Theres always a lot of discussion about fighters pay in the UFC. Often its implied that it depends upon how many eyeballs one can bring in. Social media plays a big part in engaging with fans, but what would happen if the platforms restrict or limit ones audience? Joe Rogan shared his thoughts about the matter.

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The JRE podcast host had exciting UFC prospect, Khalil Rountree Jr., on the JRE MMA Show #124. In the episode, the TUF alumni unveiled a shocking fact that is typically overlooked.

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Rountree said, Likes & replays and all that stuff is also a currency A lot of these companies that want to do business with me its like, how many followers do you have? Whats your Twitter engagement? Whats your Instagram engagement? Oh, this video only got 70,000 plays.'

Thereafter, Rountree suggested that all these play a role in if a company would stick with an athlete. Upon hearing Rountrees concern, Rogan reflected on another identical issue.

The UFC color commentator said, Oh, thats why shadow-banning is so sneaky. Shadow-banning is so insidious because youre limiting a persons ability to grow. And they do that all the time with people.

As Rogan mentioned, the phenomenon is very common; Even Elon Musk, who took over Twitter courtesy of a massive $44 billion deal, had recently addressed the process.

The richest man in the world posted a meme about the former holder of the record, Bill Gates; The Tesla CEO, in continuation to the tweet to Gates, posted another meme & captioned it, shadow ban council reviewing tweet

DIVE DEEPER

Joe Rogan Once Got 2 Weeks of Explosive Diarrhea After Trying the MonotrophicDiet

4 months ago

However, as Musk now has authority over the company, he could change this scenario. Thus, it would be interesting to see if he takes any steps to ban the shadow-banning.

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On Joe Rogan Experience #1238, Brian Redban speculated whether shadow-bans were a real thing. To that, the JRE host pointed out the bigger question and expressed, Shadow-banning for what?

The former Fear Factor host showed curiosity about the reason behind not banning someone entirely from the platform and enforcing a restriction instead.

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WATCH THIS STORYUFC 274: Date, Time, Venue, Tickets, And Livestream

What do you think of the revelations about shadow-banning on the JRE podcast?

Read the original:

Youre Limiting a Persons Ability to Grow Joe Rogan About the Sneaky & Insidious Shadow-Banning That Allegedly Even Elon Musk Encountered -...

With help from Daniel Lippman.

Editors note:Morning Energy is a free version of POLITICO Pro Energys morning newsletter, which is delivered to our subscribers each morning at 6 a.m. The POLITICO Pro platform combines the news you need with tools you can use to take action on the days biggest stories.Act on the news with POLITICO Pro.

The Commerce Department's probe into Southeast Asian solar imports could keep fossil fuels on the grid longer, undermining President Joe Biden's climate goals.

CEQ Chair Brenda Mallory testifies before the Senate Wednesday.

House and Senate committees continue to examine Biden's budget requests this week, including for the Agriculture Department and DOE's science and energy programs.

WELCOME TO MONDAY! Im your host, Matthew Choi, still dragging my feet through Covid. Martin Edwards of Taft Advisors gets the trivia for knowing The Inn at Little Washington is the only restaurant in the D.C. area with three Michelin stars, but it was great to hear from so many foodies! For today: Which NSYNC member voiced Chip Skylark in The Fairly Odd Parents? Send your tips, trivia answers and restaurant recs to [emailprotected]. Find me on Twitter @matthewchoi2018.

Check out the POLITICO Energy podcast all the energy and environmental politics and policy news you need to start your day, in just five minutes. Listen and subscribe for free at politico.com/energy-podcast. On today's episode: How renewables can grow in fossil fuel-dependent states.

A SOLAR SHOWDOWN COULD LEAD TO A RENEWABLE SLOWDOWN: Solar power has enjoyed meteoric growth over the past 10 years, with lower-than-expected prices incentivizing development and even changing models away from fossil fuel baseload generation toward a more central role for renewables. But all that could change with a Commerce Department probe into the solar supply chain chilling investment in new projects, POLITICOs Kelsey Tamborrino and Catherine Morehouse report.

