*By Carlo Versano*
Day one of Brett Kavanaugh's Senate confirmation hearings got off to a raucous start Tuesday: protesters interrupted the proceedings, Democrats called for an adjournment, and Sen. John Cornyn of Texas said he'd never before seen a hearing "led by mob rule."
It took seven hours before the nominee could deliver his opening statement.
The tactics, while good fodder for television, are unlikely to be very effective for Democrats, said Erin Delmore, a senior political correspondent for Bustle. They also reveal the level of Democrats' desperation, she said Tuesday in an interview on Cheddar.
"It does show you how weak their hand is here," she said.
Democrats, in a futile effort to delay the hearing, were responding to growing frustrations from their base that the party has not been vocal enough in protesting the successor to Anthony Kennedy. If Kavanaugh, a staunch Republican, is confirmed, he may well tilt the court's ideology right-ward for at least a generation, as he'd replace a man who often acted as a swing vote on landmark decisions.
Justice Kennedy authored the majority opinions for [*Lawrence v. Texas*](https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/539/558/), which lifted the state's ban on sodomy, and 2013's [*Windsor v. U.S.*](http://www.scotusblog.com/case-files/cases/windsor-v-united-states-2/), the landmark decision that granted same-sex couples the right to marry in certain states.
The ever-polarizing *Roe v. Wade* is among the cases Kavanaugh's vote could turn. He has been asked about where he stands on choice by several moderate female senators, including Susan Collins (R-ME) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), who both said Kavanaugh told them he considered Roe to be "settled law."
The key question is, "does he believe *Roe v. Wade* was settled correctly," said Delmore. That's one interrogative he's unlikely to answer in this hearing.
"If \[Collins and Murkowski\] seem like this is enough for them, then this is over," Delmore said, referring to the chance that Kavanaugh could not be confirmed.
For full interview [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/the-women-who-will-determine-brett-kavanaughs-fate).
President Joe Biden named Jerome Powell, initially appointed by President Trump, to keep his seat as the chair of the Federal Reserve on Monday amid the ongoing challenges of the pandemic, inflation, and unemployment. David Beckworth, a former international economist for the Treasury Department and a senior fellow with the Mercatus Center, joined Cheddar to discuss what he sees as the practicality of Biden's decision. "What Powell brings to the table is he's built up political capital with Republicans and Democrats," he said. "It's easy for him to get the job done. I think in one way he was the path of least resistance for the president."
In a surprise turn of events, Elizabeth Holmes took the stand in her own defense on Friday and is expected to continue her testimony later today. Holmes, who founded a blood testing start-up Theranos back in 2003, faces 11 counts of wire fraud as well as conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Aron Solomon, Chief Legal Analyst, Esquire Digital joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss.
Jill and Carlo cover the developing story out of suburban Milwaukee, where a speeding SUV careened through a Christmas parade. Looters get more brazen in San Francisco, the missing Chinese tennis star resurfaces, and more.
Michael Tubbs, former Mayor of Stockton, California and author of 'The Deeper the Roots,' joined Cheddar Movers to talk all about his new memoir, and his ongoing fight to make meaningful change in his community.
The House narrowly passed President Biden's $1.7 trillion Build Back Better bill, the largest expansion of the social safety net in decades. The final vote was 220 to 213, with only one Democrat joining all Republicans in opposing the bill. It now heads to the Senate, where it faces an uncertain fate. Jennifer Haberkorn, congressional reporter for the Los Angeles Times, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell, where she breaks down the current version of the bill, where it goes next, and what it could mean for the country if it eventually reaches the president's desk.
Two murder trials in focus in America — Wisconsin V. Kyle Rittenhouse and Georgia V. Travis Mcmichael, Gregory Mcmichael, and William Bryan, the Men who killed Ahmaud Arbery. Civil rights and criminal defense lawyer Anthony Tall and the Founder and CEO of Kim Crowder consulting Kim Crowder, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
Rep. Ruben Gallego (D - Arizona) joined Cheddar to discuss the passing of President Biden's Infrastructure Bill and his new book, 'They Called us 'Lucky,' about his time serving in the Iraq War.
