Time_Traveller wrote: ↑Tue Feb 13, 2024 1:58 pmUS Senate passes $95bn package of aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan
26 minutes ago
The US Senate has approved a long-awaited $95bn (£75.2bn) aid package for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan after months of political wrangling.
While Democrats were in favour of passing the bill, Republicans were divided and previously voted it down.
The package includes $60bn for Kyiv, $14bn for Israel's war against Hamas and $10bn for humanitarian aid in conflict zones, including in Gaza.
The bill will now go to the House, where its fate remains uncertain.
The package, which also includes more than $4bn in funds for Indo-Pacific allies, passed the Senate despite criticism from Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson and former President Donald Trump.
Senate's $95bn for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan faces uphill battle in House
5 minutes ago
The US Senate has approved a $95bn (£75bn) foreign aid package after months of political wrangling, but it faces an uphill battle in the House.
While Senate Democrats were in favour of passing the bill, Republicans were divided and previously voted it down.
The package has $60bn for Ukraine, $14bn for Israel's war against Hamas and $10bn for humanitarian aid in conflict zones, including in Gaza.
But the House of Representatives Speaker suggested he might block it.
The package, which includes more than $8bn for Taiwan and other Indo-Pacific allies, passed the Democratic-controlled Senate by 70 to 29 in a predawn vote on Tuesday.
Twenty-two Republicans, including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, joined the other side of the aisle to approve the legislation.
GOP-sponsored bill in Oklahoma, HB 3216, passed a legislative hurdle on Wednesday when it passed out of committee. HB 3216 would ban emergency contraception in the state and create a state database of people who have had an abortion.
“If the bill doesn’t get changed with the current wording then IUDs and Plan B could be inaccessible to women,” said State Rep. Trish Ranson (D).
Ranson also noted that she found it “highly concerning” that the legislation would seemingly allow the state to “track” people who have abortions. “I believe that there is an opportunity for tracking women. I believe that there is a major privacy issue that we should be concerned about,” she said.
Oklahoma currently has a near-total ban on abortion, permitting the procedure only under exceptionally restricted circumstances. According to the Guttmacher Institute, the state’s abortion policies are currently classified as “most restrictive.”
West Virginia GOP Passes Deranged Bill That Could Put Librarians in Jail
The Republican-controlled West Virginia House of Delegates has passed a bill that could see librarians facing jail time. House Bill 4654 passed the chamber Friday by a vote of 85–12, along party lines. The bill would remove criminal exemptions for schools, public libraries, and museums that distribute or display “obscene matter” to a minor, even if the minor’s parent or guardian is present. Any employees of those institutions found guilty of giving minors obscene matter can face fines of up to $25,000, up to five years in prison, or both.
The incredibly short piece of legislation gives no indication of how the new rules would affect paintings or sculptures that feature nude figures, or books that include descriptions or definitions of sexual conduct. Obscenity laws are incredibly hard to enforce, because definitions of obscenity still largely come down to individual interpretation.
As a result, there will likely be more reports of obscenity, made by people who are either more conservative or just nervous about accidentally breaking the law. And since libraries and public schools often operate on very tight budgets, they are unlikely to have the budget to fight a surge in lawsuits.
“It is going to cost our counties and our librarians when these matters go to the court system,” House Minority Leader Sean Hornbuckle told The Parkersburg News and Sentinel. “Because this is still vague, I’m scared.”
Biden administration weighs action to make it harder for migrants to get asylum and easier to deport them faster
Source: NBC News
Feb. 21, 2024, 6:30 AM EST
WASHINGTON — The Biden administration is considering taking unilateral action without Congress to make it harder for migrants to pass the initial screening for asylum at the U.S.-Mexico border and quickly deport recently arrived migrants who don’t meet the criteria, say three U.S. officials with knowledge of the deliberations.
