*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).
The South African-born host of "The Daily Show" says President Trump's behavior reminds him of strongmen, dictators, and corrupt leaders from Africa or the Middle East.
Stocks kick off the week with a rally after Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said the prospect of a trade war was "on hold" following an agreement to suspend tariff threats. Tesla CEO Elon Musk unveils details of the souped-up Model 3. President Trump is going after the FBI. Fortnite is launching on Android phones this summer.
There are meaningful gun reform bills that never make it to the floor of the House because Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) is standing in the way, says Rep. Green, a Democrat representing Texas's 9th District. A shooter opened fire at a high school in Santa Fe, Tex., on Friday, killing at least 10 people. The incident is reigniting the national gun reform debate that emerged after the high school shooting in Parkland, Fla., three months ago.
A school shooting in Santa Fe, Tex., on Friday left at least 10 people dead and 10 more wounded. The fact that students around the country "know that this is a possibility, and the fear that they carry with them every day when they walk into their school" is horrifying, says Becca DeFelice, San Antonio volunteer leader with Moms Demand Action. The Texas shooting comes just three months after the school shooting in Parkland, Fla., that left 17 people dead and reignited the national debate on gun control.
The Senate's confirmation of Gina Haspel as director of the Central Intelligence Agency comes at a time when President Trump faces several national security concerns.
A gunman opened fire at Santa Fe High School on Friday, killing 10 people, said Texas Gov. Greg Abbott. He identified the alleged gunman as 17 year-old student at the school 35 miles southeast of Houston.
Rep. Adriano Espaillat (D-NY) says the racist rant by a New York lawyer that went viral is a reflection of the "toxic rhetoric" coming from the White House. The Congressman filed a formal complaint against the attorney on Thursday.
After all Senate Democrats voted in favor of keeping the internet open and fair, the party is using this opportunity to paint itself as a champion of the consumer going into the midterm elections later this year, says Ross Rubin, principal analyst at Reticle Research.
Senators voted Wednesday to override the FCC's repeal of net neutrality rules, keeping the internet free and open...for now. The resolution now heads to the House, where it is still 57 votes short of passing.
The Democrat from Rhode Island said doing away with the internet regulations would give large service providers too much power over the content that people see. The Senate on Wednesday voted to reinstate the Obama-era legislation, sending the bill to House, where it's expected to be shot down.