Its just the math, said Richard McMahon, senior vice president of energy supply and finance at the Edison Electric Institute. You need to maintain reliability on the grid and if you cant count on those solar projects coming online in a timely way, then you have to get the power from somewhere.

The tariff petition, brought on by small California solar manufacturer Auxin Solar over parts imported from Southeast Asia, already delayed the retirement of a coal plant in Indiana, and utilities, industry groups and analysts warn more fossil fuel generation could stay on line longer as well. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm joined the chorus of concern, telling senators Thursday the country could miss President Joe Bidens goal of decarbonizing the electricity sector by 2035 if the probe isnt resolved quickly. The Solar Energy Industries Association forecasts that going through with the tariff petition could lead to an additional 364 million metric tons of carbon by 2035.

A Commerce Department spokesperson told Kelsey and Catherine that the probe doesnt take into account political considerations and Commerce is committed to holding foreign producers accountable to playing by the same rules as U.S. producers. And Auxin Solar CEO Mamun Rashid said in a statement that industry concern over the supply chain crystallizes the need to completely on-shore the solar supply chain and to stop putting our countrys clean energy future in the hands of the Chinese. Read more from Kelsey and Catherine here.

RELATED READ: Zooming out for a 10,000-foot view of the Biden administrations trade policy, POLITICOs Gavin Bade takes a deep dive into the shifting politics of global trade as the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the economic pain of pandemic supply chain disruptions turn past assumptions on trade on their head.

As Gavin puts it: Trumps election in 2016 transformed a pro-globalization GOP and shocked Democrats into refocusing on working class voters hurt by trade deals. Then, shortages of masks and medical gear early in the Covid pandemic revealed the danger of Americas reliance on China. The supply chain crunches and inflation of the late pandemic disproved the thesis that free trade always lowers consumer prices. And then Russia destroyed the postwar European peace that all the free trade was supposed to support ushering in a new era of world politics."

IN COMMITTEE: Welcome back to another busy week on the Hill. White House Council on Environmental Quality Brenda Mallory heads before the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee on Wednesday to discuss the councils work over the past year. The oversight hearing comes as CEQ continues work on its Justice40 screener to determine communities eligible for greater environmental prioritization. The White House announced Jalonne White-Newsome would take charge of CEQ's environmental justice work Thursday.

Both chambers continue to tackle the presidents budget request this week, with a Senate Appropriations subcommittee meeting Tuesday to go over the Department of Agricultures budget and a House Appropriations subcommittee meeting Tuesday for the Transportation Department's proposal.

The House Appropriations Energy and Water Development Subcommittee meets Wednesday to go over the budget request for the National Nuclear Security Administration and environmental management, and itll meet Thursday to go over DOEs science and energy programs.

Also on Thursday, the House Energy and Commerce Committee will dive into licensing reforms for hydropower, particularly proposals between environmentalists and the industry to create sustainable generation as waterways degrade from climate change.

On the legislation front: the House Natural Resources has a few subcommittee hearings this week including a Thursday Energy and Mineral Resources Subcommittee meeting on reforming the Mine Act of 1872. House Natural Resources Chair Ral Grijalva is leading legislation, The Clean Energy Minerals Reform Act (H.R. 7580), in the House to update hardrock mining legislation, particularly as elements such as copper, lithium and nickel grow in importance amid the clean energy transition. Sen. Martin Heinrich is leading companion legislation in the Senate.

The Water, Oceans and Wildlife Subcommittee and the Subcommittee on Indigenous Peoples also have legislative hearings on Thursday on a number of bills in their jurisdiction, including the WaterSMART Access for Tribes Act (H.R. 6238) to increase tribal water conservation grants and the Desalination Research Advancement Act (H.R. 7612) to promote desalination innovation. The National Parks, Forests, and Public Lands Subcommittee has a hearing on Wednesday on four recreation and forestry bills. The Senate Energy National Parks Subcommittee will also hear testimony on a series of national parks and federal lands bills Wednesday.

