*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).
Robin Koval, CEO and president of the anti-smoking Truth Initiative spoke to Cheddar on Thursday about the FDA's decision to seek restrictions on flavored nicotine products and menthol cigarettes. She said she's pleased with the progress, but is calling for more robust restrictions.
The FDA is moving forward with its proposal to restrict sales of most flavored e-cigarettes including popular brand Juul.
These are the headlines you Need 2 Know.
Amazon announced Tuesday that it will split its second headquarters in two, placing half the workforce in New York City and the other half in Northern Virginia. Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) is a supporter of the move and told Cheddar its residual impact will benefit the entire region.
Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) spoke with Cheddar's J.D. Durkin about Amazon's move to Crystal City and what it means for the people of Virginia. "This is both going to be an economic driver and, frankly, put this region more on the map as a tech headquarters," Warner told Cheddar.
These are the headlines you Need 2 Know for Wednesday, Nov. 14, 2018.
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While President Trump and Florida Gov. Rick Scott continue to claim the recount in three tight Florida races is rampant with abuse, state law enforcement authorities say they have no concrete allegation of voter fraud to investigate. Ana Ceballos, politics reporter for the USA Today Network in Florida, updated Cheddar on the latest.
Not many Californians are pleased with President Trump's weekend Twitter response to the wildfires that are devastating parts of California ー especially not Congressman-elect Harley Rouda. Fresh off a victory in California's 48th Congressional District, the newly-elected House Democrat had some choice words for the president during an interview on Cheddar Monday.
Over the weekend, the NRA criticized doctors for advocating for gun control by telling them to "stay in your lane." That was swiftly met with an online movement of doctors sharing their stories of seeing the aftermath of gun violence up close.
Dr. Ana Maria Lopez, president of the American College of Physicians, told Cheddar that physicians live by a code that requires them to address gun violence as a crisis.
