It’s what Trump does

Plus: Feinstein returns, Santos pleads not guilty in NYC, Title 42 ends [View this email online]( [NPR Politics]( May 13, 2023 This week, we looked at CNN's Trump town hall, Feinstein's return to D.C. and the latest on the debt ceiling. --------------------------------------------------------------- The Big Picture: Same as it ever was Michael Conroy/AP It happened again. In an unwieldy, live media appearance, former President Donald Trump lied, exaggerated, mocked opponents and made provocative and incendiary comments all while talking over and past a moderator. None of that is surprising. It’s what Trump does. The town hall presented the country with very stark examples of the choice a Biden-Trump rematch would bring. Trump: - refused to say if he wanted Ukraine to win the war with Russia; - showed a lack of concern for upholding democratic norms -- continuing lies about the 2020 election he lost, refusing to say he would definitely accept the results in 2024 and saying he would pardon many of the Jan. 6 rioters; and - refused to take a firm stance on abortion restrictions, while boasting that he was responsible for the overturning of Roe. If there was any desire on Trump’s team’s part to get him to reach out to win over persuadable voters – seeing his toxic numbers with the middle – he probably failed, big league, to borrow a phrase. But the primary audience in the key early state of New Hampshire, where the town hall was held, lapped up the jokes and insults. It showed clearly that Trump’s authoritarian-curious approach – and his treating the media like a punching bag – is largely exactly what the GOP base wants. Other candidates are going to have to change their approaches if they hope to stop Trump from barrelling toward the nomination in 2024 once again. — [Domenico Montanaro]( NPR’s senior political editor/correspondent [Read More]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Newsletter continues after sponsor message --------------------------------------------------------------- ICYMI: Top Stories Brendan Smialowsk/AFP Via Getty Images The end of Title 42: President Biden’s campaign promise to restore competence and compassion to the immigration system is getting tested -- and [could prove problematic ahead of the 2024 election]( -- as Title 42 ends and thousands of migrants are seeking asylum at the southern border. Trump’s civil case in N.Y.: The former president was [found liable for battery and defamation]( in a federal case brought on by writer E. Jean Carroll. The jury awarded Carroll $5 million in damages. Trump plans to appeal. GOP rallies against Biden family: House Republicans on the Oversight Committee [allege that the Biden family has received millions of dollars from foreign contacts]( president and a lawyer representing his son, Hunter Biden, deny the allegations. Feinstein back in Washington: California Sen. Dianne Feinstein [returned to the Capitol this week]( after a months-long health-related absence. She says she's looking forward to resuming her work, which includes committee consideration of President Biden's judicial nominees. Charges against George Santos: House freshman Rep. George Santos of New York has [pleaded not guilty to 13 charges for defrauding his 2022 donors](. He was released on $500,000 bail and with severe travel restrictions. Virginia ditches voter data: The state will [no longer partner with the Electronic Registration Information Center, known as ERIC,]( citing concerns for voter privacy and confidentiality. Virginia is the eighth state to withdraw from ERIC, which until 2022 was a widely trusted bipartisan voter information system. Saving Social Security: Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy has made it his mission to try and [save America’s Social Security program,]( which could run out of money in about a decade. He said few people in power are actually trying to solve the problem, which is why he plans on spending his remaining time in Congress working on a solution. -- [Dustin Jones,]( NPR Politics reporter --------------------------------------------------------------- It all comes down to you Your financial support is the NPR Network's greatest strength. You keep the facts flowing. You bring more stories to more ears. You make a real difference when you contribute to independent, trustworthy media. [Please donate today](. --------------------------------------------------------------- Going Deeper: The NPR Politics Podcast It's hard to miss news that President Biden and congressional leaders met this week as they try to reach a deal to lift the debt limit with a looming deadline. But what is the fuss about? [This episode of the NPR Politics Podcast explains what you need to know:]( the basics of how the government borrows money to meets its obligations and what the consequences might be if the ceiling is not raised and the government runs out of money. — [Heidi Glenn]( NPR Politics digital editor The Shot: India’s women seaweed divers Anushree Bhatter for NPR Women on India’s Pamban Island say diving for seaweed for a living is "not for the faint-hearted." An estimated 5,000 women in the region make a living by collecting seaweed from the ocean floor, repeatedly diving down for 2 to 3 minutes at a time, 5 to 6 hours a day. Journalist Kamala Thiagarajan [profiled the practice and a group of the divers who ranged in age from 50 to 60 for NPR.]( Also featured in the story is Thangamma, who's about 80, shown above in a photograph by Anushree Bhatter. The divers wear rubber slippers and wrap their fingers with cloth for protection from sharp rocks as they navigate the reefs. And each wears a white sack around her hip, which is gradually filled with seaweed over the course of the day. Then their haul is sold to local factories. The already grueling work has been made more difficult due to climate change and environmental protection practices. But they remain determined to continue the practice, which is both their livelihood as well as a time-honored tradition. -- [Dustin Jones,]( NPR Politics reporter --------------------------------------------------------------- Listen to your local NPR station. Visit NPR.org to find your local station stream. 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