This Week In 'both Sides Do It' Matthew Dowd Edition

This story was originally published by Grist and is reproduced here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration. Last fall, I invited a stranger into my yard. Manzanita, with its peeling red bark and delicate pitcher-shaped blossoms, thrives on the dry, rocky ridges of Northern California. The small, evergreen tree or shrub is famously drought-tolerant, with some varieties capable of enduring more than 200 days between waterings.

A ruinous Supreme Court decision from fifty years ago urgently needs reviewing.

Today is the National Day of Prayer; pray unceasingly.

It’s been more than 50 years since Columbia University became the site of student demonstrations amid unrest over the Vietnam War, but the spirit of protest on campus remains strong. Late Tuesday night, dozens of protestors sieged Hamilton Hall—the iconic site of numerous student occupations over the course of history—and unfurled a banner to reveal the building’s new name by protestors: “Hind’s Hall.” The designation was in honor of six-year-old Hind Rajab, who was killed by Israeli troops in Gaza.

A bill aimed at barring landlords from using algorithms to set rents died in the Colorado Senate on Wednesday after a group of moderate Democrats joined Republicans to reject a more forceful House version of the measure. The crux of the disagreement was an adopted amendment that bill backers charged had been written by a software company fighting the bill. “I’m grateful for my colleagues who sided with renters, but ultimately too many Democrats sided with a corporation under investigation for price fixing against Coloradans who are feeling the worst of the housing crisis,” said Sen.

Student protests over the ongoing conflict in Gaza have become a thorny issue for President Joe Biden and many Democrats, drawing attention to his Administration’s stance on Israel and highlighting divisions within the party. [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] The protests, which have erupted on campuses like Columbia University and UCLA, present a delicate balancing act for Biden as he navigates the complexities of U.