A message from ExxonMobil:

At ExxonMobil, were working to supply the energy the world needs today, while developing solutions for tomorrow. Heavy transportation needs big solutions. Innovations like renewable diesel made from plants could help reduce emissions from trucks by about 3 million metric tons per year, compared to conventional fuel. Learn more about how were helping society move toward a net-zero future at ExxonMobil.com/fuels.

BIDENS HOSTING AGENDA: Biden will host Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi at the White House on Tuesday to discuss both European sanctions on Russia (more on that in a bit) and ways to ensure European energy security. Before the invasion of Ukraine, Italy was one of Russias top natural gas customers. But it has since made moves to cut down on its reliance on Moscow, looking at other suppliers including Algeria.

Biden will also host ASEAN leaders at the White House for dinner Thursday, followed by a summit Friday at the State Department. ASEAN members Indonesia and Malaysia are among the worlds top natural gas producers.

RENEWED TSA CHIEF: Biden plans to nominate David Pekoske for another stint leading the Transportation Security Administration, the White House announced Friday. The agencys role in overseeing pipeline security has come under increased scrutiny since the Colonial Pipeline cyberattack last year and TSAs contentious cybersecurity standards earlier this year. Pekoske was first confirmed for the job in 2017, but left briefly for stints with the Department of Homeland Security, including serving as acting secretary and acting deputy secretary during the Colonial hack. POLITICOs Oriana Pawlyk has more.

THE CENTRAL EUROPEAN EXCEPTION: European negotiators are still working out a deal on sanctioning Russian oil without tanking the economies of some of their more Moscow-reliant states. Negotiators put forth a proposal that would give Hungary and Slovakia until the end of 2024 and the Czech Republic until the summer of 2024 to comply with the EU-wide sunset of Russian oil imports, POLITICOs Jacopo Barigazzi reports.

But negotiators couldnt reach a deal over the weekend after the Hungarian government continued to object. One diplomat told Jacopo and POLITICOs Leonie Kijewski: They want something like a total opt-out. But that's crazy. Talks are expected to resume today or Tuesday.

G-7 members who include EU members France, Germany and Italy committed to phasing out or banning the import of Russian oil during a meeting Sunday, the White House announced. The members met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and "committed to work together to ensure stable global energy supplies, while accelerating our efforts to reduce dependence on fossil fuels."

WARMING WARNING IN CALIFORNIA: Climate change could spell more power outages in California this summer, the California Energy Commission warned Friday. Increased demand for air conditioning brought on by heatwaves, wildfire damage to transmission and growing cost of natural gas could all spell outages and we have to be prepared for that, Mark Rothleder, senior vice president for the California Independent System Operator, said according to The New York Times. The states energy officials made the assessment during a presentation Friday, where they warned electric bills would likely shoot up, with the average Pacific Gas & Electric customer paying 9 percent more by 2025. Read more from the Times here.

Related: Electricity Shortage Warnings Grow Across U.S, via The Wall Street Journal.

Max Levy is now deputy digital director for fundraising at Stacey Abrams' Georgia gubernatorial campaign. He most recently was manager for partnerships and special projects at the EPA.

Billionaire George Kaisers Bank Drills Deeper Into the Oil Patch, via The Wall Street Journal.

Conservatives urge Ottawa to intervene in new threat to Enbridges Line 5 pipeline from Indigenous band in Wisconsin, via The Globe and Mail.

Canada in talks with Repsol, Pieridae Energy about LNG export terminals, via Reuters.

Energy Stocks Still Have Gas in the Tank, via The Wall Street Journal.

Giving old dams new life could spark an energy boom, via The Washington Post.

THATS ALL FOR ME!

A message from ExxonMobil:

Energy and innovation. Were producing both.

At ExxonMobil, were working to supply the energy the world needs and were committed to playing a leading role in societys transition to a lower-emission future.

With partners around the globe, were working to develop renewable diesel derived from plants, advanced biofuels made from wood waste, and eFuel made with hydrogen and captured CO2. One day, these engine-ready fuels could power cars, trucks, and even planes and ships with up to 85% fewer emissions compared to conventional diesel.

