Author: The Hill

Progressives are leaving 2022 riding high. This year, liberals pushed President Biden to the left, passed legislation in line with their philosophy and expanded their united bargaining power in Congress.

In Washington’s ever-changing expectations game, however, 2023 is sure to bring a fair amount of uncertainty to the Democratic Party’s left flank.

While Biden has shown a desire to embrace much of what drives liberals, the new year will test how far he is willing to depart from his moderate tendencies from the Oval Office.

On Capitol Hill, progressives will have to adjust to a new GOP House, notably without a natural standard-bearer leading their own side’s movement.

And in the judiciary, they’re preparing for court challenges to some of their biggest agenda items.

All that is set to play out as speculation mounts over whether Biden, 80, will run for a second term as president. 

Here are the left’s 5 biggest unknowns for 2023:

1. Biden’s 2024 plans

Nothing will have a bigger impact on progressives’ plans for the future than the president’s decision on whether or not to seek reelection.

If there were doubts over Biden’s general fly-under-the-radar strategy, November quieted the naysayers. For months, while Democrats bemoaned the president and his administration’s approach to the midterms, the White House stuck to its course, keeping with the same game plan that Biden had seen work successfully in the past, such as when he was down in the 2020 Democratic primary before sweeping to victory.

Even as Biden’s approval ratings dipped lower and lower, Biden officials warned that issues such as protecting democracy and abortion access were equally important, and that they could offer a message that resonated in swing areas and even build on reach states such as Georgia if they could convince voters that they can deliver results. 

The party’s relative success during the elections — better than many anticipated and other past cycles — is a convincing reason to believe that Biden, who has repeatedly said he intends to run again in 2024, will go through with it.

But things can change. If an unforeseeable event causes Biden to rethink a second term, an ensuing Democratic presidential primary would shine a bright light on progressive policies.

And to be sure, possible Democratic hopefuls are expected to keep up with the preliminary planning they started this year, while working with the administration as an ally —  for now. 

2. Biden’s appetite for shifting further left

Progressives have a degree of skepticism around Biden’s ability to adapt to the changing tides of his party. Things didn’t look so good for the left when Build Back Better, the expansive social safety net package, was being fought over by moderates and progressives in both chambers of Congress, with Biden often siding with key centrists. 

But if 2021 was rife with doubt about where Biden stands, 2022 was the year of answers. The self-proclaimed moderate proved capable of gliding left on issues including student loan debt and climate change and ultimately signed the massive Inflation Reduction Act, with voters rewarding the party in power more than expected at the ballot box. 

Liberals in Congress are now hopeful they can get more out of the president through executive orders in 2023, particularly as they are about to learn what it means to govern in the minority in the House. They want to see him go bolder on the climate, immigration and tax reform, and to take on new fights around antitrust and prescription drug pricing, where the Congressional Progressive Caucus is expected to make their case with fervor. 

3. New dynamics in the House

Speaking of the House, there’s a new Democratic leader in the lower chamber who comes with a question mark.

Minority leader-in-waiting Hakeem Jeffries (N.Y.) has big shoes to fill from former longtime Speaker and caucus coraller Nancy Pelosi (Calif.).

Pelosi, a progressive, enjoyed a productive relationship with her party’s left wing, even when they butted heads over tactics and the practical limits of governance. 

Jeffries is, for now, more of an unknown.

Progressives are optimistic that he’ll work with them in a similar fashion, but there’s less of a personal history and kinship to go off of. They’ve been pleased that he seems willing to get off on the right foot, including talking with “squad” members early on, but some of his own past work and political leanings open up questions about which way he’ll ultimately side in the year’s inevitable intraparty squabbles. 

As a member of the progressive caucus, he’s often voted with their interests and hasn’t gone out of his way to antagonize the left like some House moderates. But his standing may be determined by his willingness to take on the bigger fights of the new year, when progressives have even more seats at the table and plan to use their expanded bench to push for issues where the two sides of the party don’t agree.

The new slate of members also comes with its own uncertainties. For now, it’s unknown how staunch left-wing incoming Democratic lawmakers, such as Reps.-elect Greg Cesar (Texas), Summer Lee (Pa.), and Maxwell Frost (Fla.) — who are diverse in age, gender, demographics and geography —will use their newfound power and influence in a minority position. 

