[ad_1]
Welcome to a new series to showcase stories that may have been ignored in the crush of news over the past few weeks, and stories that have continued to evolve over the weekend. Expect to read coverage about health, science, and climate that frequently take second chair to what’s happening at the top of the page, plus information from local sources that the national media may have overlooked.
1. The Katie Britt saga is far from over
Until last Thursday evening, it’s safe to say that many Americans were blissfully unaware that Alabama even had another senator. For all anyone knew, the Cotton State had just elected Tommy Tuberville twice and called it done. Then Sen. Katie Britt appeared on America’s televisions following the State of the Union address, projecting her best mom-who-would-definitely-take-out-your-kid-so-her-daughter-could-be-head-cheerleader vibes.
Since appearing on America’s televisions, Britt’s drama club delivery has been the subject of a baffled response from Republicans as well as a vast number of social media memes. Those memes now include actor Scarlett Johansson dropping by “Saturday Night Live” to deliver a dead-on parody.
But the biggest problem with Britt’s SOTU response wasn’t just the disturbing level of scary-mom emoting on a kitchen set. By far the biggest problem was in what she said.
During her speech, Britt told a brutal story of a woman who had been a victim of sex trafficking. The Alabama senator heavily implied that this story had happened in America under President Joe Biden’s watch. However, journalist Jonathan Katz quickly disassembled Britt’s story and found the real woman behind the claims.
Britt’s story was based on the tragic abuse suffered by Karla Jacinto Romero, who told her story to Congress in 2015. As it turns out, the horrific events that she survived happened in Mexico between 2004 and 2008—almost two decades ago and a nation away from what Britt suggested in her speech.
Britt’s spokesperson responded to questions about the story by insisting, “The story Senator Britt told was 100% correct,” then claiming without evidence that there were more victims of trafficking than ever because Biden’s policies have “empowered” the cartels. Except Romero wasn’t taken by any cartel.
Britt then appeared on Fox News to explain away the false connection to Biden in the least convincing way imaginable.
Fox News: Did you mean to give the impression that this horrible story happened on President Biden’s watch?
Britt: No … I very specifically said, this is what President Biden did during his first 100 days. Minutes after coming into office, he stopped all deportations. He halted construction of the border wall, and he said I am going to give amnesty to millions. Those types of things act as a magnet to have more and more people here.
This is a really lengthy way of saying yes, she meant for people to think Romero’s experience was Biden’s fault.
But there’s someone who thinks Britt’s story is very unfair. And that someone is Karla Jacinto Romero. “I think [Britt] should first take into account what really happens before telling a story of that magnitude,” Jacinto told CNN.
Romero complained that politicians like Britt are more interested in generating publicity than solving a problem. “I hardly ever cooperate with politicians, because it seems to me that they only want an image,” Romero said. “They only want a photo—and that to me is not fair.”
2. Bucks County Beacon beats out national media on Trump’s agenda
It’s hard to say that the Heritage Foundation’s “Project 2025” is hiding in plain sight because it’s not hiding at all. The radical conservative group is the intellectual and legal heart of MAGA, driving policies, drafting legislation, and training the shock troops that are ready to take over the executive branch if Donald Trump retakes the White House.
And, as the Bucks County Beacon reveals, the project for a second Trump term includes a connection that should be shocking enough to dominate national news. The connection is to a Christian nationalist extremist who wants a fundamental—and fundamentalist—restructuring of the government. A document he edited is described as such:
The manifesto, titled “The Statement on Christian Nationalism”, begins with a definition of “Christian Nationalism” that strives to implement a Scripture-based system of government whereby Christ-ordained “civil magistrates” exercise authority over the American public.
3. The influential secret feeding talk of a second Civil War
While Christian nationalists are preparing to rip apart the legal and administrative structure of the nation, a Saturday report from Talking Points Memo looked at a group that’s not only expecting America to collapse but also doing what it can to erode the foundations. That group revolves around Christian nationalism.
A secret, men-only right-wing society with members in influential positions around the country is on a crusade: to recruit a Christian government that will form after the right achieves regime change in the United States, potentially via a “national divorce.”
The group is known as the Society for American Civic Renewal, and it’s not just a Christian nationalist group. As far as Talking Points Memo was able to identify the members, it’s also an all-white group with very strong ideas about race and sexual orientation. The kind of group that usually goes under the descriptive term “neo-Nazi.”
Only this secret society isn’t meeting at some isolated ranch or gathering in a dingy basement. They are seemingly embedded in both the Republican Party and powerful institutions. TPM reports that it has identified members including “the president of the influential, Trump-aligned Claremont Institute, Harvard Law grads, and leading businessmen in communities scattered across America.”
4. Cystic Fibrosis used to be a death sentence, until Trikafta changed everything
There are about 40,000 people in the United States living with cystic fibrosis, and for those people and their families, this story is no doubt familiar. But the rest of America may have missed out on a huge change to an ancient killer.
Cystic fibrosis is a genetic disease that often manifests with increasing difficulty in breathing, along with other symptoms. People with the condition suffer from an accumulation of mucus in the lungs. Treatments may provide temporary relief, but those treatments can become increasingly difficult and damaging over time. For centuries, the disease has been associated with lives cut short, especially children who may die within months of diagnosis.
However, as The Atlantic reported this past week, a new drug cocktail has changed the outcome for many cystic fibrosis patients, allowing them to live not just weeks and months but decades. It’s not a cure, but it’s an amazing change for those facing this disease.
5. The one point on which Liz Cheney and Donald Trump Jr. agree
In “Jaws,” the famous line is “You’re gonna need a bigger boat.” For Republicans, what’s clear is that they’re gonna need a new party, because they’re no longer welcome in the one they thought they controlled.
And Trump’s people are waiting to show any Republicans who remain to the nearest exit.
6. Trump defames writer E. Jean Carroll. Again.
For those who have been holding a stopwatch and waiting for the inevitable, it’s time to press the button. In a weekend speech, Trump referenced the $91 million bond he had to pay to appeal the case, but he did more than just complain about the money.
7. Why a lot of single-use plastic recycling is just a scam
If you’ve been around YouTube very long, you may have encountered Joe Scott, whose “Answers with Joe” video series has been providing effective and entertaining deep dives on issues for years, earning 1.8 million subscribers in the process.
In the video posted on March 4, Scott goes into a February report from ClimateIntegrity.org to explain why much of the plastic that we encounter day to day isn’t recycled, or even recyclable, no matter what symbol appears on the bottle.
[ad_2]
Source link –