US political establishment: Republican Chaos in trying to elect McCartney as Congress Chair

The first day of the 118th Congress ended Tuesday without a new House speaker.

House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy failed to secure enough votes to become speaker of the House on three ballots Tuesday, heightening tumult around the new GOP majority. For the first time in a century, the House was unable to pick a speaker on the first vote.

Voting is expected to resume Wednesday.

Read more at: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2023/01/02/house-speaker-vote-explained/10912271002/

USA: Opinion- It’s time to break up the military-industrial complex - by Katrina vanden Heuvel

Two days after the United States withdrew from Afghanistan, the House Armed Services Committee voted to set the Pentagon’s 2022 budget. Given that U.S. officials claim to be winding down decades-long wars, even maintaining current levels of military spending would seem a mystifying choice. But the committee didn’t just vote to maintain current spending levels. It voted to increase them by a whopping $24 billion. Opinions to start the day, in your inbox. Sign up.

Which begs the question: Are we spending this money because we need to, even though our military budget is already higher than those of the next 11 largest countries combined? Or are there other incentives at play?

Ties between the government and the private sector — what President Dwight D. Eisenhower famously called the “military-industrial complex” — form the foundations of our national defense. Since 9/11, between one-third and half of the nearly $14 trillion the Pentagon has spent went to for-profit defense contractors. Dozens of members of Congress and their spouses own millions of dollars’ worth of stock in those companies.

Read more at: Opinion | It’s time to break up the military-industrial complex - The Washington Post

USA - GOP : Turning outrage into power: How far right is changing GOP

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy appears to have settled on a strategy to deal with a handful of Republican lawmakers who have stirred outrage with violent, racist and sometimes Islamophobic comments.

If you can’t police them, promote them.

The path to power for Republicans in Congress is now rooted in the capacity to generate outrage. The alarming language, and the fundraising haul it increasingly produces, is another example of how Donald Trump, the former president, has left his mark on politics, changing the way Republicans rise to influence and authority.

Read more at: Turning outrage into power: How far right is changing GOP | AP News

USA: The failed US coup of January 6th. : U.S. House holds Trump ally Bannon in contempt, seeks prosecution

Longtime Donald Trump ally Steve Bannon could face criminal prosecution for refusing to cooperate with a probe into the deadly Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol after the House of Representatives voted Thursday to hold him in contempt of Congress.

The Democratic-led chamber voted 229 to 202, with nine Republicans joining Democrats to recommend the charges against Bannon, who served as chief strategist for the Republican former president.

Read more at: U.S. House holds Trump ally Bannon in contempt, seeks prosecution | Reuters

USA: Facebook 'accountable to no one,' whistleblower will say in testimony

Former Facebook employee and whistleblower Frances Haugen will tell Congress Tuesday that the social media giant faces no oversight, comparing it to tobacco companies denying harm and government seatbelt mandates, according to testimony seen by Reuters.

Read more at: Facebook 'accountable to no one,' whistleblower will say in testimony

USA: House passes budget resolution, advances infrastructure bill

House Democrats forged ahead with President Joe Biden’s economic plans Tuesday after they broke a stalemate that threatened to unravel the party’s sprawling agenda.

In a 220-212 party-line vote, the chamber passed a $3.5 trillion budget resolution and advanced a $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill. The vote allows Democrats to write and approve a massive spending package without Republicans and puts the Senate-passed infrastructure plan on a path to final passage in the House.

Read more at: House passes budget resolution, advances infrastructure bill

Armenia: US congresswoman urges Azerbaijan to immediately withdraw from Armenian territories and stop violence

US congresswoman Katherine Clark urges Azerbaijan to immediately withdraw from the territory of Armenia, ARMENPRESS reports she wrote on her Twitter page.

‘’Azerbaijan’s military forces must withdraw from Armenian lands immediately and stop the violence that has already cost multiple lives. Proud to have voted for Chairman Frank Pallone’s amendment to cut off military funding to Azerbaijan and to stand with the Armenian people’’, Katherine Clark wrote.

Read more at: US congresswoman urges Azerbaijan to immediately withdraw from Armenian territories and stop violence | ARMENPRESS Armenian News Agency

UFO's: No longer confined to the fringe, UFO theories move into the mainstream

UFOs are now serious business.

So serious, in fact, that they have been given a new name. No longer called UFOs, or Unidentified Flying Objects, a term often associated with people of questionable sanity, the mysterious objects that have been reported by the hundreds, are now the source of discussion in serious scientific circles and have been rebaptised with the more serious-sounding moniker Unidentified Aerial Phenomena, or UAPs.

Last June, officials made public the existence of the Unidentified Aerial Phenomena Task Force, housed within the Office of Naval Intelligence. Six months later, the 2021 Intelligence Authorization Act asked the director of national intelligence work and the secretary of defence to put together a report detailing everything the government knows about UAPs.

Read more at: No longer confined to the fringe, UFO theories move into the mainstream

USA - Biden Administration: House approves Biden’s $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief plan

The US House of Representatives has approved in a late-night vote President Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion coronavirus aid bill, as Democrats who control the chamber steered the sweeping measure towards approval.

The bill cleared the House on a party-line vote of 219 to 212 early on Saturday.

