Remember when we had a House Speaker?

October 19, 2023

Hey Meteor readers,

A core practice of my faith is something my mom calls “standing in the pit.” It’s the idea that if someone close to you is suffering, you must stand beside them in that moment. This week, I was in the pit with a dear friend and Palestinian activist who was berating herself for not carrying out her normal duties. “I haven’t cooked dinner for my family,” she texted me.

I offer you the same advice I offered her: It is okay to stop for a moment and take care of yourself. Simply sitting alone for five minutes, or even using the bathroom without your phone, can make a difference. You deserve that time.

In today’s newsletter, we check in on what’s happening in the House, discover a frightening new domestic violence statistic, and share what we’ve been watching to quiet our minds.

In the pit beside you,

Shannon Melero

WHAT’S GOING ON

I bet you think about me (Nancy Pelosi’s version): The House of Representatives has now gone more than two weeks without a speaker, and it’s unclear at this point who will muster enough votes for the job. What is becoming clear is how much Nancy Pelosi’s coworkers miss serving under her—even the ones from across the aisle. In the wake of Rep. Kevin McCarthy’s ouster, Republican Rep. Tim Burchett told The Daily, “I catch a lot of hell for saying this, but she was an effective leader.” Rep. Pelosi, for her part, isn’t mincing words: “I feel sad for the institution,” she told reporters after Rep. Jim Jordan’s first failed vote. “I think it’s sad that they’re getting worse and worse.”

While the House chaos might seem like a petty Washington squabble, we’re actually in the middle of a historic moment. This is the longest the House has ever been speakerless, and it couldn’t be happening at a more inconvenient time. Without a speaker, the House is unable to vote on any legislation or funding measures—like this hospital pricing bill that was ready to be brought to the floor the same week McCarthy was voted out.

It’s not the same: While the House twiddled its thumbs this week, protesters with Jewish Voices for Peace and IfNotNow were staging a sit-in at the Capitol calling for a ceasefire in Gaza. Standing with the protesters was Rep. Rashida Tlaib, who told the crowd that most Americans “are against occupation. They are against human rights violations. If you just tell them the truth, they will be on our side. So we have to speak the truth.”

The gathering was immediately mischaracterized by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, who called it an “insurrection.” (Point of clarity: They weren’t armed. And no one was threatening to hang the vice president.) But it wasn’t just conservatives who took aim at the activists. A statement released by the Anti-Defamation League labeled the protesters as “far-left radical organizations” and “anti-Zionists,” adding, “Let’s be clear: Anti-Zionism is antisemitism.”

So let’s go over this one more time! A protest is not the same as an insurrection (MTG, of all people, would know). Anti-Zionism is not the same as antisemitism. And anti-Zionists are only a part of a huge, diverse coalition calling for ceasefire around the world. I know we’re all capable of understanding the difference between calling a government to account for its atrocities and hating a single ethno-religious group. Pretending that we’re not is an affront to people honoring complexities while finding moral clarity.

AND:

As the crisis in Gaza worsens, social media is making it harder to find news sources that offer vetted and trustworthy information. Columbia Journalism Review provides some surprising insight into why we can’t seem to get clear answers from platforms that were once go-to sources.
One of the members of Kibbutz Be’eri taken hostage by Hamas is Vivian Silver, a longtime peace activist who, until 2005, often traveled to Gaza to meet with like-minded Palestinian women activists, and organized a march for peace just two weeks ago. TIME has more about her life and work.
Former Trump lawyer Sidney Powell pleaded guilty to six misdemeanors today rather than face a trial for her role in the 2020 election tampering case—the one where her gang tried to overturn Trump’s documented loss in Georgia. As part of her plea deal, Powell will serve six years’ probation and pay a $6,000 fine. I’ve seen actual slaps on the wrist be more of a punishment.
Ahead of a Supreme Court case that will decide whether some accused domestic violence perpetrators can own guns, a new report has found that intimate partner homicides spiked 22% between 2018 and 2022—partly because firearm purchases skyrocketed during the pandemic. “An American now fatally shoots their spouse or dating partner every 12 hours,” reads the report. And yes, the vast majority of the victims are women.
In his forthcoming memoir, actor John Stamos reveals that he is a survivor of childhood sexual abuse. As a longtime fan of America’s favorite uncle, it’s heartbreaking to think how long he must have suffered in silence.
Eight period-care brands have found a clever way to pay back their customers for the amount of money they spend on the “luxury tax” tied to buying tampons, pads, menstrual cups, and other necessary, wildly unluxurious products.
The Las Vegas Aces have won their second WNBA championship in a row and as a Liberty fan I am not bitter or jealous at all.

WEEKEND WATCHES

For Poe fans: The Netflix miniseries “The Fall of the House of Usher” is horror meets Succession meets social commentary meets Ultimatum: Queer Love—all tied together by an incomparable Carla Gugino.

For absurdists: If you don’t need to watch a movie that makes sense, I present to you “Meg 2: The Trench,” which just arrived on Max this fall. Don’t worry if you didn’t see the first movie; the plot is basically Jason Statham versus a gigantic prehistoric shark.

For Sporty Spices: Relive the golden age of English football with the Netflix documentary “Beckham.” It’s worth it just for that one scene we’ve all watched.

For Swifties: I don’t even need to say it.

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