Susan Collins's 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' Stance on SCOTUS Pick
*By Conor White*
Republicans may be chomping at the bit to get another conservative justice on the Supreme Court and finally overturn the long-standing Roe v. Wade decision.
But Mother Jones's Ben Dreyfuss told Cheddar that a repeal of abortion rights ruling could, maybe ironically, spell disaster for the GOP.
"I think it's a massive risk both in the immediate term ー which is midterm elections ー but also a risk, which many people in the Republican party are aware of, in the long term," the senior editor said. "There's a big assemblage of evidence and thought that there's a lot of Republicans who don't actually want to overturn Roe, even if they are pro-life."
Many Republicans hope that whoever replaces Justice Anthony Kennedy on the nation's top court will reverse the 1973 landmark decision. But according to a new Kaiser Family Foundation poll, just 29 percent of Americans want to see the ruling overturned.
Even GOP Senator Susan Collins of Maine said over the weekend she wouldn't support an anti-abortion Supreme Court candidate. But because she also signaled she wouldn't specifically ask the nominee to offer his or her opinion on the matter, Dreyfuss said President Donald Trump's pick will be confirmed in short order.
"She basically was saying as long as he or she doesn't come to the Senate and say, 'Just so you know I'm going to overturn Roe,' she'll support him," Dreyfuss explained, "which is very different than saying, 'I want to know how they feel about Roe, and if they don't answer, I will say no.'"
Kennedy announced last week he'd retire from the bench at the end of July. President Trump is expected to announce his nominee, the second of his administration, on July 9th.
For full interview, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/scotus-fight-heats-up).
The House Select Committee investigating the Jan. 6 riots on Capitol Hill held its first primetime hearing on Thursday. Cheddar News speaks with legal analyst Tracy Pearson, who breaks down the biggest takeaways.
Fuel and oil prices have risen almost 17 percent since May, making the national gas prices reach nearly $5 a gallon. Andrew Lipow from consulting firm Lipow Oil Associates joined Cheddar News to discuss the future of gas prices. "The biggest issue on the oil market is really events that are beyond our control, which is what is happening over in Europe," he said, regarding the ongoing Russia Ukraine war. Lipow also said he predicted gas prices to hit $5.05 and that he's focused on the Biden administration's overtures in repairing a relationship with Saudi Arabia.
March For Our Lives will be returning this weekend to Washington, DC, in the wake of the recent mass shooting seen throughout the country. Marchers include Yolanda Renee King, the only granddaughter of Martin Luther King Jr. She joined Cheddar News to discuss the importance of the march and activism in general. "I just think that it's so important to have these rallies because we need to demand to our leaders and politicians that they pass legislation and that and we actually need to see action," she said.
Erika Alexander and Whitney Dow, directors of 'The Big Payback,' join Cheddar News to discuss their new film, 'The Big Payback.' It premieres Saturday, June 11 at the Tribeca Festival.
President Biden proposed a new rule that would add 500,000 chargers for electric vehicles nationwide. The proposal comes amid the rapid shift to EVs with dozens of automakers announcing plans for all-electric fleets within the next decade. But with the new surge will the U.S. have the proper infrastructure to keep up? Scott Painter, founder and CEO of Autonomy.com joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss. "I really think the idea of standardization is a big deal. Standardization certainly makes it much better for everybody to be able to get a charge when they need one," he said.
The House select committee investigating the January 6th riots on Capitol Hill is opening its landmark series of public hearings. Cheddar News speaks with Mike Sozan, senior fellow at the Center for American Progress who explains how to follow the hearings and what to expect.
Claudia Rosenbaum, freelance reporter for Vanity Fair, joins Cheddar Politics to discuss the race for Los Angeles mayor.
Rick Caruso, a billionaire real estate developer, forced a runoff with the longtime Democratic Rep. Karen Bass, who had been the favorite in the race until an ad blitz from Caruso leaning on the city's issues with crime and homelessness.
Survivors of Larry Nassar, including Olympian Simone Biles, are seeking $1 billion in damages from the FBI due to its failure to investigate the former gymnastics team doctor convicted of committing years of serial sexual abuse of minors. Jack Queen, a senior reporter at Law360, joined Cheddar News to break down the legal grounds of this case. "This is one of the biggest black eyes that the Bureau has faced in generations, quite frankly, and the FBI has taken full responsibility and admitted that it completely botched this investigation," he said. "So, there's a lot of pressure to settle."
