*By Conor White*
After allegations of sexual assault against Brett Kavanaugh surfaced just days ago, the stakes for the Supreme Court nominee and his fellow Republicans are high ー and highly political.
"This is a political knife fight," The Washington Examiner's Phil Wegmann said Tuesday in an interview on Cheddar.
Christine Blasey Ford, the accuser, will testify next Monday alongside Kavanaugh before the Senate Judiciary Committee, which throws the judge's chance of sitting on the highest court in the land into serious peril. Blasey Ford has said Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her during a high school party more than three decades ago, claims Kavanaugh has vigorously denied.
While many of Blasey Ford's high school classmates ー including Emmy-winning actress Julia Louis-Dreyfus ー [signed and published a letter](https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/christine-blasey-ford-holton-arms-brett-kavanaugh_us_5b9fb3c2e4b04d32ebfabbc6) Monday, affirming their support of her.
But Wegmann admitted that given the chronology, it will be difficult to untangle the story.
"I don't even know how you can come to the truth about something that happened 35 years ago ー with minors, and with minors possibly under the influence of alcohol," he said.
Still, the latest developments have thrown a wrench in what ー despite [protests](https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/405500-212-protesters-total-arrested-during-kavanaugh-hearings) ー was initially expected to be a guaranteed confirmation.
"Seventy-two hours ago I would've said that this was a slam dunk," Wegmann said. "At this point, I think it's more of a jump shot in traffic."
"Any chance of Senate Democrats crossing the aisle to vote for Kavanaugh ー I think that's evaporated," he added.
Wegmann said that since Monday's hearing will be televised, both Democrats and Republicans should ready themselves for media fireworks.
"It's a major TV moment," he said. "Not necessarily a moment made to adjudicate the truth."
For full interview [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/kavanaugh-confirmation-thrown-into-question).
The Supreme Court has declined to order the Texas Abortion case back to the original trial judge for further proceedings. Essentially if Texas abortion providers were able to get their case back to the lower court., It would have greatly helped the group move against the law. However, this decision is likely to prolong the case legal battle. Professor and Author of "The Turnaway Study: Ten Years, a Thousand Women, and the Consequences of Having — Or Being Denied — An Abortion", Diane Foster, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
The Supreme Court rejected yet another bid by abortion providers to block Texas's law - which bans most abortions after six weeks of pregnancy. This is the fourth time that advocates have tried and failed to block the most restrictive abortion ban in the country. Leah Litman, assistant professor of law at The University of Michigan and co-host of the "Strict Scrutiny" podcast, joins Cheddar News to discuss.
As the standoff between the U.S. and its allies continues with Russia over its possible designs to invade Ukraine, President Biden held a video conference call with European leadership and had 8,500 American troops put on high alert. Jamil Jaffer, a former associate White House counsel for the Bush Administration, joined Cheddar to discuss his views on the escalating crisis in Eastern Europe.
As controversy dogs the run-up to the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, China is hiring TikTokers and other social media influencers to promote the nation's history, culture, diplomatic efforts, and current trends.
The Supreme Court has rejected another request to block Texas' strict abortion law. This marks the third time the high court has declined to intervene in challenges to the law that bans abortions after six weeks, well before many women even know they're pregnant. Aziza Ahmed, professor of law at the University of California, Irvine, joined Cheddar News to discuss the impact of the law so far on women seeking abortion services in Texas.
Mayors in cities like Miami and New York City are considering introducing cryptocurrencies as a way to reduce economic inequality. Miami Mayor Francis X. Suarez has even pushed for distributing Bitcoin dividends to the city's inhabitants.
The U.S. will be implementing a vaccine mandate for all people entering through its land borders, removing exemptions for "essential" travelers such as truckers, students, and business people. While the Canadian Trucking Alliance argues that the new, stricter rule might exacerbate ongoing auto supply chain issues, some health experts see the potential for helping curb the ongoing pandemic. Anthony Santella, a professor of health administration at the University of New Haven, joined Cheddar to give his take on the updated border crossing restriction. "We can't just focus on one type of travel. We need to ensure that it's clear and consistent across all types of travel," Santella said.
Will Rhind, CEO of GraniteShares, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell, where he says he believes the Fed's plans of increasing rates is taking its toll on some of the more speculative stocks and the technology market.
