Crash Course: Joe Manchin's revisionist history

Plus: Could omicron mutate again? none Your daily update from [Salon](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjzSVSP0QWaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tL1cDc3BjQgph4FOg6mF8Vs0_Uht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACg~). Written by [Brett Bachman](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjzSVSP0QhaHR0cHM6Ly90d2l0dGVyLmNvbS9CcmV0dEFCYWNobWFuVwNzcGNCCmHgU6DqYXxWzT9SG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAKA~~). none none Joe Manchin's revisionist history “The United States Senate has never been able to end debate with a simple majority," Sen. Joe Manchin said after joining all 50 of his Republican colleagues — and fellow Democrat Kyrsten Sinema — in voting down his own party's voting rights overhaul in order to preserve the chamber's longstanding 60-vote rule. Except, well, that's not exactly true. The last three Supreme Court nominees – Trump appointees Amy Coney Barrett, Brett Kavanaugh, and Neil Gorsuch – were all confirmed with a simple majority, Salon's Jon Skolnik noted Thursday. "In fact, Manchin himself was the 51st senator to back Kavanaugh, single-handedly ending debate on the scandal-plagued judge's confirmation." Flashback: Manchin's recent stance on the filibuster also flies in the face of his past comments on the issue. Back in 2011, when Manchin was just a freshman senator, he said: "We have become paralyzed by the filibuster." That year, he even called explicitly in a press release for the senate to "fix the filibuster." [Learn more about Manchin's record on the filibuster](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjzSVSP0SHaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjIvMDEvMjAvam9lLW1hbmNoaW5zLXJldmlzaW9uaXN0LWhpc3RvcnktZmlsaWJ1c3Rlci1zdGFuZHMtYWZ0ZXItc2VuYXRlLWRlbW9jcmF0LXNpZGVzLXdpdGgvP3VzZXJfaWQ9KnxFTUFJTHwqVwNzcGNCCmHgU6DqYXxWzT9SG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAKA~~). (Photo via Getty Images) none How likely is an omicron mutation? Thanks to the omicron variant of COVID-19, the future looks increasingly uncertain. While some pundits have opined that it appears the new strain is less severe than previous variants — experts tell Salon that it's not necessarily the case that things will remain that way. "I don't think we can be confident that the virus will become less lethal over time," said Dr. Stuart Campbell Ray, an infectious disease expert at Johns Hopkins University. Dr. George Rutherford, a professor and head of the division of infectious disease and global epidemiology at the University of California, San Francisco, laid out three possibilities he sees as being the most likely outcomes: - Omicron could become more transmissible thanks to changes that affect the process called "molecular docking" - The virus could shed in individuals for a longer period of time — instead of two to three days, it could be seven or eight — and infect more people that way - The omicron variant could develop properties to become more immuno-evasive and completely bypass immunity built by vaccines The good news? Because omicron — the most common variant in the world — has given untold millions of people some level of immunity, that may give even the unvaccinated some level of protection against what comes next. "That's how the [1918 Spanish flu] pandemic ended," Dr. Monica Gandhi, an infectious disease doctor and professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, told Salon. "It's not that it went away — it became endemic and became something that we just dealt with." [Learn