4. Lack of progressive standard-bearer

Biden’s position at the top of the party has added new elements to the ongoing debate about the direction Democrats are heading in 2023 — and who might be poised to lead from the left. 

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), progressives’ iconoclastic leader, is still a profound voice for their flank. But, like Biden, he’s part of a caucus that’s becoming younger and more diverse, and the same questions that haunt the president over longevity and bandwidth also plague the 81-year-old Sanders. 

With that in mind, it’s anyone’s guess who may adopt an elevated role as the unofficial leader for liberals in 2023.

Practically speaking, Sanders isn’t going anywhere. He’s set to take on a new assignment as chair of the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, transitioning from his role overseeing the Budget Committee, and is expected to continue to push for his marquee positions such as Medicare for All. 

But other progressives are also sharing the spotlight. Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) has put himself at the center of relevant debates around economics and what a more populist-progressive future could look like in the future. And newer members-elect, including Lee, Cesar, Frost, Delia Ramirez (D-Ill.), and Becca Balint (D-Vt.), among others, are already planning to make noise. 

5. The courts

This year, the courts have had a massive impact on American politics, with the biggest earthquake being the Supreme Court’s decision to reverse Roe v. Wade and undo decades of precedent protecting reproductive rights. 

One of the left’s signature accomplishments under Biden, an executive order to cancel large sums of federal student loan debt for thousands of people, is heading to the Supreme Court in late February. Justices will hear arguments about the president’s plan, which came after months of lobbying from advocates and progressive lawmakers who urged Biden to eliminate billions of dollars for struggling student borrowers. 

The conservative-majority court is also expected to hear arguments on immigration relating to Title 42, a policy held over from former President Trump’s administration that progressives insist must be reversed.  

And there’s always the possibility of a hypothetical Supreme Court opening, which could lead to a crazy free-for-all for both parties. 

Beyond that, Democrats had also pressured the Senate to confirm a host of judges that Biden nominated during his first term, worried that if the upper chamber went to Republican control during the midterms there would be effectively no shot at getting those seats filled. 

When Democrats increased their Senate majority by one, there was a sense of relief that there’s still time. But it’s an open question how many of those nominees will be secured and how strongly conservatives will push back.

The lawyer for the suspect accused of murder in the University of Idaho stabbings said his client is “looking forward to being exonerated.” 

Jason LaBar, a public attorney for Monroe County, Pa., told The Washington Post on Saturday that the suspect, 28-year-old Bryan Kohberger, plans to waive his right to an extradition hearing to send him back to Idaho to face charges. 

“He’s willing to waive because he’s looking forward to being exonerated. Those were his words,” LaBar said. 

Kohberger is facing four charges of first-degree murder and a charge of felony burglary in connection with the killing of four University of Idaho students in November. The students were found dead in a rental home in the city of Moscow near campus on Nov. 13. 

Their deaths shocked the campus and caught national attention as police looked for suspects. Local authorities faced some criticism for not having significant leads to find a suspect for weeks after the deaths until Kohberger was arrested on Friday in Pennsylvania. 

Officials have said the probable cause affidavit on Kohberger that led to his arrest must remain sealed under Idaho law until Kohberger has appeared in court in the state. 

LaBar said he believed Kohberger would be in Idaho within 72 hours of the extradition proceeding that is scheduled for Tuesday, but authorities have 10 days to transport him. 

LaBar has been assigned only to represent Kohberger in the Pennsylvania extradition proceeding, the Post reported. He said he met with Kohberger for an hour in person on Friday and spoke with him by phone for 20 minutes on Saturday. 

Officials have said that the four victims — 21-year-olds Madison Mogen and Kaylee Goncalves and 20-year-olds Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin — were found in their beds and some had defensive wounds. They have said they believe the students were targeted. 

Kohberger is a graduate student at Washington State University and just completed his first semester as a doctoral student in the university’s criminal justice and criminology department. 

Authorities also took possession of a white Hyundai Elantra that Kohberger had. They had been looking for a car matching that description that witnesses said was near the house around the time of the stabbings.

The sheriff of Erie County, New York, said the deadly winter storm that led to almost 40 deaths in Buffalo last week was “unlike anything” he has seen before. 

John Garcia told radio talk show host John Catsimatidis on his show, “The Cats Roundtable,” on WABC 770 AM that officials have progressed from the rescue phase to the recovery phase. He said authorities are doing welfare checks on people and is hoping that the community is “out of the woods” with casualties. 

