Health Care Progress Report: October 19

Four years to the day that Donald Trump incited a violent attack on the US Capitol in an attempt to overthrow the 2020 election results, Congress certified his Electoral College victory as the 47th president of the United States. As required of her role presiding over the Senate, Vice President Kamala Harris oversaw the ceremony, which marked her own defeat.

This story was originally published by the Guardian and is reproduced here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration. Joe Biden has banned offshore drilling across an immense area of coastal waters, weeks before Donald Trump takes office pledging to massively increase fossil fuel production. The US president’s ban encompasses the entire Atlantic coast and eastern Gulf of Mexico, as well as the Pacific coast off California, Oregon, and Washington, and a section of the Bering Sea off Alaska. A White House statement said the declaration protected more than 625 million acres of waters.

Jefferson County Clerk and Recorder Amanda Gonzalez will run for Colorado secretary of state in 2026, she announced Monday morning. Gonzalez, a Democrat, is the first major-party candidate to announce her intent to seek the state’s top election job. Current Secretary of State Jena Griswold, also a Democrat, is term-limited from running again. Colorado secretary of state candidate Amanda Gonzalez.

Above, Echo & the Bunnymen performs, Lips Like Sugar. Our Failed Political Press ™ is terrible, innit? Dame Magazine has sumpin' to say about it. It's a long piece so you might want to save it and savor it over lunch. The Mahablog opines on what is and what is not reported. Hal Brown's Streamline reports on the state of the Fiji Mermaid. Progressive Eruptions looks at the pearl-clutchers. Bonus Track: Shower Cap's Blog returns with some observations, as only they can. Round-up by Tengrain who blogs at Mock, Paper, Scissors.

Mike Johnson was just humiliated YET AGAIN, rejected by House Republicans til Trump called and threatened 2 of them to support Johnson, and still he managed only a mere one-vote win as Speaker. I give him 3 months. Because Trump's maladjusted supporters are predictably at war with each other, which portends more chaos to come. Look, this isn't ad hominem, it's simple truth.

Good riddance to bad rubbish. Let's hope for a chain reaction.