2022
May
04
Wednesday

Monitor Daily Podcast

May 04, 2022
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Linda Feldmann
Washington Bureau Chief

Lest there was any doubt, Donald Trump still has “it” – the ability to shape the outcome of a hot political race.

Before the former president endorsed J.D. Vance for the open U.S. Senate seat in Ohio, the author of bestseller “Hillbilly Elegy” was languishing in third place. Then, boom: Last month, Mr. Vance got the coveted Trump nod – and rode that to yesterday’s primary win with 32% of the vote, good enough in a crowded field.

What’s remarkable is that Mr. Vance, a Yale Law grad and venture capitalist who grew up poor, was once a vocal “Never Trumper.” Back in 2016, he called Mr. Trump “cultural heroin” and “a moral disaster.” By 2021, apparently eyeing the Senate race, Mr. Vance was saying “yes” to a southern border wall and “no” to all abortions, and bashing the “fake news” media.

At a recent Vance rally, Mr. Trump appeared almost tickled by the fact that his endorsee used to bad-mouth him. The Ohioan’s response: “He’s the best president of my lifetime.” Now, Mr. Trump has Mr. Vance right where he wants him: favored to win in November – and owing his budding political career to the former president.

Elsewhere, not all Trump primary endorsees are riding so high. In Georgia, at Mr. Trump’s behest, former GOP Sen. David Perdue is taking on incumbent GOP Gov. Brian Kemp, for refusing to overturn the Georgia election results in 2020. But Mr. Perdue is trailing badly. In Pennsylvania, Mr. Trump’s choice for the Republican Senate nominee – Dr. Mehmet Oz of TV fame – is competitive, but not a shoo-in.

Clearly, Mr. Trump loves playing kingmaker. And in Ohio, he showed that he’s still powerful. But the next few weeks may also show the limits of that power.


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Today’s stories

And why we wrote them

Scott Peterson/Getty Images/The Christian Science Monitor
Maksym, a Ukrainian army tank driver whose tank took a direct hit from a Russian tank, recovers in a hospital in Kramatorsk, Ukraine, April 29, 2022. Wounded soldiers tell of facing many Russian battlefield surprises in the new, intensified phase of the war concentrated in Ukraine's eastern Donbas region.

As Russia refocuses its war effort on the Donbas, it’s applying lessons learned from its initial offensive. To endure, Ukrainians, too, must call on different reserves – of resolve and patience.

Jacob Turcotte/Staff

Graphic

Task for Fed officials: Thread a needle on inflation, recession

The Federal Reserve is tasked by Congress with seeking both price stability and full employment through its policies. Given current economic uncertainty, its decisive response to inflation today may need to be balanced by caution.

SOURCE:

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

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Mark Trumbull and Jacob Turcotte/Staff

Patterns

Tracing global connections

Why are Ukraine’s allies redoubling their efforts to arm Kyiv? Because they believe the future of Western liberal democracy may be at stake.

A deeper look

Patrick Pleul/Reuters
Elon Musk attends the opening ceremony of the new Tesla Gigafactory for electric cars in Gruenheide, Germany, March 22, 2022. Last month his multibillion-dollar bid to buy Twitter was accepted.

At the heart of the debate over Twitter’s model for content moderation lies a deeper question: Is it possible to engender greater trust in online information and discourse?

Essay

Karen Norris/Staff

Given a compassionate teacher and a receptive student, even self-knowledge can be taught.


The Monitor's View

AP
The Supreme Court building is seen in Washington May 4 as security measure are enhanced on the perimeter following protests.

Outside the U.S. Supreme Court this week, passions ran high over the leak of a draft opinion that – if final – would overturn Roe v. Wade. Nationwide, those on either side of the landmark 1973 ruling quickly jumped into the bear pit of political combat over abortion law. Inside the court, however, Chief Justice John Roberts did what judges often do for themselves: He tried to calm passions with a reminder of how an independent court must operate – with cool and collegial deliberation.

As expected, he ordered an internal investigation into who released the draft ruling, which was written by Justice Samuel Alito. In the spirit of honesty, he confirmed the draft is authentic. But he also assured the public that the 3-month-old draft “does not represent a decision by the Court or the final position of any member” in a case involving a Mississippi law restricting abortion. A final ruling is expected by July.

Then the chief justice wrote that the leaker’s possible intent to “undermine the integrity of operations ... will not succeed.” That reflects quite a confidence in the quality of the court’s workforce. The nine justices, their law clerks, and the court’s permanent employees alike are “intensely loyal to the institution and dedicated to the rule of law,” he affirmed.

The leaked draft was a rare case of the veil of secrecy being ripped off the court’s internal workings. Such drafts are often passed among the justices for comment without fear of publicity or to ensure justices don’t play to “the home court crowd,” as the late Ruth Bader Ginsburg put it. This allows for compromise and self-correction. Restoring the integrity of that process has probably already started.

The justices may now also become more diligent in ensuring their discussions on cases – around a rectangular table in an oak-paneled room – are done in confidence. Their work requires free-flowing deliberations out of the public eye. That helps promote patient reflection and greater humility in weighing the law, the facts, and each other’s views rather than planting themselves in ideological corners.

“People go around the table. They discuss the question in the case,” Justice Stephen Breyer told CNN last year. “People say what they think. And they say it politely, and they say it professionally.”

The justices do bring a measure of accountability by signing the published opinions, either in the majority or in a dissent. And their questioning of lawyers in a case is recorded for public use. But in insisting on privacy during internal deliberations, they hope they can better reason and listen together. This type of conversation offers an antidote to political divisions in the United States. That may be why the chief justice was so quick to assure Americans that the integrity of the court’s operation is intact.


A Christian Science Perspective

About this feature

Each weekday, the Monitor includes one clearly labeled religious article offering spiritual insight on contemporary issues, including the news. The publication – in its various forms – is produced for anyone who cares about the progress of the human endeavor around the world and seeks news reported with compassion, intelligence, and an essentially constructive lens. For many, that caring has religious roots. For many, it does not. The Monitor has always embraced both audiences. The Monitor is owned by a church – The First Church of Christ, Scientist, in Boston – whose founder was concerned with both the state of the world and the quality of available news.

Recognizing the perfection of God, our divine creator, opens the door for greater harmony and healing in our lives.


A message of love

Evan Vucci/AP
Athletes from the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics and Paralympics, and the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics and Paralympics, attend an event on the South Lawn of the White House, May 4, 2022, in Washington. On stage from left are first lady Jill Biden, President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, and second gentleman Doug Emhoff, standing for the national anthem.
( The illustrations in today’s Monitor Daily are by Jacob Turcotte. )

A look ahead

Thank you for joining us. Please come back tomorrow, when we examine the abortion issue’s potential impact on the November midterm elections.

More issues

2022
May
04
Wednesday

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