Learn more about how we are advancing climate solutions to keep society moving toward net zero atExxonMobil.com/fuels.

Originally posted here:

The shadow over solar- POLITICO - POLITICO

Kentucky lawmakers have been hard at work to erode access to abortion in the state long before the leak of a draft opinion on May 2 indicating the U.S. Supreme Court might overturn Roe v. Wade and remove federal protections for abortion as early as June.

In April, the Republican-led legislature overrode Democratic Gov. Andy Beshears veto to pass a law that halted abortions statewide. The law was in place for more than a week before a federal judge stepped in to block the bill with a temporary restraining order.

People in Kentucky can now access abortion in one of the states two clinics that provide them. But many advocates for abortion rights fear the experience is a shadow of whats to come if Roe falls.

Were all staring down the barrel of how much more time do we even have left, said Stevie Benge, a medical receptionist at Planned Parenthoods Louisville health center.

While the Supreme Courts decision is not yet final, protests have erupted nationwide in the wake of the news, including in Kentucky, which is one of 13 states where a trigger law would ban abortion automatically if Roe falls. More than 200 people marched through the streets of downtown Louisville on May 4, protesting the potential end of Roe.

Roughly half of all states are certain or likely to ban or severely restrict access to abortion if given the chance.

That means most people in the Midwest wont have access in their states.

The inevitability is eventually that anyone that wants an abortion is going to have to go to Illinois, Benge said.

Thats because Illinois is likely one of the only states in the Midwest where abortion will still be allowed if Roe is overturned.

Illinois is getting ready hiring staff and opening more clinics, said Megan Jeyifo, director of the Chicago Abortion Fund, which provides financial, logistical and emotional support for people coming to Illinois for abortions.

The organization typically gets about 500 calls a month from people seeking help getting abortions in the state, which she said is roughly double what it was last year.

When access was cut off for that week in April in Kentucky, Jeyifo and her team saw an uptick in calls from people there.

The number of people traveling to Illinois from other states has steadily risen over the past five years to about 10,000 a year, according to data from Illinois public health department.

People are coming into Illinois from as far as Texas, from as far as Kentucky, just all across the nation right now, Jeyifo said.

Planned Parenthood of Illinois CEO and President Jennifer Welch told The Chicago Tribune she expects between 20,000 and 30,000 additional patients a year seeking abortions in the state if Roe is overturned.

Efforts to ban abortion in Kentucky date back years

The more than 70-page bill passed by the Republican-led legislature last month included restrictions on minors and abortion medication, and bans abortion at 15 weeks.

Kentucky state Sen. Stephen Meredith, one of 107 state lawmakers who voted to override the governors veto of that bill, spoke at a hearing in April, saying he wants to see the end of abortion.

This is a stain upon our country, he said. Its our greatest sin. It needs to be reversed.

Although the law doesnt specifically ban abortions, providers said they were forced to halt the service because they couldnt comply with new regulations not yet in place.

The federal judge who temporarily blocked the bill will soon consider its constitutionality.

In 2019, the Kentucky legislature passed a law that would automatically ban abortions if Roe is overturned, only allowing them if a pregnant patient is at risk of death or permanent impairment. That same year, the legislature passed a law banning abortion around six weeks, which is currently blocked in court.

In November, Kentucky voters will decide whether to pass a constitutional amendment, which would remove any protections for abortion in the state.

During the week abortions were blocked in Kentucky, Benge said many patients the Planned Parenthoods Louisville Center were not aware that their choices had shifted dramatically.

Most folks for that week and the following week had no idea that the law had passed, Benge said. And so they would walk in for their abortion consultation and we were the first person to tell them that they couldnt get an abortion in Kentucky.

She said reactions ranged from anger to hopelessness. Almost every patient they spoke with cried.

Working with Planned Parenthood clinics in Indiana, the Louisville provider tried to ease the burden by continuing to provide pre-abortion consultations in town so that people seeking an abortion wouldnt have to stay multiple days out of state.

