*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).
Washington Post journalist Nicole Ellis has a new documentary series that follows millennial women, including herself, who are weighing whether or not to freeze their eggs. It's an emotional and expensive discussion that should be had out in the open and with the support of friends and family, Ellis said.
President Trump has lashed out at many a journalist, and Mika Brzezinski knows personally what it's like to be on the receiving end. The co-host of MSNBC's "Morning Joe" told Hope King that "in the grand scheme of things, it's not really a big deal."
It is still up in the air if Christine Blasey Ford will testify in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Ford is accusing Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexual assault when they were both in high school. Daniel Lippman, co-author of "Politico Playbook," explained the high-wire act Republicans are trying to walk with a crucial midterm election around the corner.
Mika Brzezinski, co-host of MSNBC's "Morning Joe," spoke with Cheddar about the role of media in the age of Donald Trump. "Keep it cool and stick to the facts," she said.
These are the headlines you Need 2 Know.
Twilio, a cloud-focused tech company based in San Francisco, is doubling down on its commitment to diversity. The company has a goal for at least 50 percent of its staff to be female and 30 percent to be from underrepresented groups by 2023. Lafawn Davis, global head of culture and inclusion at Twilio, said that there are more than enough women in tech to be able to fill the roles.
One year after Hurricane Maria, Puerto Rico is still recovering from the devastation. Luis Soto of "Save the Children" said a staggering 84 percent of the island's kids are living in poverty.
These are the headlines you Need 2 Know.
Jose Antonio Vargas rose to prominence when he wrote an essay for the New York Times in 2011 essentially outing himself as an undocumented immigrant. Since then, he's crisscrossed the country, advocating on behalf of immigrants. With a new memoir, "Dear America: Notes of an Undocumented Citizen," Vargas points out immigration is a "humanitarian crisis" that long predates Donald Trump.
These are the headlines you Need 2 Know.
