Need-to-Know | June 26th, 2022
Your top five stories this week...
At the outset of The Good Report, making news accessible, simplified, and nuanced is a goal we want to reach for you. Weekly, you will receive a Need-to-Know Report of the top five stories this week.
Ready??? It’s been a wild week! Here we go...
Roe v. Wade Overturned
In perhaps the most historic and consequential ruling of our time, the Supreme Court of the United States struck down the Roe v. Wade ruling which dated back to 1973. While many have been convinced that abortion is no longer accessible, the true result is that the issue has been returned to individual states. Several states (mostly conservative) have already issued “trigger laws” going into effect directly following the SCOTUS ruling. More laws from both sides of the issue can be expected in the coming months.
This represents one out of three clear conservative decisions by the court just this week. One decision was made in favor of religious freedom in school choice. Another decision ruled against a NY law requiring firearm carriers to prove they have a significant reason for carrying.
In the recent days following, these rulings have spurred some on the left side of the political world to call for bold responses, including packing the Supreme Court, violence in the streets, and organized abortion in states that have enacted laws against it.
The Recession May Have Arrived
Finance and economy experts are vocalizing concern more frequently that a recession may not only be inevitable, but has already arrived. The common definition of a recession is when there are two consecutive quarters of negative growth. The previous quarter qualified, and it appears likely that the current quarter is following suit.
The state of the economy has always had the greatest bearing on presidential approval ratings, and the Biden Administration is witnessing this firsthand, as the current rating has recently dipped into the 30’s in an average of polls. President Biden continues to blame economic struggles on the war in Ukraine and Vladimir Putin, although inflation and rising gas prices were noticeable well before the conflict began.
In a desperate reach for improvement and approval, the Biden announced a coming Gas Tax Holiday. At under twenty cents per gallon, the temporary cut would be incremental. What may prove more complicating for the administration will be the fact that the holiday would expire just before the upcoming midterm elections.
Disney-Pixar’s Lightyear Underperforms
The anticipated and highly politicized film was projected to bring in around $75 million in earnings early on, but reached a mere $50 million.
This represents a huge upset for Disney-Pixar, with speculation that the company will be re-evaluating the film and what caused the loss. Some are pointing to a lesbian relationship portrayed in the children’s film and that it drove away most families. Others say that the decision to not cast Tim Allen (from previous Toy Story films) as the voice of Buzz Lightyear was disappointing to potential viewers. Yet another theory is that the promotion of the film was insufficient and did not adequately inform viewers that Lightyear would tell the story of the television character that the Buzz Lightyear toy featured in Toy Story films would be based upon.
Senate Passes Gun Control Bill
After weeks of negotiation, the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act passed in the Senate at 65-33, including votes to pass the law from 17 GOP senators. The bill will incentivize “red flag laws” in states, provides billions of dollars in school safety and mental health resources, includes enhancing of screening for gun buyers under 21, and much more.
After passing votes in the House and Senate, the bill will now move to President Biden’s desk for a signing into law.
Jan. 6th Committee Continues Presentation
The House January 6th Committee has pressed forward in revealing its findings to the American people by televised presentation. Viewership and ratings have proven to be disastrous to the committee’s cause. Amidst disappointment and criticism of the time and effort used in the effort, Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) claimed that there is forthcoming bombshell evidence implicating former President Donald Trump in leading an organized insurrection, which is yet to be seen.
Comedic relief for the win:
As bad as it gets, at least you didn’t fall off a parked bike…
Subscribe to The Good Report newsletter to keep informed on current news and events, get interesting faith-filled reads, and receive nothing about Kim Kardashian’s latest fashion statement, the Depp v. Heard trial, or how apparently honorable it is to inform others about your preferred pronouns.