Brenda Rosen, executive director at the Kentucky chapter of the National Association of Social Workers, which advocates for human rights and reproductive justice, said the leaked Supreme Court opinion has caused panic among clients.

Weve had an increase in calls from families and other social workers who are sharing that their middle schoolers and teenagers are terrified now of What will happen, Mom, if Im raped? Will I be forced to have the baby?

She said overturning Roe would be detrimental.

Its as if were taking 100 steps 100 years backward in our country right now, she said. And its terrifying. Its causing a great deal of anxiety.

Concerns about what the end of Roe could mean for the most vulnerable

Among the hundreds of people who gathered in downtown Louisville on May 4 to protest the potential end of Roe was Summer Dickerson, founder of Women of the Well Ministry, an organization that aims to raise awareness about human trafficking and domestic violence.

Dickerson said shes a survivor of human trafficking and had an abortion after learning she was pregnant by her trafficker.

I was protecting my baby, in my eyes, Dickerson said. And as much as that affected me, this telling me I cant have an abortion would have affected me more. I was a slave, I was sold and auctioned off to the highest bidder many times, and then after that trauma, I decide to make a judgement call for me and my child and then to be judged for that as well its not OK.

She said hearing the court could be set to overturn Roe blew her mind.

Theyre not going to stop anything; all theyre going to do is stop safe abortions, she said. That message time and time again is: If you have a uterus we dont care about you.

Being forced to travel across state lines to get an abortion will be difficult for many of the patients the Planned Parenthood clinic in Louisville serves, Benge said. Many are low income and may not have their own car.

They're trying to figure out how they can get to Bloomington or Indianapolis when they don't even have a physical means of transportation, she said. And then suddenly theyre thinking about having to have an abortion and then taking a bus home.

Providers say abortion bans that take effect in states like Kentucky in the wake of Roe will disproportionately affect young people and other already-vulnerable populations like people of color and those with low or no income.

They may not have funds to pay for an abortion, a way to travel or the freedom to take multiple days off work.

Jeyifo, with the Chicago Abortion Fund, says existing restrictions already harm these groups by making abortion costly and clinics hard to reach.

This will just make it more excruciating than it already is, she said. Roe is the bare minimum. And it's just devastating to think that we're going to lose even that.

A final Supreme Court decision on Roe v. Wade is expected to come in June or July.

WFPL Reporter Ryan Van Velzer contributed reporting.

This story comes from a partnership between WFPL and Side Effects Public Media a public health news collaborative based at WFYI. Follow Aprile on Twitter @Aperoll27.

Original post:

If Roe falls, many in the Midwest will have to travel to access abortion - WFYI

CITY SOFTBALL

SOFTBALL

OPEN DIVISION

Quarterfinals, Wednesday, 3 p.m.

#8 Eagle Rock at #1 El Camino Real

#5 Wilmington Banning at #4 San Pedro

#6 Carson at #3 Birmingham

#7 Granada Hills Kennedy at #2 Granada Hills

DIVISION I

First round, Tuesday unless noted

#9 Palisades at #8 South Gate, Wednesday, 3 p.m.

Legacy 8, Sun Valley Poly 1

Bravo 5, Sylmar 3

Chavez 21, Chatsworth 0

Los Angeles Roosevelt 4, Fairfax 3

Quarterfinals, Thursday, 3 p.m.

#8 South Gate/#9 Palisades winner at #1 Los Angeles Marshall

#5 Legacy at #4 Bravo

#6 Chavez at #3 Venice

#10 Los Angeles Roosevelt at #2 San Fernando

DIVISION II

Play-in games, Tuesday

#17 Marquez at #16 Sherman Oaks CES, result not reported

Garfield 19, Grant 0

Harbor Teacher Prep 10, South East 6

North Hollywood 12, West Adams 1

First round, Thursday, 3 p.m.