“This was unlike anything I’ve ever seen. The freezing temperatures with the zero visibility, if you ventured out in your car, you’re not going anywhere,” Garcia said. 

He said the 70-mile-per-hour winds that the storm brought along with the snow caused zero visibility, which produced a “domino effect” of snowplows not being able to get on the streets safely and power lines coming down. The fallen power lines caused people to lose electricity and heating amid freezing temperatures. 

Garcia said the city can handle the snow, pointing to a storm over Thanksgiving that only caused three deaths due to cardiac issues in people shoveling their driveways. But he said the snow of the most recent storm was compounded by the wind. 

The storm, called a bomb cyclone, dropped more than 40 inches of snow in the city and brought hurricane-force winds. A bomb cyclone occurs when pressure in a storm system rapidly drops in 24 hours. 

Garcia said officials learned that they need equipment to handle not just a snowstorm but a blizzard. 

“We always have to get better, and that’s what we’re doing now,” he said. 

“It’s 2022, and losing 40 people in a storm is unacceptable,” he added. 

Garcia said officials need to make sure people understand the severity of an incoming storm before it hits next time. 

A driving ban was instituted in the area last Friday, and some blamed local officials for putting it in place just as people were heading to work and as strong winds were arriving. 

Garcia said he believes people have realized they need to take a driving ban more seriously following the storm.

In November and December, American democracy demonstrated resilience and strength. In the midterms, almost all the election-denying candidates for U.S. Senator, governor, secretary of state and attorney general in battleground states lost their races. Congress passed — and President Biden signed — a reform of the Electoral Count Act of 1887, which clarifies that the vice president’s role is ceremonial and raised the threshold for objecting to a state’s slate of electors from one member in the House and Senate to 20 percent of the members in each chamber. Drawing primarily on testimony from conservative Republicans, the final report of the Jan. 6 committee made a compelling case that Donald Trump orchestrated attempts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election, which Chris Krebs, his own director of cybersecurity and infrastructure security, deemed “the most secure in American history.”

Less well known, but no less important, three judges in Arizona — all of them appointed by Republican governors — made short shrift of suits filed by high-profile election deniers.

Appearing before Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Melissa Julian, lawyers for Mark Finchem, Republican candidate for secretary of state, made a slew of allegations: He cited problems with tabulator machines and “weak and unsatisfying” alternatives offered to same-day voters, which resulted in 80,000 missing votes in Maricopa and Pima counties, and he blasted Katie Hobbs, the current secretary of state and Democratic candidate for governor, for refusing to recuse herself from “an election she hoped to benefit from — a staggering appearance of impropriety and display of unethical behavior.” Finchem, who lost his race by more than 100,000 votes, demanded a new election.

“It is not misconduct for the secretary of state to communicate with other bodies to ensure the canvas and certification are completed,” Judge Julian declared. She then concluded that Finchem’s claims “are not well-pled facts; they are legal conclusions masquerading as facts.” Judge Julian dismissed the case “with prejudice,” which prohibits the plaintiffs from making the same claims to another court.

Abe Hamadeh, the Republican candidate for Arizona attorney general, who is trailing Kris Mayes, his Democratic opponent, by 511 votes, did not allege fraud in his suit; instead, he claimed that mistakes by election officials led to a miscount of votes. And so, Mohave County Superior Court Judge Lee Jantzen allowed the parties to examine a sample of 2,300 ballots. The examination, Hamadeh’s attorney subsequently acknowledged, did not change the outcome.

“What on earth are we doing here?” asked Dan Barr, a lawyer representing Mayes. “People can’t file complaints with no facts.” In 37 years of practicing law, Barr noted, he had “never been involved in such a gigantic waste of time.” Judge Jantzen agreed: “You haven’t proven your case,” he declared, as he dismissed the lawsuit. Barr indicated that he would ask the court to impose sanctions on Hamadeh’s counsel. On Dec. 29, a recount confirmed that Mayes had defeated Hamadeh by 280 votes.

In mid-December, Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Peter Thompson dismissed 8 of 10 counts in the election lawsuit of Kari Lake, the Republican candidate for governor (who trailed Katie Hobbs by 17,000 votes), including allegations that mail-in ballots are unconstitutional, that Maricopa County invalidly certified results, and that Hobbs violated the First Amendment (and cost Lake votes) by flagging her posts for possible removal by Twitter. Lake also asserted she was entitled to be declared the winner.

