Trump-free Friday politics roundup: Dec. 8

Resignations abound, the Senate tax bill passes, Germany tries to get its government going, and more in this week’s politics roundup

Senator Franken and Rep. Conyers, Franks to resign

On Thursday, Democratic Senator Al Franken (Minn.) announced that he will resign from elected office. This follows multiple allegations of sexual misconduct from women, who allege that Franken touched them inappropriately and without their consent. Franken continues to deny many of these allegations.

In his resignation speech, he also pointed to similar charges against the president and Senate candidate Roy Moore, neither of whom have resigned. Said Franken:

"There is some irony in the fact that I am leaving while a man who has bragged on tape about his history of sexual assault sits in the Oval Office and a man who has repeatedly preyed on young girls campaigns for the Senate with the full support of his party."

Franken is one of two Democratic congresspeople to resign within the past week. On Tuesday, Representative John Conyers Jr. also announced that he would resign after sexual harassment charges were levied against him. At 88, Conyers is the longest-serving African-American representative in U.S. history. Former employees also allege that he initiated sexually inappropriate and non consensual exchanges. In a series of documents released by Buzzfeed News, one former employee even says that she was fired after refusing Conyers’ advances.

Rep. Trent Franks (R-Ariz.) “wins” for one of the most tone-deaf resignation reasons — he apparently asked at least two of his female staff members if they would be a pregnancy  surrogate for himself and his wife.

Tax bill passes in the Senate

Early Saturday morning, the Senate passed its version of a Republican-led tax overhaul. It was a close victory, narrowly making it through with a vote of 51-49. This legislation, if it were to be made law today, would dramatically cut corporate tax rates and lower individual tax rates for upper and middle-class Americans.

The bill’s passage was especially controversial, given the lack of hearings for the bill and some last-minute, hand-scrawled amendments. The Congressional Budget Office also predicts that the overhaul will add $1.4 trillion to the federal deficit over the next decade.

Now, lawmakers must reconcile the Senate bill’s difference with the House version, which was approved in November. Once both houses of Congress agree, a final bill will be sent to the White House for the president’s signature.

Travel ban stands

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the revised version of the travel ban will be enforced while the ban’s legality is challenged in court. Residents of eight countries — Syria, Libya, Iran, Yemen, Chad, Somalia, North Korea and Venezuela — will be denied entry into the United States. Six of those nations are Muslim majority. Critics note that this ban is effectively one against Muslims, rather than particular nations.

The 9th and 4th circuit appeals courts will hear arguments in two separate cases concerning the ban this week.

National monuments shrink

On Monday, the president ordered the largest reduction of U.S. National Monuments in the country’s history. Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante Monuments, both in Utah, will see dramatic reductions in size. Bears Ears will shrink from 1.3 million acres to 228,000. Meanwhile, Grand Staircase will go to half its current size, from 1.9 million acres to 1 million.

Supporters argue that the lands will now be open for development and private use. Previous presidential designations of National Monuments, they say, were overreaching moves. Opponents, however, claim that land is now unprotected. Tribal leaders are also taking issue with the move. In a statement released by Navajo Nation, President Russell Begaye said that:

"The decision to reduce the size of the Monument is being made with no tribal consultation. The Navajo Nation will defend Bears Ears. The reduction in the size of the Monument leaves us no choice but to litigate this decision."

The Navajo Nation is expected to sue the federal government, along with four other tribes.

Controversy over Israel’s capital

On Wednesday, the president formally recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. The White House then ordered the U.S. Embassy to move from Tel Aviv to its new location, sparking an international controversy. Jerusalem is a highly contested city, given its location on the border with the contested West Bank territory.

This dramatic change on a highly sensitive issue drew criticism from numerous governments. Turkey’s president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said that the move would plunge the area into a “ring of fire”, while the Saudi government said that the move was an “irresponsible and unwarranted step”. Meanwhile, residents of the region and beyond have protested in significant numbers and with marked verve.

Germany still trying to form a government

On Thursday, members of Germany’s Social Democratic (SPD) party voted to hold talks with Chancellor Angela Merkel. Merkel (whose party is the conservative Christian Democratic Union, or CDU) has been plagued by difficulties in forming a coalition government, which has in turn hampered her and everyone else’s ability to effectively run the country.

After Merkel’s September reelection, parties within the German parliament were unable to reach a coalition agreement. Talks between the CDU and SPD, expected to begin early next year, are Germany’s next best chance to get moving.

And, finally, your palate cleanser

Yeah, everyone’s expecting a holiday-themed interlude here. Don’t worry — there will be plenty of other opportunities to talk about sugar cookies, solstices, evergreen decorations and so forth in the coming weeks. But wouldn’t you like an ever-so-brief recess from the holiday cheer?

So, with that in mind, let’s talk about Mars. Specifically, put on your sci-fi nerd hat and dive into some Mars-themed science fiction. Ever since astronomer Percival Lowell got really excited over “canals” on Mars (a mistranslation of Giovanni Schiaparelli’s 1877 observation of “canali”), the Red Planet has been primed for a wide and beautiful array of fiction.

Next: 20 of the best LGBTQ works of science fiction

Sometimes, Mars-focused fiction has dealt with fantastic creatures and societies hidden away on the planet. Other, more practical works, dealt with human colonizations and terraforming of the dry, irradiated Mars. Bookriot has an enjoyable timeline of Martian fiction, while Slate takes a somewhat deeper dive into the subject matter. And before you go all Ray Bradbury on us, check in with The Mary Sue and NASA for the real science behind Mars exploration to come.