A lot of things happened. Here are some of the things.

McCloskeys Get McDisciplined

The Missouri Supreme Court disciplined lawyers Mark and Patricia McCloskey, the married couple who waved their guns at Black Lives Matter protesters in 2020, on Tuesday by suspending their law licenses indefinitely.

• However, the court paused the suspensions and put the McCloskeys, who pleaded guilty to misdemeanors in the gun-waving incident, on a year-long probation. If they violate the terms of the probation, their licenses get suspended immediately.
• Mark McCloskey is running for outgoing Sen. Roy Blunt’s (R-MO) seat in the 2022 midterms.

More Americans Now Say Jan. 6 Wasn’t Trump’s Fault

A new Pew poll released yesterday showed a drop in the number of Americans who think Trump was responsible for the Capitol insurrection between January 2021 and January this year.

• 52 percent of Americans said Trump bore “a lot” of responsibility last year. That number fell to 43 percent last month.
• 32 percent now say Trump wasn’t responsible for the attack at all, up from 24 percent last year.
• The dip happened among both Republicans and Democrats, believe it or not, even though far more Democrats than Republicans still say it was Trump’s fault.

Vermont Moves To Enshrine Abortion Rights In Its Constitution

Vermont’s Democrat-controlled legislature on Tuesday passed Proposition 5, a constitutional amendment that would establish a person’s “right to personal reproductive autonomy” in the state. 

• The proposition will appear on the ballot this November. The amendment would be the first of its kind in the U.S. if voters approve it.
• The timing of the proposed amendment is directly tied to red states’ attacks on abortion access and Roe’s uncertain fate in the hands of the U.S. Supreme Court this year.

Abortions In Texas Plummeted By Almost 60% After Ban Went Into Effect

According to data released by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, the number of abortions fell dramatically in September after Texas Republicans’ infamous anti-abortion law went into effect on Sept. 1.

• There were only two abortions that were carried out past the law’s six-week threshold in September, the data shows.
• Meanwhile, Planned Parenthood centers in surrounding states experienced what can only be described as a flood of patients from Texas that month: Patients with Texas zip codes who went to those Planned Parenthoods skyrocketed by 1082 percent compared to September ‘19 and ‘20, according to Planned Parenthood of Greater Texas.

Watch McCarthy Flee From Reporter Asking About RNC Censure

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) wasn’t super eager to talk to ABC News correspondent Rachel Scott yesterday about the Republican National Committee characterizing the Capitol insurrection as “legitimate political discourse” while censuring Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY) and Adam Kinzinger (R-IL):

I tried to ask @GOPLeader about the RNC’s resolution describing Jan. 6 as “legitimate political discourse”

He told me to make an appointment with his office… insisting it’s “not good” to answer questions in hallways. pic.twitter.com/yaL8opl6Pf

— Rachel Scott (@rachelvscott) February 8, 2022

To his credit, McCarthy did speak to CNN reporter Manu Raju about it earlier in the day — to spin the RNC’s “legitimate public discourse” descriptor as merely a reference to RNC members whom the House Jan. 6 Committee have subpoenaed who weren’t in D.C. during the attack (even though, as Raju notes, the RNC’s resolution doesn’t say anything about that).

Asked McCarthy about “legitimate political discourse.” “What they were talking about is the six RNC members who Jan 6th has subpoenaed, who weren't even here, who were in Florida that day." He says those who caused damage “should be in jail.” (RNC resolution doesn’t mention that) pic.twitter.com/k4qsLWAOv5

— Manu Raju (@mkraju) February 8, 2022

McConnell Clashes With RNC

In contrast to McCarthy, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) pushed back against the RNC in no uncertain terms yesterday: He acknowledged the Jan. 6 attack was a “violent insurrection with the purpose of trying to prevent a peaceful transfer of power,” and said it wasn’t the RNC’s job to single out members.

House Passes Bipartisan USPS Reform Bill

In a rare bipartisan development, the House approved the Postal Service Reform Act by 342 to 92 yesterday, advancing a much-needed overhaul of the U.S. Postal Service.

• The legislation lifts the agency’s budget requirements that’ve ballooned its debt, establishes an online transparency system that shows delivery times by zip codes and requires the agency to keep delivering mail six days a week.
• Biden supports the legislation, as does Trump-appointed Postmaster General Louis DeJoy.
• The Senate is likely to pass the bill as well, given that it has strong support among Democrats and at least 14 Republican sponsors, enough to bypass any filibuster.

Fauci Says ‘Full-Blown’ Pandemic Stage Is Almost Over

We’re finally reaching the end of the worst, according to infectious diseases expert Dr. Anthony Fauci in a Financial Times interview. Accordingly, COVID-19 restrictions and mask/vaccine mandates will be left to local governments, not “centrally decided or mandated,” Fauci added.

Axios Reports That Progressive Rep. Will Keep Saying Thing She’s Been Saying

Headlined “Rep. Cori Bush isn’t backing down on ‘defund the police’ slogan,” this Axios article about Rep. Cori Bush (D-MO) signals some sort of disbelief that Bush isn’t dropping the “defund the police” slogan before the midterms. What a very weird thing for her to do, especially considering that:

• Bush is a longtime Black Lives Matter activist
• Barely any Dems ran on “defund the police” in 2020, despite the narrative parroted by conservative and centrist commentators ad nauseam.

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