From Russia to Student Loans, KBJ, and Trump: An Eventful Week in American History

     Even as the Russo-Ukrainian War nears 50 days, it still continues to dominate headlines. Russia has lost nearly 50,000 troops to death, injury, desertion, or capture. In recent weeks, they've amped up their war crimes against civilians as they lose virtually every gain they have made in the past seven weeks. They've been pushed back out of Northern Ukraine entirely, have not been able to get any troops near Western Ukraine, and are even beginning to lose as often as they win in Southern Ukraine, which has been the site of Russia's only military victories. As a result, Russia is trying to claim that their mission in much of Ukraine, which they claimed was to "demilitarize" it, has been completed. This means that, unlike many spectators predicted, Ukraine is unlikely to fall into Russian hands. However, it also appears that Russia is preparing to regroup in hopes of at least taking the Donbas region. Punishments continue to be doled out in this respect: Russia tried to quit the Human Rights Council just minutes after they were voted off by a U.N. General Assembly vote. In Congress, bills and resolutions were passed revoking Permanent Normal Trade Relations (PNTR) with Russia and Belarus; requiring evidence of war crimes committed by Russia to be gathered; formally banning Russian oil and gas imports; and supporting NATO. Meanwhile, the Justice Department charged its first two Russians with violating sanctions and seized a $90 million yacht belonging to a Russian oligarch; new sanctions were issued against the relatives of sanctioned individuals and against more Russian financial institutions; and $100 million in new financial support for Ukraine was announced. In Europe, Finland took the first steps toward joining NATO while Hungary made it very clear which side they were on. As peace negotiations continue, the Russo-Ukrainian War has spilled into Western Russia, allowing Russian civilians to see what war look like up close.

     In other foreign policy developments, the truce in Yemen actually held; not only that, but new government reforms have been made and the UAE and Saudi Arabia have pledged $1 billion in humanitarian support to Yemen on top of the $1.2 billion pledged by other nations last month, which will immediately provide relief to millions of Yemeni people while making the most concrete progress toward permanent peace in the world's most war-torn country.

     On the domestic policy front, the Senate confirmed Ketanji Brown Jackson, the third black person, first black woman, fourth person of color, sixth woman, and first public defender to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court. Her confirmation also means that four women will serve on the Supreme Court simultaneously for the first time in U.S. history. In the same week, the Senate Armed Services Committee finally moved the nomination of M. Tia Johnson to the Armed Services Court of Appeals forward. As COVID cases remained low, President Biden launched a long-awaited strategy to combat long COVID as a landmark report revealed his vaccination campaign saved 2.2 million Americans from dying and 1.6 million from disability. The April Jobs Report revealed that 431,000 new jobs were created, bringing the total to 1.7 million since January and 7.9 million since President Biden took office. Unemployment returned to roughly what is was before COVID pandemic as unemployment insurance claims hit their lowest rate ever, veteran unemployment hit its lowest rate in three years, the Hispanic unemployment rate sank below pre-pandemic levels, multiple states saw record low unemployment rates, and more; more people are working now than at any time during the Trump administration. 

     Still, that wasn't the end. He celebrated a Trucking Action Plan that has spurred the issuance of 900,000 new trucking licenses. More people now work in trucking than before COVID hit as the profession has seen its best year in three decades. To further strengthen supply chains, the Senate passed the largest ocean shipping reform bill in 25 years, the Ocean Shipping Reform Act.

     Combating inflation is also critical. President Biden announced a historic release of 240 million barrels of oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserves and IEA, which will lower the cost of gas while providing a bridge as Congress passes legislation to strengthen energy independence. The Senate held hearings that grilled CEOs on their price gouging as President Biden announced a plan to fine oil companies that buy leases without drilling on them. Meanwhile, the Senate passed the Affordable Insulin Now Act, which will cap the cost of insulin at $35 a month for diabetics. In the same vein, President Biden signed an executive order expanding healthcare to an additional 200,000 Americans and lowering its cost for over a million more by expanding the Affordable Care Act. While Americans deal with rising prices, they can't afford to think about student loans. In three days, advocates got three major developments: President Biden extended the pause on repayments until August 31st; he cancelled defaults that millions of borrowers had gotten before the pandemic started; and Press Secretary Jen Psaki revealed that the White House has not ruled out student debt cancellation, which means they no longer see it as unconstitutional.

     In terms of both strengthening supply chains and lowering costs, Congress finally entered a conference committee on the $110 to $350 billion Bipartisan Innovation Act, meaning it will be passed in a matter of weeks. President Biden signed the Postal Service Reform Act, which will save the USPS more than $50 billion and prevent it from going bankrupt.

     At the same time, America can't move forward until Trump and his cronies are held accountable. In that respect a number of major developments have been made: Alex Jones testified after being held in contempt for his attempts to slow down the civil trial related to his calling Sandy Hook a hoax; the House held Trump advisors Dan Scavino and Peter Navarro in criminal contempt; Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump both decided not to plead the Fifth and testified for hours before the January 6th committee; numerous Capitol rioters pleaded guilty to felony charges, including a high-level Proud Boys leader named Charles Donohoe; a fake Trump elector named Kelly Ruh lost her reelection bid to the De Pere City Council; New York Attorney General Letitia "Tish" James sought to hold Trump in civil contempt over his tax fraud investigation; Steve Bannon had a key defense shot down as he prepares to go on trial for his criminal contempt charges; three men convicted alongside Bannon of fraud related to their fundraiser to build the Mexican Border Wall pled guilty to felony charges; it was revealed that hundreds more Capitol rioters have been identified but not yet arrested because the DOJ needs more lawyers to prosecute these cases; the DOJ expanded its Trump probe to include his handling of government secrets; Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg revealed that the criminal investigation into Trump has not yet been closed; and the fourth Capitol riot trial wrapped up, that of former police officer Thomas Robertson. Of course, it hasn't all been good news: Capitol riot defendant Matthew Martin of New Mexico became the first Capitol riot defendant to be acquitted. (Guy Reffitt of Texas, the first to go to trial, was convicted of numerous felonies while Couy Griffin, also of New Mexico, was convicted of a misdemeanor charge.) Meanwhile, the jury has deadlocked on several charges in the Gretchen Whitmer kidnapping trial. Still, as a whole, progress has been made.

     The past week has been one for the history books: from Russia to student loans to KBJ and Trump, it has been an eventful week.