Judge Thompson allowed two claims to go forward: Problems resulting from insufficient heat settings for printers and “shrink to fit” settings at various locations, Lake maintained, disenfranchised 15,000 – 30,000 voters, and a ballot contractor broke “the chain of custody” and allowed family members to add ballots to the vote totals, she claimed.

Following a two-day proceeding, during which none of Lake’s witnesses professed personal knowledge of intent to defraud, and one of them testified that people whose ballots were initially rejected by the printer could and did subsequently cast votes, Judge Jackson rejected Lake’s suit. “This Court’s duty is not solely to incline an ear to public outcry,” he said. “The Court cannot accept speculation or conjecture in place of clear and convincing evidence.” Maricopa County officials have indicated that they, too, will seek sanctions against Lake’s lawyers.

One of Katie Hobbs’ lawyers stated what should be an obvious conclusion: Kari Lake lost “not because of a printer error, not because of missing paperwork, not because the election was rigged against her… but because she received fewer votes than Katie Hobbs.”

And so, on New Year’s Day, 2023, Americans have some reason to hope that the threats to our democracy are subsiding — but only if we also recognize that “eternal vigilance is the price of liberty.”

Glenn C. Altschuler is the Thomas and Dorothy Litwin Professor of American Studies at Cornell University. He is the co-author (with Stuart Blumin) of “Rude Republic: Americans and Their Politics in the Nineteenth Century.”

Earlier this month, a president who voted for the Defense of Marriage Act in 1996 as a senator signed the bill to officially repeal it and enshrine marriage equality into law.  

President Biden has always fashioned himself as a centrist, even when seeking the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination, which makes his evolution on particular issues a fascinating weather vane.  

After finally hearing progressives’ calls on everything from climate change and student debt to a filibuster carve-out this year, where might Biden advance next in 2023? 

“What’s been interesting is to watch his evolution,” said Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) in a wide-ranging interview with The Hill this week. It’s been “really good to see him absorb information, take information in, and move.”   

Immigration, climate, judicial nominees, overtime pay — the list is lengthy. And wondering what Biden will tackle next has progressives on the edge of their seats. 

Many who preferred other candidates in the 2020 presidential primary were skeptical that lifelong moderate Biden would push for their priorities, having seen him spend decades as a centrist Senate homebody. They saw more liberal contenders such as Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) advocate on behalf of progressive causes, and some were pessimistic about Biden’s desire to work with their flank. 

But as he ticked off major successes, from the American Rescue Plan to the Inflation Reduction Act, many warmed to the idea that Biden could indeed become something akin to the FDR-style leader he now aspires to be. The more he accomplished, the more the left wing offered its trust. And progressives started drafting longer wish lists to try their luck in the new year.  

“We were very careful in putting together our executive action list to work very closely with the administration,” Jayapal said. “I would say 90 percent of what was on our list was stuff that they also were very interested in.” 

Jayapal, who was just elected to another term as chairwoman of the House Progressive Caucus, was pleased about the White House’s receptiveness to progressives’ agenda. When legislation stalled, frequently by moderate Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and now-Independent Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (Ariz.) and a small group of members in the House, she said administration officials were often enthusiastic to work on executive actions as workarounds to the narrow congressional majority. 

That executive approach is expected to continue and, many hope, even amplify in 2023, with Republicans soon to have a slight advantage in the lower chamber and as Democrats find ways to get more through the Senate. 

If recent history is a guide, that collaboration — anchored by Biden’s desire to be fluid and flexible on issues he resisted in the past — has been successful. 

The midterms went better than many Democrats anticipated, with the left claiming credit for pushing Biden leftward. One of progressives’ biggest achievements has been an executive order to cancel tens of millions in loan debt for students. While that action is now halted and expected to be heard by the Supreme Court amid opposition from GOP state legislatures, progressives see it as proof of what’s possible. 

They also saw Biden move in a positive direction when he announced support of a carve-out to protect voting and abortion rights without the 60-vote threshold, evolving on his prior firmness around the Senate’s legislative filibuster and satisfying many in the party who had begged him to take that stance.  

“The president has had a pretty damn good ending for 2022,” said Douglas Wilson, a Democratic strategist based in North Carolina. “He really has.” 

