NEWS ROUNDUP
Why Brett wasn’t believable ● Kim Schrier leads ● ‘Til it happens to you
Friday, September 28, 2018
SUPREME COURT
► BREAKING from the Washington Post– Senate panel backs Kavanaugh; Flake requests FBI probe — The Senate Judiciary Committee voted along party lines Friday to advance the Supreme Court nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh after securing a key vote from Sen. Jeff Flake, who asked for a delay of up to a week before the full Senate votes. Flake (R-Ariz.) said the delay would allow a limited FBI investigation of allegations of sexual assault while Kavanaugh was a teenager.
ALSO at The Stand — Murray: Kavanaugh should withdraw
► In today’s Washington Post — The Senate can’t vote on Kavanaugh now (editorial) — If he is the victim of some terrible case of mistaken identity, Kavanaugh’s anger is understandable, but his partisan conspiracy-theorizing was hardly becoming of a potential Supreme Court justice. Ford, whose life and family have been upended, deserved better than the condescension shown by a number of Republican senators and, more to the point, their unwillingness to vet her claims.
► In today’s Washington Post — American Bar Association calls for FBI investigation into Kavanaugh allegations, delay in confirmation votes
► In today’s Washington Post — Senate GOP forging ahead with Kavanaugh vote today shows why Ford sought to stay silent — Ford’s first fear has undoubtedly materialized: she will be a household name for the rest of her life. She’s received death threats. She’s needed to hire body guards. She’s been staying apart from her children as a security precaution. Increasingly, it looks like Ford’s second worry may also come true: that it would all be for naught.
► In today’s NY Times — Brett Kavanaugh disrobed (by Dana Milbank) — Brett Kavanaugh proved himself unfit to serve on the Supreme Court. It has little to do with his treatment of women. Kavanaugh’s freshman-year roommate at Yale had told the New Yorker that the future Supreme Court nominee could become “aggressive “and “belligerent” when drunk. But, as millions have now seen with their own eyes, he is aggressive and belligerent when stone-cold sober.
► In today’s Washington Post — HOW DARE YOU DO THIS TO BRETT KAVANAUGH (by Alexandra Petri) — ARE YOU GOING TO BELIEVE HER, AMERICA? OVER HIM, AMERICA? YOU HEARD THE WOMAN! SHE DOESN’T EVEN LIKE TO FLY! YET SHE FLEW HERE! SHE DOESN’T REMEMBER ALL THE DETAILS OF THE EVENING, WHEREAS HE KEPT A CALENDAR, LIKE HIS FATHER BEFORE HIM! HE IS NOT EMOTIONAL! YOU ARE EMOTIONAL! NO, YOU LISTEN!
► In today’s Columbian — Cantwell, Murray, Herrera Beutler react to Ford testimony — Herrera Beutler said in a statement: “I haven’t formed my opinion yet because I haven’t even been able to watch Dr. Ford testify.”
STATE GOVERNMENT
► In today’s Seattle Times — Seattle woman says state Sen. Joe Fain raped her in 2007; Fain denies allegation — A Seattle woman said Thursday that prominent Washington state Sen. Joe Fain (R-Auburn) raped her after her college graduation in 2007. Fain denied the accusation and called for an investigation into the alleged incident. The woman, Candace Faber, tweeted about Fain on Thursday afternoon and later issued a statement saying “we cannot heal without accountability.” The tweet came after hours of televised testimony on sexual assault allegations against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh.
ELECTION
EDITOR’S NOTE — The Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO has endorsed Dr. Kim Schrier in this race.
► In today’s Seattle Times — Washington’s proposed carbon tax: Smart move in a scary time (by Jon Talton) — Unlike a failed carbon-tax measure two years ago, I-1631 is carefully crafted to build a wide coalition of supporters, using the money raised to cut fossil-fuel dependency and also help poorer households and communities adjust… Washington will gain far more than it will risk with this historic measure.
LOCAL
► In today’s Seattle Times — To fix driver shortage, Seattle Public Schools bus contractor offers $22 starting pay and up to $3,000 hiring bonus — The district and its school-bus contractor, First Student, have implemented a few stopgap measures in the last week to help mitigate a bus-driver shortage.
NATIONAL
► In today’s NY Times — Top minimum wage in U.S., $19, is planned for New York’s airport workers — As many as 40,000 workers at the three big airports that serve New York City are on a path to earning at least $19 an hour, the highest targeted minimum wage set by any public agency in the country and a major development in the battle over boosting income for those at the lower end of the pay scale.
T.G.I.F.
The Stand posts links to Washington state and national news of interest every weekday morning by 10 a.m.