The actions, which are still weeks away from finalization, are an effort to lower the number of migrants crossing the southern border illegally as immigration remains a top issue for voters heading into the 2024 presidential election.
Under the new policies, asylum officers would be instructed to raise the standards they use in their “credible fear interviews,” the first screening given to asylum-seekers who are trying to avoid deportation for crossing the border illegally. And Immigration and Customs Enforcement would be told to prioritize recently arrived migrants for deportation, in a “last in, first out” policy, the officials said.
A congressional aide with knowledge of the deliberations said the Biden administration has yet to make a decision, but raising the bar on asylum and deporting more newly arrived migrants are considered “low hanging fruit” and actions that can be taken quickly. The three U.S. officials said it is unclear whether the policies would be achieved through executive order or a new federal regulation, which could take months to implement.
Jon Stewart is as Funny as Ever. But the World has Changed Around Him. by Constance Grady
February 19, 2024
Introduction:
(Vox) Jon Stewart’s return to The Daily Show has been, on the metrics, a success. According to Comedy Central, his first episode back on February 12 was watched by 1.85 million total viewers across premiere simulcasts and encores, up 110 percent from Trevor Noah’s final episode in 2022. It’s also a major improvement on Stewart’s last show. The Problem with Jon Stewart, which ran on Apple TV+ from 2021 to 2023, was routinely drawing in audiences as low as 40,000 people.
“Jon Stewart” and “The Daily Show” on their own are flawed brands. “Jon Stewart on The Daily Show,” on the other hand? That’s a combination of such heady nostalgia that the viewers pour in.
Still, Stewart’s first episode proved that his appeal is not just pure nostalgia. There is some kind of alchemy that occurs when Jon Stewart gets behind that old Daily Show desk. He knows the format of the show so well; he plays it like a virtuoso.
He eases into his monologue with no rush, breaking out the same Borscht Belt voices and self-deprecating barbs he used to play with in 2015, talking in the same relaxed patter that builds to the same crescendo of righteousness. He is so delighted by the chance to play a gotcha reel (in this case, members of the Trump family repeating “I can’t recall” during depositions after a discussion of Biden’s allegedly failing memory) that he almost manages to make the old trick feel new again. He almost manages to make you think, “Wow, Jon Stewart could have done something with the Trump era.” Almost.
Conclusion:
As good as Jon Stewart’s ratings were on his first night, The Daily Show wasn’t the most-watched show on late-night. Over on Fox News, Gutfeld! got 2.2 million views. No matter how skillful Stewart’s performance has been, it’s hard to avoid the sense that he’s delivering a coda to a golden age that ended long ago.
Republicans Push For Discharge Petition Against Mike Johnson
Source: Newsweek
Published Feb 22, 2024 at 5:46 AM EST
Campaign group Republicans for Ukraine are launching a six-figure advertising blitz urging GOP House members to support a discharge petition to pass a bill containing additional military aid for Ukraine, after Speaker Mike Johnson declined to bring it to a vote.
On February 13 the Senate passed a $95 billion package including an additional $60 billion in aid for Ukraine, but it must also be approved by the House before President Joe Biden can sign it into law. Currently Johnson is refusing to hold a vote on the package, which he claimed is "silent on the most pressing issue facing our country," in a reference to illegal immigration.
On Wednesday Republicans for Ukraine announced a "six-figure digital ad" campaign aimed at the 10 House Republicans they seem most likely to sign a discharge petition. A discharge petition, which would require the support of 218 House members including at least four Republicans, could allow the aid package to go to a vote without Johnson's backing. Supporters of Ukraine are confident they have the numbers needed to pass the package in the House if they can get it to a vote.
Speaking to Newsweek, Republicans for Ukraine spokesperson Gunner Ramer said: "For generations, the Republican Party prided itself on standing up to dictators and leading the free world. Many Republicans, including many in Congress, still identify with that party and that role for America. Right now the critical issue in the world is whether free countries will help defeat Putin in Ukraine.