Sherman Oaks CES/Marquez winner at #1 Port of Los Angeles

#9 Los Angeles Wilson at #8 Taft

#12 Los Angeles Hamilton at #5 Arleta

#13 Garfield at #4 King/Drew

#14 Harbor Teacher Prep at #3 Gardena

#11 Lincoln at #6 Cleveland

#10 Northridge at #7 Verdugo Hills

North Hollywood/West Adams winner at #2 Franklin

DIVISION III

Play-in games, Tuesday

#17 Monroe at #16 Lakeview, result not reported

Locke 17, Bright Star 6

#19 Reseda at #14 Valley Arts/Sciences, result not reported

Panorama 28, Sun Valley Magnet 18

First round, Thursday, 3 p.m.

Lakeview/Monroe winner at #1 Santee

#9 Jefferson at #8 Fremont

#12 Los Angeles University at #5 Contreras

#20 Locke at #4 Canoga Park

Valley Arts/Sciences/Reseda winner at #3 Alliance Smidt Tech

#11 Torres at #6 Triumph

#10 Orthopaedic at #7 Dorsey

#18 Panorama at #2 Mendez

DIVISION IV

Play-in games, Tuesday

CALS Early College 9, Los Angeles Jordan 8

Hawkins 30, Animo South Los Angeles 24

Central City Value 20, Washington 2

USC-Media Arts/Engineering 28, Dymally 2

First round, Thursday, 3 p.m.

#16 CALS Early College at #1 Bernstein

#9 Westchester at #8 East Valley

#12 Animo Robinson at #5 Camino Nuevo

#13 Hawkins at #4 Middle College

#19 Central City Value at #3 Maywood CES

#11 Manual Arts at #6 University Prep Value

#10 Angelou at #7 Belmont

#18 USC-Media Arts/Engineering at #2 Roybal

NOTES: Quarterfinals, (Div. II-IV), Monday, 3 p.m.; semifinals (Open Division and Div. I), May 17, 3 p.m.; semifinals (Div. II-IV), May 18, 3 p.m. Championships, May 20 at Birmingham (Div. IV at 3 p.m., Div. III at 3:30 p.m.) and May 21 at Cal State Northridge (Div. II at 9 a.m., Div. I at noon, Open Division at 3 p.m.).

SOUTHERN SECTION SOFTBALL

DIVISION 1

Second round, Tuesday

Oaks Christian 13, Chino Hills 3

Murrieta Mesa 12, Norco 8

Los Alamitos 1, Beaumont 0

Camarillo 3, Esperanza 2

Eastvale Roosevelt 3, La Mirada 0

Garden Grove Pacifica 2, South Torrance 1

Gahr 7, La Serna 5

Orange Lutheran 2, Villa Park 1

Quarterfinals, Thursday, 3:15 p.m.

#1 Oaks Christian at Murrieta Mesa

Los Alamitos at #4 Camarillo

Garden Grove Pacifica at #3 Eastvale Roosevelt

Gahr at Orange Lutheran

DIVISION 2

Second round, Tuesday

Corona Centennial 10, Royal 0

Warren 1, North Torrance 0 (8)

Millikan 6, La Habra 5

South Hills 6, Segerstrom 3

Torrance 2, Glendora 1

Yucaipa 9, Charter Oak 1

Don Lugo 2, Arcadia 1

Mission Viejo 3, Sonora 0

Quarterfinals, Thursday, 3:15 p.m.

#1 Corona Centennial at Warren

Millikan at #4 South Hills

Yucaipa at #3 Torrance

#2 Mission Viejo at Don Lugo

DIVISION 3

Second round, Tuesday

Bonita 5, La Palma Kennedy 0

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High school softball: City and Southern Section playoff results and updated pairings - Los Angeles Times

The Senate votes today on codifying Roe v. Wade. While there are bipartisan proponents for the concept, window-dressing disagreements unrelated to womens rights dim the prospects for passage.

The House has already adopted a bill that would preserve Roe and Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania v. Casey. Senatorial give-and-take to preserve the right to choose would be easy if Republicans Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski were truly committed to womens right to choose.

Two competing Senate bills afford an opportunity for compromise to protect Roe and Casey. Those settled Supreme Court decisions are in imminent jeopardy, as was confirmed by the leak last week of a draft majority opinion by Justice Samuel Alito overturning them.