more](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjzSVSP0RyaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjIvMDEvMjAvaG93LWxpa2VseS1pcy1pdC1mb3Itb21pY3Jvbi10by1tdXRhdGUtaW50by1zb21ldGhpbmctZGVhZGxpZXIvP3VzZXJfaWQ9KnxFTUFJTHwqVwNzcGNCCmHgU6DqYXxWzT9SG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAKA~~). none - After a year of Joe Biden, how come we still have [Donald Trump's foreign policy](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjzSVSP0R6aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjIvMDEvMjAvYWZ0ZXItYS15ZWFyLW9mLWpvZS1iaWRlbi1ob3ctY29tZS13ZS1zdGlsbC1oYXZlLWRvbmFsZC1mb3JlaWduLXBvbGljeS8_dXNlcl9pZD0qfEVNQUlMfCpXA3NwY0IKYeBToOphfFbNP1IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo)? - Georgia prosecutor investigating Trump's alleged election misdeeds [requests special grand jury](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjzSVSP0SBaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjIvMDEvMjAvZ2VvcmdpYS1wcm9zZWN1dG9yLWludmVzdGlnYXRpbmctYWxsZWdlZC1taXNkZWVkcy1yZXF1ZXN0cy1zcGVjaWFsLWdyYW5kLWp1cnkvP3VzZXJfaWQ9KnxFTUFJTHwqVwNzcGNCCmHgU6DqYXxWzT9SG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAKA~~) - McConnell dismisses voting rights [with telling gaffe](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjzSVSP0SEaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjIvMDEvMjAvbWNjb25uZWxsLWRpc21pc3Nlcy12b3RpbmctcmlnaHRzLWJsYWNrLWFtZXJpY2Fucy1oYXZlLXNhbWUtdHVybm91dC1hcy1hbWVyaWNhbnMvP3VzZXJfaWQ9KnxFTUFJTHwqVwNzcGNCCmHgU6DqYXxWzT9SG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAKA~~): "Black Americans" have same turnout as "Americans" - The media [blames Biden for Republicans' racism](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjzSVSP0RsaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjIvMDEvMjAvbWVkaWEtbWVzc2VzLXVwLWNvdmVyYWdlLW9mLXZvdGluZy1yaWdodHMtYmlkZW4tZm9yLWdvcHMvP3VzZXJfaWQ9KnxFTUFJTHwqVwNzcGNCCmHgU6DqYXxWzT9SG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAKA~~), Salon's Amanda Marcotte writes - "Single Drunk Female" isn't just sobriety TV. It's a show that [makes recovery feel universal](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjzSVSP0RVaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjIvMDEvMjAvZHJ1bmstZmVtYWxlLXJldmlldy1mcmVlZm9ybS1odWx1Lz91c2VyX2lkPSp8RU1BSUx8KlcDc3BjQgph4FOg6mF8Vs0_Uht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACg~) - Howard Stern [to anti-vaxxers](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjzSVSP0RmaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjIvMDEvMjAvaG93YXJkLXN0ZXJuLWFudGktdmF4eGVycy1qb2Utcm9nYW4tbm92YWstZGpva292aWMvP3VzZXJfaWQ9KnxFTUFJTHwqVwNzcGNCCmHgU6DqYXxWzT9SG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAKA~~): "In my America, all hospitals would be closed to you" - 100+ ultra-rich people warn fellow elites in open letter: ["It's taxes or pitchforks"](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjzSVSP0R9aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjIvMDEvMjAvMTAwLXVsdHJhLXJpY2gtcGVvcGxlLXdhcm4tZmVsbG93LWVsaXRlcy1pbi1vcGVuLWxldHRlci1pdHMtb3ItcGl0Y2hmb3Jrcy8_dXNlcl9pZD0qfEVNQUlMfCpXA3NwY0IKYeBToOphfFbNP1IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) - Jon Ossoff confronts Susan Collins over [her past support for voting rights](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjzSVSP0SKaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjIvMDEvMjAvam9uLW9zc29mZi1jb25mcm9udHMtc3VzYW4tY29sbGlucy1vdmVyLWhlci1wYXN0LXN1cHBvcnQtZm9yLXZvdGluZy1yaWdodHMtbGVnaXNsYXRpb24vP3VzZXJfaWQ9KnxFTUFJTHwqVwNzcGNCCmHgU6DqYXxWzT9SG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAKA~~) legislation - How one young actor is [using American Sign Language](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjzSVSP0RiaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjIvMDEvMjAvc2hheWxlZS1tYW5zZmllbGQtZGVhZi1hc2wtc2lnbi1vdmVyLW1hZGdhc2Nhci8_dXNlcl9pZD0qfEVNQUlMfCpXA3NwY0IKYeBToOphfFbNP1IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) in