diff --git a/R/fledgling.R b/R/fledgling.R
index 595453fe..2ead7726 100644
--- a/R/fledgling.R
+++ b/R/fledgling.R
@@ -96,7 +96,6 @@ read_news <- function(news_lines = NULL) {
     end = ends,
     h2 = grepl("##", news_lines[starts]), # TODO does not account for all syntaxes,
     raw = map2_chr(starts, ends, ~ paste(news_lines[seq2(.x, .y)], collapse = "\n")),
-    versions = versions,
     section_state = "keep",
     title = names(versions),
     parse_versions(names(versions))[, c("version", "date", "nickname")],
@@ -124,7 +123,6 @@ read_news <- function(news_lines = NULL) {
 }
 
 parse_news_md <- function(news) {
-  news <- protect_hashtag(news)
   versions <- versions_from_news(news)
   if (is.null(versions)) {
     return(NULL)
diff --git a/R/update-news.R b/R/update-news.R
index 252ca86b..d5c6b52e 100644
--- a/R/update-news.R
+++ b/R/update-news.R
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ add_news_to_fledgeling_samedev <- function(fledgeling, news_lines) {
       section_state = "new"
     )
   } else {
-    old_news <- news_from_versions(fledgeling[["news"]]$versions[1])[[1]]
+    old_news <- news_from_versions(parse_news_md(fledgeling[["news"]]$raw[[1]]))[[1]]
     combined <- c(parse_news_lines(news_lines), old_news)
     combined <- purrr::discard(combined, purrr::is_empty)
     regrouped <- regroup_news(combined)
@@ -106,7 +106,7 @@ add_news_to_fledgeling <- function(
   }
 
   if (dev_header_present) {
-    old_news <- news_from_versions(fledgeling[["news"]]$versions[1])[[1]]
+    old_news <- news_from_versions(parse_news_md(fledgeling[["news"]]$raw[[1]]))[[1]]
     combined <- c(parse_news_lines(news_lines), old_news)
     combined <- purrr::discard(combined, purrr::is_empty)
     news <- regroup_news(combined)
diff --git a/tests/testthat/_snaps/fledgling.md b/tests/testthat/_snaps/fledgling.md
index d85dbea6..b96ac081 100644
--- a/tests/testthat/_snaps/fledgling.md
+++ b/tests/testthat/_snaps/fledgling.md
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@
           "end": 8,
           "h2": false,
           "raw": "# fledge v2.0.0\n\n* blop\n\n* lala\n",
-          "versions": "<section id=\"fledge-v200\" class=\"level1\">",
           "section_state": "keep",
           "title": "fledge v2.0.0",
           "version": "2.0.0",
@@ -19,7 +18,6 @@
           "end": 14,
           "h2": false,
           "raw": "# fledge v1.0.0\n\n* blip\n\n* lili\n",
-          "versions": "<section id=\"fledge-v100\" class=\"level1\">",
           "section_state": "keep",
           "title": "fledge v1.0.0",
           "version": "1.0.0",
@@ -40,7 +38,6 @@
           "end": 9,
           "h2": false,
           "raw": "# Changes in v2.0.0\n\n* blop\n\n* lala\n\n",
-          "versions": "<section id=\"changes-in-v200\" class=\"level1\">",
           "section_state": "keep",
           "title": "Changes in v2.0.0",
           "version": "2.0.0",
@@ -52,7 +49,6 @@
           "end": 15,
           "h2": false,
           "raw": "# Changes in v1.0.0\n\n* blip\n\n* lili\n",
-          "versions": "<section id=\"changes-in-v100\" class=\"level1\">",
           "section_state": "keep",
           "title": "Changes in v1.0.0",
           "version": "1.0.0",
@@ -73,7 +69,6 @@
           "end": 8,
           "h2": false,
           "raw": "# Changes in v2.0.0 \"Vigorous Calisthenics\"\n\n* blop\n\n* lala\n",
-          "versions": "<section id=\"changes-in-v200-vigorous-calisthenics\" class=\"level1\">",
           "section_state": "keep",
           "title": "Changes in v2.0.0 \"Vigorous Calisthenics\"",
           "version": "2.0.0",
@@ -85,7 +80,6 @@
           "end": 14,
           "h2": false,
           "raw": "# Changes in v1.0.0 \"Pumpkin Helmet\"\n\n* blip\n\n* lili\n",
-          "versions": "<section id=\"changes-in-v100-pumpkin-helmet\" class=\"level1\">",
           "section_state": "keep",
           "title": "Changes in v1.0.0 \"Pumpkin Helmet\"",
           "version": "1.0.0",
@@ -106,7 +100,6 @@
           "end": 8,
           "h2": true,
           "raw": "## Changes in v2.0.0 \"Vigorous Calisthenics\"\n\n* blop\n\n* lala\n",
-          "versions": "<section id=\"changes-in-v200-vigorous-calisthenics\" class=\"level2\">",
           "section_state": "keep",
           "title": "Changes in v2.0.0 \"Vigorous Calisthenics\"",
           "version": "2.0.0",
@@ -118,7 +111,6 @@
           "end": 14,
           "h2": true,
           "raw": "## Changes in v1.0.0 \"Pumpkin Helmet\"\n\n* blip\n\n* lili\n",
-          "versions": "<section id=\"changes-in-v100-pumpkin-helmet\" class=\"level2\">",
           "section_state": "keep",
           "title": "Changes in v1.0.0 \"Pumpkin Helmet\"",
           "version": "1.0.0",
@@ -139,7 +131,6 @@
           "end": 7,
           "h2": false,
           "raw": "fledge v2.0.0\n=============\n\n* blop\n\n* lala\n",
-          "versions": "<section id=\"fledge-v200\" class=\"level1\">",
           "section_state": "keep",
           "title": "fledge v2.0.0",
           "version": "2.0.0",
@@ -151,7 +142,6 @@
           "end": 13,
           "h2": false,
           "raw": "# fledge v1.0.0\n\n* blip\n\n* lili\n",
-          "versions": "<section id=\"fledge-v100\" class=\"level1\">",
           "section_state": "keep",
           "title": "fledge v1.0.0",
           "version": "1.0.0",
diff --git a/tests/testthat/_snaps/update-news.md b/tests/testthat/_snaps/update-news.md
index d5b3a0e8..48075a2f 100644
--- a/tests/testthat/_snaps/update-news.md
+++ b/tests/testthat/_snaps/update-news.md
@@ -16,16 +16,16 @@
       [1] "<!-- NEWS.md is maintained by https://fledge.cynkra.com, contributors should not edit this file -->"
       
       $news
-      # A tibble: 1 x 10
+      # A tibble: 1 x 9
         start   end h2   
         <int> <int> <lgl>
       1     3     6 FALSE
         raw                                                                           
         <chr>                                                                         
       1 "# tea 0.0.1 (2023-01-23)\n\n- Added a `NEWS.md` file to track changes to the~
-        versions     section_state title                  version date        nickname
-        <named list> <chr>         <chr>                  <chr>   <chr>       <chr>   
-      1 <xml_node>   keep          tea 0.0.1 (2023-01-23) 0.0.1   (2023-01-2~ <NA>    
+        section_state title                  version date         nickname
+        <chr>         <chr>                  <chr>   <chr>        <chr>   
+      1 keep          tea 0.0.1 (2023-01-23) 0.0.1   (2023-01-23) <NA>    
       
       $preamble_in_file
       [1] TRUE