The dueling bills contain two differences in language with no real-world consequences. Underlying the conflict is a more real disagreement: the filibuster. More on that after looking at why the variations in language are so superficial.

One Senate bill is sponsored by Collins and Murkowski. It expressly incorporates the Supreme Courts standard in Casey: A State may not impose an undue burden on the ability of a woman to choose whether or not to terminate a pregnancy before fetal viability.

The Democrats proposal invalidates any abortion ban or restriction before viability. The differing Collins-Murkowski language, Democrats argue, would allow the Supreme Court to permit abortions to be restricted after only 15 weeks, as Mississippis statute does, rather than the current viability standard of approximately 24 weeks.

But wait. Without congressional legislation, the Supreme Court is about to allow states to ban all abortions. And Democrats have not been paying attention if they think their bills language would prevent the Court from upholding Mississippi-type statutes. Why fight over next to nothing?

The second difference is that the Collins-Murkowski bill includes an express provision shielding medical providers with religious objections to abortion: Nothing in this Act shall be construed to have any effect on laws regarding conscience protection.

Collins says she wont support the Democrats bill because it does not protect . . . Catholic hospitals. Schumer says that any assertion that his bill jeopardizes their rights is false.

Goodness, with or without the Collins-Murkowski language, this Supreme Court majority is certain to allow Catholic medical providers to refuse to perform abortions. In the last year, the Court has upheld the constitutional rights of Catholic Philadelphia foster agencies to refuse to provide services to LGBTQ couples and struck down California COVID-19 crowd size restrictions against those conducting religious services.

Again it looks like the two sides are shadow-boxing.

That brings us to the real disagreement: Collinss and Murkowskis apparent opposition to creating a carve-out in the filibuster, which requires 60 votes to pass a measure.

Such a carve-out would not, as Collins has said previously, irreparably harm the Senate any more than the Senate was harmed by more than 100 previous carve-outs.

A Collinss spokeswoman announced last week that the Senator has not changed her position. If that is the case for her and Murkowski, Democrats have no incentive to compromise. Even if they wholly accepted the Republican senators bill, it would not become the law.

Notwithstanding research showing that banning abortion would raise pregnant womens deaths by more than 20%, it looks like reproductive freedom is not important enough for the two Republican senators to make an exception. If it were, they have a ready explanation.

Lets start with Collins. Following the Alito opinion leak, she was the subject of severe, renewed criticism for having voted to confirm Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh. Collins defended herself by suggesting that she got hoodwinked. She stated that the draft decision is completely inconsistent with what [they] said in their hearings and in our meetings.

Collins going all-in on legislation codifying Roe would prove wrong her skeptics who say she doesnt put her vote where her pro-choice mouth is.

Murkowski is in a similar boat. She stated that the draft decision overturning Roe was not . . . the direction that I believed that the court would take based on statements that have been made about Roe being settled and being precedent.

Murkowski, too, has reason to prove that her support for womens reproductive freedom is more than a fig leaf. Her vote for Amy Coney Barrett came despite the now-Justice having said in her confirmation hearings that Roe is not a case that everyone has accepted, having joined lower court dissents that signaled her antipathy to abortion, and having signed a letter advocating the end of Roe.

These facts have created an enormous credibility gap for Murkowski and Collins. Their votes for a filibuster carve-out would close the gap and ensure that Roe and Casey remain the law of the land, regardless of what Democratic filibuster-supporters Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema do, especially with Democratic Pennsylvania Senator Bob Casey just announcing that he would support Schumers bill.

Unless Collins and Murkowski are willing to codify Roe and vote to exempt the bill from the filibuster, the Republican senators claims that Supreme Court nominees misled them will look as hollow as a drum banged a few hundred times too many. Their votes today will likely tell us that they care more about staying in step with McConnells Marching Band than about protecting womens reproductive freedom.

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With Womens Lives on the Line, a Senate Vote Today Will Expose Collins and Murkowski on Choice - Justia Verdict