animation - Donald Trump is [calling for racial violence](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjzSVSP0R3aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjIvMDEvMjAvZG9uYWxkLWNhbGxzLWZvci1yYWNpYWwtdmlvbGVuY2UtYXJlLWxpc3RlbmluZy1idXQtdGhlLW1lZGlhLWxhdWdocy8_dXNlcl9pZD0qfEVNQUlMfCpXA3NwY0IKYeBToOphfFbNP1IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) again, Salon's Chauncy DeVega argues — but the media laughs it off - Sperm donation is largely unregulated, but [that could soon change](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjzSVSP0SIaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjIvMDEvMjAvc3Blcm0tZG9uYXRpb24taXMtbGFyZ2VseS11bnJlZ3VsYXRlZC1idXQtdGhhdC1jb3VsZC1zb29uLWNoYW5nZS1hcy1tdWx0aXBseV9wYXJ0bmVyLz91c2VyX2lkPSp8RU1BSUx8KlcDc3BjQgph4FOg6mF8Vs0_Uht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACg~) as lawsuits multiply - And, finally, try this crunchy, cheesy macaroni and cheese that [bakes on a sheet pan](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjzSVSP0R1aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjIvMDEvMjAvdGhlLWNydW5jaGllc3QtY2hlZXNpZXN0LW1hY2Fyb25pLWFuZC1jaGVlc2UtYmFrZXMtb24tYS1zaGVldC1wYW4vP3VzZXJfaWQ9KnxFTUFJTHwqVwNzcGNCCmHgU6DqYXxWzT9SG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAKA~~) Not a subscriber yet? [Sign up](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjzSVSP0QgaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tL25ld3NsZXR0ZXJXA3NwY0IKYeBToOphfFbNP1IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) to receive Crash Course. none none Biden finds his bully pulpit It took a full year, but it appears President Joe Biden has finally found his mojo. Salon White House columnist Brian Karem writes that Biden's Wednesday press conference represented a well-needed "reset button" for the beleaguered commander-in-chief — though it's unclear whether anything will change as a result. After all, the political dynamics of Washington in 2022 aren't exactly favorable to the administration. In the end, Biden promised three things in terms of changing direction: getting out more, campaigning hard in the midterms and seeking advice from experts and editorial writers. If Wednesday's press conference was a reset button for his administration, the proof of whether or not it works will be seen in November — and in whether Biden can get voting rights legislation passed in any form, along with any portion of Build Back Better. Whatever else, Wednesday's appearance proved Biden needs to face the press more frequently and for greater lengths of time. It does us all good. If he can get Joe Manchin to sit down and shut up — well, that's just icing on the cake. [Read the full commentary](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjzSVSP0SBaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjIvMDEvMjAvc2lnbnMtb2YtbGlmZS1pbi1iaWRlbmxhbmQtc2VpemVzLXRoZS1wdWxwaXQtYXQtbGFzdC0td2lsbC1pdC1jaGFuZ2UtYW55dGhpbmcvP3VzZXJfaWQ9KnxFTUFJTHwqVwNzcGNCCmHgU6DqYXxWzT9SG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAKA~~). (Photo via Getty Images) none - "Let the Green M&M Be a Nasty Little Slut," [Rolling Stone](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjzSVSP0RmaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cucm9sbGluZ3N0b25lLmNvbS9jdWx0dXJlL2N1bHR1cmUtbmV3cy9ncmVlbi1tbS1tYXJzLXdyaWdsZXktcmVicmFuZC1zbmVha2Vycy1zbHV0LTEyODc5NjUvVwNzcGNCCmHgU6DqYXxWzT9SG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAKA~~) - "Dun, Dun Duuun! Where did pop culture’s most dramatic sound come from?" [The