Three Wins Today: Dec 12, 2025
We need more representation, not less
Have you heard of “first in the nation?”
It’s a term used to describe the state that gets the first presidential primary. I can already see your eyes glazing over, but, stick with me here.
Any state that goes before Super Tuesday is part of what’s called the “early window.”
Early window states have to be regionally diverse and should be relatively small (Michigan became an exception to that second one last year.)
Also last year, pretty much all on his own, Biden decided to give South Carolina a shot at being first in the nation for the Dem primary process.
Thing is, while the presidential race was contested, it was not competitive, so they’ve never had a chance to be first in the nation when it actually matters.
Now they want that chance.
Biden championed the Black community in many ways: Kamala Harris as the first Black VP, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson as the first Black female Supreme Court Justice, and Jaime Harrison as the first Black DNC Chair.
But he also did it by making South Carolina first in the nation. 40% of Africans who endured slavery came through Charleston, South Carolina. Not only is 1/4th of the state’s population Black, most Black people in this country can trace their roots through the state.
It was a statement, an acknowledgement that the Democratic Party sees Black voters as important and that the issues they care most about should be front and center and determine the trajectory of the campaign.
It’s also worth noting that since 2000, South Carolina has voted for the candidate who won the nomination all but once. That one time being 2004, when they voted for home town boy John Edwards. Their Dem electorate has represented how America has voted for the last 25 years.
That means that it’s a really good state for a candidate to test their message. Can they connect with the Black community AND the Rural community? Cause if they can’t, they’re not gonna be the nominee, let alone become president. For the record, this, not the DNC meddling, is why Bernie Sanders lost in 2016. He did not do well in South Carolina. He didn’t connect to the electorate.
It’s also worth noting that they butt up against two of the most important states in the general election, Georgia and North Carolina, and they share media markets. So putting them first also means two of the swingiest states get to be part of that first push. That’s not nothing.
I know all this cause I’ve spend this week in meetings with the South Carolina Democratic party. With Chair Christale Spain, Executive Director, Jay Parmley and former DNC and South Carolina Chair, Jaime Harrison.
But again, you’re probably thinking, why does it matter? And honestly, I think it’s twofold.
First, the other states vying for first in the nation are New Hampshire, Iowa and Nevada. New Hampshire really wants their spot back, and, I’ll be blunt, they are more than majority White. It would send a not very great message to the Black community AND the South.
Second, there aren’t many parts of Biden’s legacy that are still standing, but this can be. Really give it a chance, see if he had the right idea to put them first.
And finally, fighting for first in the nation can hopefully just bring more attention to the importance of voting and primaries, if done right. And that’s invaluable.
So I hope this helped explain something you probably didn’t know existed at all, but now you might be convinced to pay a bit of attention to.
And if you’re in South Carolina, maybe more than a bit.
Nationwide
Fri, Dec 5 - The American Academy of Pediatrics called out the CDC for making changes to the hepatitis B vaccine schedule.
President Susan Kressly, MD, said:
This irresponsible and purposely misleading guidance will lead to more hepatitis B infections in infants and children. I want to reassure parents and clinicians that there is no new or concerning information about the hepatitis B vaccine that is prompting this change, nor has children’s risk of contracting hepatitis B changed. Instead, this is the result of a deliberate strategy to sow fear and distrust among families.
This is a much stronger statement than when they put out their vaccine recommendations earlier this year. And sadly, I think that’s needed. It’s so important for these organizations to stand strong and firm. And we need to acknowledge and celebrate every time they do. The more they know we have their back, the more statements, like this, we’ll get.
Los Angeles, California
Tue, Dec 9 - The LA Board of Supervisors voted 4-0 to ban law enforcement from wearing any kind of face covering or obscuring their identity. This includes state law enforcement like CHP, which is not included in the statewide law.
Before the final vote, Supervisor Janice Hahn said:
This is how authoritarian secret police behaves — not legitimate law enforcement in a democracy. ICE agents are violating our residents’ rights every day they are on our streets. These agents hide their faces. They refuse to wear badges. They pull people into unmarked vans at gunpoint and wonder why people resist arrest. We are declaring in no uncertain terms that in LA County, police do not hide their faces. That is our expectation, and this ordinance will now make it our law.
There’s no way, yet, to know how this will be enforced, but I am looking forward to finding out. Though, I wish we didn’t have to be here at all or assume this was going to continue.
This is also another example of the importance of voting. Do you normally vote for your County Board of Supervisors member? Do you even know who they are?
Before you finish reading this, go find out, and see who’s running in the next election. They hold so much more power than most people know.
Britain
Tue, Dec 9 - British Ice Skating put out their new championship requirements for the ‘26/’27 season. And for the first time, same sex couples are allowed in all events of the Ice Dance competition.
The wording is simple: “Same-sex couples will now be permitted to compete in all events, including at the Championships.”
But it’s, of course, so much bigger than that. They posted specifically about that change on social media:
📣 We are proud to announce a change to our events for the upcoming 2026/27 season that will enable same-sex couples to compete in ice dance at all British Ice Skating events, including the Championships.
This change reflects our ongoing commitment to making ice skating inclusive and accessible for all ⛸️✨
With everything happening in the world, and especially in sports and in the UK, around queer rights, this is a really big deal. We need more representation, not less.
So those are some of today’s wins. I hope they make your day better and your resolve stronger.
Our voices are our superpower, but only when we use them!
Queer rights are human rights