“If the White House can be strategic about it, that’s the key, it gives the president the opportunity to put legislation out there that will entice these moderate Republicans to vote with him,” he said. “And progressives, I know they’re not going to want to hear this, are going to have to give him a slight bit of wiggle room. He deserves it.” 

Heading into January, progressives aren’t naive about the challenges — from the GOP-controlled House, courts and even Biden’s own moderate leanings that creep up from time to time — that may halt their more ambitious plans. But they aren’t completely jaded either.  

They want to see traction on overtime pay and sick leave for rail workers, a debate that was tabled relatively quickly after Biden signed a Senate-passed bill that averted a massive strike by the nation’s transportation workers. Many are hopeful that the president’s commitment to unions will inspire him to address the issue in more detail in the coming year, beyond what was already passed with bipartisan support. 

Progressives also see room for executive antitrust action that would help prevent monopolies and boost consumer protections, an area where liberals such as Warren and Jayapal have spent considerable focus working with Biden allies. “That’s been an area that I still hope we can get some work done,” said Jayapal. “The administration hasn’t been the holdup here.”  

Some progressives see certain moderates with outsize influence as creating additional delays for the White House to take actions into their own hands in the executive branch. Biden’s willingness to appease Manchin in particular for much of his first term created a point of tension among liberals who wanted him to be more forceful in bypassing Manchin’s demands.  

“There’s a backlog of bold executive actions that were on pause as Joe Manchin obstructed the Democratic economic agenda,” said Adam Green, co-founder of the Progressive Change Campaign Committee. “The White House went out of their way not to spook him.” 

But some are hopeful that new opportunities may emerge from Manchin’s diluted influence within a new 51-seat majority and with a slate of viable executive actions ready to be reconsidered.

Another issue where Biden has evolved is criminal justice. The man who authored the early mid-1990s crime bill has undoubtedly moved to the left on the topic, adopting stances that are more in line with Americans’ current views while still maintaining some distance from the small faction of activists who want him to be more extreme. 

Biden never wanted to “defund” the police, but many progressives also concede that the slogan is not practical. Instead, he lurched to the left by pledging to decriminalize marijuana and promising to “eliminate” the country’s use of a federal death penalty — an area where advocates believe there is more work to be done. 

With an eye toward the new year, progressives want him to take actions that can reiterate his commitment to a fairer criminal justice system.  

“He could come up with a package that addresses crime again. Calling Republicans’ bluff on that,” said Wilson, the Democratic operative. “But also addressing the issues that were in the George Floyd Policing Act. The administration did what they could with the executive order … but I think now that he has a few more votes in the Senate, he could try to add a component that deals with rising crime. As long as it does not negatively affect people of color.” 

“The key is not to say police reform but improving police relationships with the community,” Wilson said. 

On climate, another big focus, many in the party would like to see Biden go further than what he has already delivered, pointing to the electoral impact that a progressive policy push can have at the polls.  

“There’s no such thing as doing too much on climate,” said Deirdre Shelly, campaigns director for the Sunrise Movement. “He still has a lot of work to do to secure his legacy.” 

Climate activists and progressive lawmakers want to see Biden declare a national climate emergency and use the Defense Production Act to move in the direction of renewable energy sources — an area that has the potential to transition away from the Manchin-style coal politics that have dominated the Democratic Party for decades.  

While there’s an appetite for it in some corners of the party, some wonder if Biden has the desire to change so drastically, particularly ahead of what’s likely to be another brutal presidential cycle in 2024. 

Nonetheless, they plan to make the case loudly that it’s worth trying.  

“Look at Biden’s poll numbers from the spring to now,” said Shelly. “Young people were not excited to vote months ago, and after he passed a climate bill, a gun bill and canceled student loans, they improved significantly — and led to nearly record-breaking turnout.” 

“That’s no coincidence,” she added.  

(NEXSTAR) – The rock band Foo Fighters, which canceled its tour earlier this year after the sudden death of drummer Taylor Hawkins, is vowing to see its fans again “soon,” according to a New Year’s Eve message posted to the group’s social media channels.

The band had been on tour in South America when Hawkins died at the age of 50 in Bogota, Colombia, on March 25. All remaining tour dates were subsequently canceled.

Foo Fighters performed together twice in the months since, at tribute concerts for Hawkins in London and Los Angeles.

On Saturday, the band posted a message on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter addressing the loss of Hawkins while hinting at the announcement of upcoming performances.

“Without Taylor, we never would have become the band that we were — and without Taylor, we know we’re going to be a different band going forward,” the statement read, in part.