Guardian](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjzSVSP0RwaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cudGhlZ3VhcmRpYW4uY29tL211c2ljLzIwMjIvamFuLzE4L2R1bi1kdW4tZHV1dW4td2hlcmUtZGlkLXBvcC1jdWx0dXJlcy1tb3N0LWRyYW1hdGljLXNvdW5kLWNvbWUtZnJvbVcDc3BjQgph4FOg6mF8Vs0_Uht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACg~) - "Joe Rogan's Friends Assemble in D.C. to Do Something They Say Isn't an Anti-Vax Rally," [VICE News](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjzSVSP0R4aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cudmljZS5jb20vZW4vYXJ0aWNsZS84OGc1Ymsvam9lLXJvZ2Fucy1mcmllbmRzLWFzc2VtYmxlLWluLWRjLXRvLWRvLXNvbWV0aGluZy10aGV5LXNheS1pc250LWFuLWFudGktdmF4LXJhbGx5VwNzcGNCCmHgU6DqYXxWzT9SG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAKA~~) - "The surprising ways that Victorians flirted," [BBC News](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjzSVSP0RYaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYmJjLmNvbS9jdWx0dXJlL2FydGljbGUvMjAyMjAxMTQtdGhlLXN1cnByaXNpbmctd2F5cy10aGF0LXZpY3RvcmlhbnMtZmxpcnRlZFcDc3BjQgph4FOg6mF8Vs0_Uht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACg~) - "How Tumblr became popular for being obsolete," [The New Yorker](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjzSVSP0ReaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubmV3eW9ya2VyLmNvbS9jdWx0dXJlL2luZmluaXRlLXNjcm9sbC9ob3ctdHVtYmxyLWJlY2FtZS1wb3B1bGFyLWZvci1iZWluZy1vYnNvbGV0ZVcDc3BjQgph4FOg6mF8Vs0_Uht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACg~) none none Boebert makes bizarre remark to Jewish group Confronted with a group of Jewish people at the U.S. Capitol, Rep. Lauren Boebert decided to stop and ask if they were doing "reconnaissance." One of the attendees said she first looked them over "from head to toe" — with one rabbi in attendance saying, "You know, I'm not sure whether to be offended or not." Boebert claimed after the incident that she was making a joking reference to her own mysterious pre-Jan. 6 Capitol visit, which spurred months of "reconnaissance" rumors that she has denied multiple times. Flashback: [Why did Lauren Boebert lead a late-night Capitol tour three weeks before Jan. 6?](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjzSVSP0SCaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjEvMDgvMDQvd2h5LWRpZC1sYXVyZW4tYm9lYmVydC1sZWFkLWEtbGF0ZS1uaWdodC1jYXBpdG9sLXRvdXItdGhyZWUtd2Vla3MtYmVmb3JlLWphbi02Lz91c2VyX2lkPSp8RU1BSUx8KlcDc3BjQgph4FOg6mF8Vs0_Uht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACg~) "I saw a large group and made a joke," she said Thursday when asked about her comment. "Sadly when Democrats see the same they demonize my family for a year straight." "I'm too short to see anyone's yarmulkes," she added. [Learn more](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjzSVSP0SCaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjIvMDEvMjAvbGF1cmVuLWJvZWJlcnQtbWFrZXMtYml6YXJyZS1jb21tZW50LXRvLWdyb3VwLW9mLWpld2lzaC12aXNpdG9ycy1hdC11cy1jYXBpdG9sLz91c2VyX2lkPSp8RU1BSUx8KlcDc3BjQgph4FOg6mF8Vs0_Uht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACg~). (Photo via Getty Images) Have a tip for Salon? Feedback on this newsletter? [Let us know](mailto:brett.bachman@salon.com). Our mailing address: 1000 N. West Street, Suite 1200 Wilmington, 19801 DE [Unsubscribe from this list](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjzSVSP0RCaHR0cHM6Ly9yZWFkLmxldHRlcmhlYWQuZW1haWwvY3Jhc2gtY291cnNlL3Vuc3Vic2NyaWJlP2lkPUAzNTQzOTUyVwNzcGNCCmHgU6DqYXxWzT9SG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAKA~~) Copyright © 2022 Crash Course, All rights reserved. [Made with Letterhead [Letterhead logo]](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjzSVSP0QiaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvbmVwbm83czh5c1cDc3BjQgph4FOg6mF8Vs0_Uht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACg~)