Forget the Oscar Slap, There’s News in DC That needs Your Attention

Our news cycle is in a constant state of motion where it’s almost too much to take in. This is especially true in the last few years, with the COVID-19 pandemic and Trump’s scandal-ridden presidency dominating the news. While the “slap seen around the world” has taken our collective attention, other concerning issues are playing out in Washington right now. Here are a few to note:

CBS News and Washington Post reported that Ginni Thomas, wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, sent text messages to then-chief of staff Mark Meadows to overturn the 2020 Presidential Election results.

CBS News and Washington Post also reported with the internal White House documents turned over to the Jan. 6th committee; there’s a seven-hour and 37-minute gap in former President Donald Trump’s call logs during the day of the attack on the capitol.

NPR reports that Republican-led states are banning local election officials from accepting donations, which helped hire temporary staff and buy better machines to sort mail-in ballots.

A federal district court judge stated that former President Trump “more than likely” committed a crime.

These four reports alone are a lot to handle, but speak to the dire state of our government. We’re not even counting the endless amount of voting rights restrictions, changes to school curriculums teaching a “preferred version of history, and laws targeting the LGBTQ and trans communities.

Think about this–a sitting supreme court judge has already issued a dissenting opinion on a January 6th. related case and has not recused himself in future instances–and it’s just a blimp in the news. Many Republican representatives are still repeating the lie that the 2020 election was stolen. None of this is normal and should be treated as such. I fear that we’ve become numb to the daily barrage–mainly because there are yet to be any consequences for anybody at the top of the food chain.

Yes, there were two impeachment proceedings and ongoing trials revolving around the rioters at the Capital. Still, seemingly no forms of punishment have been rendered for those at the top yet. Many representatives have called on the DOJ, specifically Attorney General Merrick Garland. If people can brush off enforcement of congressional subpoenas and former Presidents and aids can do whatever they want with no oversight, then who’s to say they won’t try it again? Rep. Elaine Luria (D-VA) said it best during a hearing to vote on contempt-of-Congress referrals for former Trump advisers Dan Scavino and Peter Navarro.

From Vanity Fair:

I will echo what my colleagues have already said, but more bluntly: Attorney General Garland, do your job so that we can do ours.”

There are already steps being taken to cast doubt over the results of the 2024 election. Many important Supreme Court decisions are coming in the following months. Given the magnitude of things to come, it’s strange that we have bad faith actors still able to alter branches of government and processes vital to every American citizen with no discretion or check. While we live in a fast-paced society where there’s something at every turn demanding your attention, these items shouldn’t fall by the wayside.