“We also know that you, the fans, meant as much to Taylor as he meant to you. And we know that when we see you again — and we will soon — he’ll be there in spirit with all of us every night,” the message concluded.

No official cause of Hawkins’ death has been given. A toxicology report from the Colombia Attorney General’s Office indicated that 10 substances had been detected in his urine, including “[marijuana], tricyclic antidepressants, benzodiazepines and opioids, among others.”

“The National Institute of Forensic Medicine continues to conduct the necessary medical studies to ascertain the cause of death,” the AG’s office wrote at the time.

A statement from the Bogota Ministry of Health also indicated Hawkins was experiencing chest pains before he died.

Hawkins had joined Foo Fighters in 1997. In addition to drums, he also performed lead vocals for several songs included on the band’s albums over the years.

President Biden paid tribute to Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI as a “renowned theologian” following his death at the age of 95 on Saturday. 

Biden said in a statement that he spent time with Benedict in Vatican City in 2011 and will always remember his generosity and their “meaningful” conversation. 

“He will be remembered as a renowned theologian, with a lifetime of devotion to the Church, guided by his principles and faith,” Biden said. “As he remarked during his 2008 visit to the White House, ‘the need for global solidarity is as urgent as ever, if all people are to live in a way worthy of their dignity.’” 

He said Benedict’s focus on charity should continue to be an inspiration to everyone. 

Biden joined numerous world leaders, including Irish President Michael Higgins and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, in mourning Benedict’s death and praising his service to the Catholic Church. 

Benedict, who was born Joseph Ratzinger, became pope in 2005 following the death of former Pope John Paul II. 

Benedict made history when he became the first pope in nearly 600 years to step down from his role in 2013, citing a lack of the strength needed to adequately serve due to his advanced age. 

Biden is the second Catholic U.S. president, following former President John F. Kennedy.

The State Department said in a statement that the U.S. mourns death of Benedict, who was “a holy man, witness to faith, and once Shepherd of the Catholic faithful.”

The department said Benedict was an advocate for vulnerable people, including refugees, internally displaced persons and migrants, and supported international legal measures to defend them. It also said he was committed to interfaith dialogue.

“We offer our deepest condolences to the Catholic faithful around the world, the Holy See, and all those whose lives were enriched by Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI’s spiritual guidance,” the department said.

I recently got off the truly stunning Sky Princess cruise ship, which carried about 2,600 passengers and a crew of 1,400. 

Prior to one of the performances by the singers and dancers in the main theater, the cruise director mentioned that the crew came from 60 different nations and all get along wonderfully while working in close contact, seven days a week, during six-month contracts. It’s truly a tapestry of interwoven humanity — people of all races, colors, faiths and sexual preferences doing all they can to provide for their families back home in their various countries.

From that bit of information, I wondered: Why can’t the world be more like a cruise ship, when it comes to peaceful and necessary human interactions?

Does that sound like too simple a question? In some ways, perhaps it is unrealistic, but in a number of other quite substantial ways, it’s not at all.

Usually, it is not the hard-working citizens of nations the world over who are declaring hate and war on people of another nation; instead it’s their typically wealthy, entitled and sometimes feckless “leaders.”

The hard-working folks are simply too busy trying to feed their children, keep a roof over their heads, and find moments of happiness. They’re not really interested in hating or attacking people from other countries, who most likely are struggling similarly.

But their “leaders” (and sometimes their families) who live in bubbles of privilege and rarely suffer the consequences of the negative actions they foist upon others are the ones responsible for many of the ills plaguing humanity. For example, it will almost never be the children of these “leaders” who are forced into combat when they wage war on another country — it’s the sons and daughters of those hard-working, often poor citizens.  

As someone who grew up in poverty and was often homeless as a child, I have been fortunate to have taken many cruises over the years. Each time, I sit back in awe while observing the dedicated staff and supervisors — who sometimes come from poor or disenfranchised backgrounds, too — as they interact graciously with one another, despite any differences they may have.  

One reason why that is so is that the supervisors once were newly hired staff, perhaps seeking to escape tough circumstances back home and trying to provide for their loved ones. It may have taken them years to secure their promotions. They know the struggles, worries and fears their staff may feel. How many of the world’s political “leaders” can make the same claim with regard to the millions of people they govern? 

