GOOD NEWS AS OF APRIL 13, 2024

As Paul highlights this week, good news can sometimes come in bad-news packages. Nowhere is this clearer than what happened in the abortion rights arena recently.

The Right To Choose could be the single biggest factor in November. Last week, Florida passed severe restrictions on abortion. This is devastating. The good news is that the same court has allowed a November ballot referendum on abortion rights. The American public strongly supports those rights and protections.

Groups like the ACLU and Planned Parenthood have enough signatures for a November ballot measure that would enshrine the right to an abortion into Arizona state law. And yet this week, Arizona allowed a draconian abortion law that dates to 1864 to be enforceable, and Republicans wouldn’t permit Democrats—who felt they had the votes— to bring a countermeasure to the floor.

Vice President Harris is in Arizona days after that state rules to enforce its drastic ban. She continues her leadership in the fight for reproductive freedom. NBC News

Republican lawmakers and politicians responsible for the fall of Roe v. Wade find themselves caught in a trap of their own making. “I’m trying to think of when there was a more stunning political phenomenon injected into an election cycle, and I can’t think of one,” Stan Barnes, a Republican consultant, told the Washington Post. “It’s just a powerful change in the political landscape leading up to the 2024 general election.” Raw Story

Donald Trump faces Christian rebellion over abortion. Hit from the other side, Trump is receiving the ire of Christian conservatives as he waffles. They call his incremental position shift “unacceptable” and “depraved,” saying, “He overestimates how secure his evangelical voting bloc is.” Newsweek

The Right To Choose succeeds on a different front. An Indiana court has affirmed the religious rights of those whose faith allows abortions. MSNBC

A Reuters/Ipsos poll shows Biden gaining ground while Trump’s support declines. Currently Biden leads Trump 41% to 37%. Nearly two-thirds of registered voters responded that Trump’s upcoming trial, for allegedly falsifying business records while paying off Stormy Daniels, is serious. 36% said the charges are very serious.
Two-thirds of Americans believe it’s a risk for Trump to receive classified national security briefings, a sentiment shared by Democrats and Republicans.
24% of Republicans said they would not vote for Trump if he was convicted of a felony by a jury, rising to 37% if he were to serve time in prison. Forbes

The centrist group No Labels has dropped their third-party White House bid. Reuters

Conservative lawyer and Never-Trumper George Conway is donating $929,000 to Biden. It’s more than he has ever given his entire life. Maybe the money comes out of his children’s inheritance but, he goes on to say movingly, what more could he give them than a functioning constitutional republic. “This is for all the marbles…Everybody out there, do what you can.” The hat is Conway’s design. Hear the conversation here: The Bulwark Podcast: George Explains it All to Sarah.

The Biden Administration sets first-ever limits on forever chemicals in drinking water. Officials say this will reduce exposure for 100 million people and help prevent thousands of illnesses, including cancers. Associated Press

Wow. Every week Biden chips away at student loan forgiveness. Biden knows that the accruing interest of lifetime student loan debt is crippling. Thursday, he announced a Plan B, based on a different law than the one The Supreme Court struck down. And Friday he canceled another $7.4 billion in student loans for more than 277,000 borrowers. To date, the Biden-Harris Administration has canceled debt for 4.3 million people. CNBC BBC

Democrats’ new bill seeks two weeks of paid time off for workers. The U.S. is the only industrialized nation without paid federal leave protections. This bill comes as paid leave momentum grows on Capitol Hill. Click on the picture to read about the scientific benefits of time off. Read about the bill here: Bloomberg Law

The U.S. will require background checks for gun shows and online firearm sales. These mandatory regulations are “historic” according to The Justice Department. The new actions will help keep weapons out of the hands of criminals. “This will save lives.” The Guardian

The Biden Administration is directing $830 million towards protecting infrastructure from climate-fueled weather extremes. Grants from the Transportation Department will support 80 projects in 37 states, Washington, D.C., and the Virgin Islands. The Hill

The strong U.S. job market continues. It’s in a sweet spot, economists say. Plus, steady increases in real hourly earnings continue to outpace inflation. CNBC

“For the first time in over 50 years of voting in presidential elections, I will not vote Republican,” states a former Trump voter. The Washington Examiner covers Republican Voters Against Trump in a new story. RVAT

Trump administration veterans are speaking out against his reelection. A minimum of 16 officials have sharply criticized the ex-president, with terms such as “threat to democracy,” “erratic,” “delusional,” and “narcissistic.” The number of senior advisors who are protesting is unprecedented. This includes executives such as John Bolton and Mike Pence. Mark Esper, who ran the Pentagon for Trump, will not vote for him and is edging closer to voting for Biden. The Hill, USA Today

Vulnerable Republicans are starting to worry about Trump at the top of the ticket. GOP members of Congress facing tough races fear having to answer for Trump’s degeneracy and extremism, even as the GOP’s small donor base is not delivering and as Trump siphons off party money for legal fees. Apple Podcasts

Obama speaks out about Trump, his disregard for democracy and the office of the presidency. A YouTube (too short) Short. YouTube

An ex-Dominion executive, claiming defamation, may proceed against the Trump campaign and supporters. He is fighting those who wrongly, publicly accused him of rigging the 2020 election, basing their claims on unproven lies. The Gazette

Special counsel sharply rebukes Judge Cannon’s jury instruction order in the Trump Mar-a-Lago documents case. By many accounts, Judge Cannon is in over her head, and Jack Smith is running out of patience. He says the judge’s legal premise on The Presidential Records Act is wrong. Much remains in the air, but Smith is on it. The Washington Post

DJT stock (Truth Social) drops 56+% this week. Currently trading at $31 a share, the stock is “In free fall,” as described by Matt Egan at CNN. “This is a very unusual situation,” says Jay Ritter, a finance professor at the University of Florida. “The stock is pretty much divorced from fundamentals.” He said Trump Media is likely worth about $2 a share and could go even lower. The Independent