know, with Guardian commentator Emma Brockes feeling guilty for her knee jerk “glee” upon hearing of Holmes’s fate and other female founders still living under the shadow of the disgraced founder’s black turtlenecks and fake baritone. But does she deserve more shame than other, male Silicon Valley grifters? [WSJ, Guardian, NYT]
Is Manchin finally coming around on Build Back Better? We dare to dream. (But probs no…?) New year, same problems for a marginally Democrat-majority Senate. Manchin said “No way” to Biden’s expansive social support bill in December, but now there are reports that he might be willing to dance. Among his proposed changes: Eliminating the expanded child tax credit (ugh) or lowering the income cap for eligible families (also ugh), both of which would lower the costs of the bill. Also in flux is the filibuster reform needed to pass the party’s voting rights bill. Time is ticking down to the midterm elections this fall, and reporting (supported by history) suggests the Dems are not optimistic about the outcome. [Axios, Vox]
RIP to feminist icons Joan Didion and Betty White. Joan Didion — known for her precise and cutting prose — made a name for herself as a journalist, novelist, screenwriter and fashion icon. Though she never considered herself a feminist in the traditional sense, she inspired women everywhere to commit the undeniably aggressive act of writing exactly what they think and feel. Like Didion, Betty White achieved most of her success later in life on “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” and “Golden Girls.” She didn’t let age stop her from doing what she loved and wow, we loved her for it. [NYT, Fortune]
The defense in the Ghislaine Maxwell case wants a new trial after a juror says he was the victim of sexual abuse. Last week, Jeffrey Epstein associate Maxwell was convicted of sex-trafficking teenage girls. She was found guilty on five out of six charges in the case against her, with the charges carrying a maximum sentence of 65 years in prison. The juror in question gave interviews to the press in which he said he was a victim of childhood sexual abuse, a revelation that prompted prosecutors to ask for a hearing to question the juror. Meanwhile, the defense countered that this disclosure warrants a new trial without first conducting an inquiry. The juror questionnaire asked if the respondent had been a victim of sexual abuse, harassment or assault. The defense is set to file a motion for a new trial by Jan. 19. [CNN, Politico]