So, why can’t the world be more like a cruise ship? Well, most world “leaders” likely never have experienced such a microcosm of humanity working and living as one to provide — and receive — happiness. But that “microcosm” is real. I’ve seen that it exists harmoniously, 24/7/365, within the fleets of cruise lines.   

Knowing that, maybe the cruise lines should offer to host world leaders for onboard symposiums, in which they are invited down to the crew decks to watch the representatives of 60 nations in action. While there, the world leaders could learn a valuable lesson in empathy by bussing tables, doing laundry, cleaning cabins, and then unwinding in the crew lounge with those who have worked that hard for years. 

Sure, it’s hard to imagine President Biden bussing tables alongside, say, French President Emmanuel Macron or German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. Some world leaders likely wouldn’t attend, such as China’s Xi Jinping and Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. And some probably wouldn’t be invited — surely not Russia’s Vladimir Putin or Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. But the broader point stands: These leaders and others could benefit from getting their hands dirty and truly serving others while working with the crew of a cruise ship.

Such an experience just might remind our world leaders that, ultimately, we are all the same.  We’re all on the “Good Ship Earth,” sailing the solar system, trying to survive in peace.

Douglas MacKinnon, a political and communications consultant, was a writer in the White House for Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush, and former special assistant for policy and communications at the Pentagon during the last three years of the Bush administration.

Lawmakers are praising journalist Barbara Walters and remembering her as a “trailblazer” and “glass ceiling shatterer” following her death on Friday. 

Walters repeatedly broke barriers throughout her career that spanned more than half a century, becoming the first woman to co-host a news program when she started as an anchor for the “Today” show and the first woman to co-host a network evening news program when she joined ABC’s evening news program. 

She interviewed every sitting president from Richard Nixon to Barack Obama, world leaders such as former Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and former Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin, and celebrities such as Michael Jackson. 

ABC News confirmed Walters’s death on Friday at the age of 93. 

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said it was her “privilege” to sit down with Walters on multiple occasions and see her “masterful” work firsthand. 

“Barbara Walters was a trailblazer and an icon: transforming television journalism with her intellect and integrity, courage and poise,” she said. 

Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) tweeted that many of Walters’s interviews were “unforgettable” and that she broke a glass ceiling for many women and girls. He said Walters always wanted to get the truth. 

Former President Trump also praised Walters, saying in a Truth Social post that she was the “greatest of them all, by far.” Walters interviewed Trump on multiple occasions, including in 2015 while he was running for president. 

“I knew her well, was interviewed by her many times, and there was nobody like the legendary Barbara Walters – And never will be!” he said. 

Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas) tweeted that Walters always drew the audience into her interviews and was “quintessential” in her job. 

“Many younger women came of age watching Barbara Walters torpedo her way into the hearts and minds of Americans as a pioneering woman in the man’s world of journalism,” she said. 

Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.) said that Walters will be remembered as a “fearless trailblazer who shattered the glass ceiling & paved the way for women in journalism.”

Chief Justice John Roberts on Saturday thanked members of Congress and other court personnel for helping to ensure judges’ safety, amid heightened threats against Supreme Court justices and other officials.

“The law requires every judge to swear an oath to perform his or her work without fear or favor, but we must support judges by ensuring their safety,” Roberts said in the opening of an annual report on the federal judiciary. “A judicial system cannot and should not live in fear.”

Roberts thanked members of Congress for “attending to judicial security needs” and expressed gratitude for the variety of court officers who “are on duty as we ring in the year, working to ensure that judges can sit in courtrooms to serve the public throughout the coming year and beyond.”

Supreme Court justices’ security became an area of particular concern earlier this year, following the high court’s controversial decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. The decision, as well as an earlier version of the opinion that was leaked in May, triggered protests outside of several justices’ homes.

Concerns about the justices’ security were heightened in early June when a man with a gun and a knife was arrested outside of Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s home and charged with attempted murder.

Congress extended security protections to the family members of Supreme Court justices and “any officer” of the bench, if the court marshal deemed it necessary, in the wake of the incident.

However, lawmakers have also faced increased numbers of threats, with Capitol Police recording more than 9,000 threats in the last year. 

Paul Pelosi, the husband of Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), was violently assaulted in the couple’s San Francisco home in late October, suffering a skull fracture and injuries to his right arm and hands. The 42-year-old man accused of attacking Pelosi was reportedly looking for the Speaker, who was in Washington, D.C., at the time.