Read more at: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/2/27/us-house-approves-bidens-1-9-trillion-covid-19-relief-plan

USA: Ted Cruz under scrutiny: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez goes in hard on Ted Cruz and GOP: ‘you almost had me murdered’ - by Walter Einenke

On Thursday, responding the the stock trading mobile app Robinhood blocking retail investors from buying surging stocks like GameStop, AMC, Bed Bath & Beyond, BlackBerry, and Nokia, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez called for an investigation into the transparent manipulation of the stock market by hedge funds. On Twitter she wrote, “This is unacceptable. We now need to know more about @RobinhoodApp’s decision to block retail investors from purchasing stock while hedge funds are freely able to trade the stock as they see fit. As a member of the Financial Services Cmte [sic], I’d support a hearing if necessary.”

The always craven and opportunistic political Renfield Sen. Ted Cruz decided to retweet Ocasio-Cortez’s statement and add “Fully agree.” Blech! Rep. Ocasio-Cortez isn’t going to allow this disingenuous piece of human detritus play pretend Mother Theresa, so she replied: “I am happy to work with Republicans on this issue where there’s common ground, but you almost had me murdered 3 weeks ago so you can sit this one out. Happy to work w/ almost any other GOP that aren’t trying to get me killed. In the meantime if you want to help, you can resign.” Boom.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez goes in hard on Ted Cruz and GOP: ‘you almost had me murdered’

USA: Congress Reaches Deal On New Coronavirus Small Business Loan Package

 After nearly two weeks of partisan blame games, Republicans and Democrats in Congress announced a deal on Tuesday that would replenish the new loan program for small businesses struggling from the coronavirus pandemic.

On top of $310 billion for small business loans, the tentative agreement would also provide $75 billion for hospitals, $60 billion for economic disaster loans, and $25 billion to expand coronavirus testing. Despite President Donald Trump’s claim that “anybody that wants a test can get a test,” the United States has continually lagged behind other countries in testing.
 

Democrats had insisted on getting more than just a replenishment of money for small businesses in this round of coronavirus relief, which lawmakers are calling “Phase 3.5.” The hospital funding, increased money for testing, and economic disaster loans were all important Democratic priorities.

Read more at: Congress Reaches Deal On New Coronavirus Small Business Loan Package | HuffPost

China-US relations: Hong Kong: China slams US bill backing protesters

In a nod to pro-democracy protesters, US Congress has passed two bills supporting human rights in Hong Kong. China has threatened unspecified countermeasures if the bills become law.

Read more at:
https://www.dw.com/en/hong-kong-china-slams-us-bill-backing-protesters/a-51342263

USA: Shooting at Halloween party leaves 4 dead, 4 injured-its all about having no serious gun control rights in America

At least four people were shot dead at a house party in California on Halloween night, say authorities.

Four others were injured in the shooting, which occurred in the city of Orinda, some 9 miles northeast of Oakland.

"We are still investigating the scene," Orinda Police Chief David Cook told ABC News in an email Friday morning

Read more: Shooting at Halloween party leaves 4 dead, 4 injured

USA: Impeachment rules process approved in House as another U.S. official testifies

The Democratic-controlled U.S. House of Representatives approved the rules for its impeachment inquiry of President Donald Trump, which sets the stage for outlining the process for public hearings and possibly drafting articles of impeachment.

The 232-196 roll call vote overwhelmingly along party lines was the chamber's first formal vote on a process that's likely to take months, possibly stretching into the early weeks of the 2020 election year.

Two Democrats voted against party lines, while one Independent voted in favour.

Underscoring the gravity of the vote, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi presided over the chamber as it voted on the rules package.

Read more at: https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/impeachment-rules-morrison-1.5342368

USA - Trumpgate: US State Department blocks US EU ambassador from testifying in Ukraine probe

Read more at:
https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/dc-house-ukraine-hearings-1.5313040

USA - Visitors/Tourists To US Beware: No Gun Controls, White Extremists, and Frequent Kilings of Innocent people - "Recent Texas shooting: Death toll rises to 7 in gunman's rampage - by John Bacon and Olivia Sanchez

The death toll rose to seven Sunday after a gunman's rampage that left many more injured following what began as a routine traffic stop in Odessa, police in the West Texas city said.

Odessa police spokesman Steve LeSueur said Sunday that at least one person remains in “life-threatening” condition. Police Chief Michael Gerke previously said the gunman, whose name has not been released, was fatally shot by police.

"There is no longer an immediate threat to the public, and this situation continues to be investigated by local, state and federal officials," Gerke said in a statement.

The assault took place one day before a series of gun law changes in state that ease restrictions on where Texans can carry or store firearms, from foster homes to churches.

The shooting began Saturday afternoon when a state trooper pulled over the suspect, described by authorities as a white male in his mid-30s and driving a gold-colored car, was pulled over for a traffic violation on Interstate 20 between Midland and Odessa.

The driver opened fire on the trooper before fleeing westbound on the interstate, shooting his way to Odessa, stealing a mail truck and continuing his assault, police said.

Read more: Texas shooting: Death toll rises to 7 in gunman's rampage

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USA: US house ot representatives reprimand Trump for racist remarks

US House condemns Trump over racist comments against congresswomen The US House of Representatives voted on Tuesday to condemn President Donald Trump for "racist comments" against four minority Democratic congresswomen, a symbolic vote aimed at shaming Trump and his fellow Republicans who stood by him.

Read more at:
https://www.france24.com/en/20190717-USA-house-condemns-trump-over-racist-comments-tweeted-congresswomen

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USA: Judge rules against Trump in records dispute with Congress

A federal judge in Washington has ruled against President Donald Trump in a financial records dispute with Congress.

Judge Amit Mehta's ruling says Trump cannot block the House subpoena of financial records.

The decision comes amid a widespread effort by the White House and the president's lawyers to refuse to cooperate with congressional requests for information and records.

Trump and his business organization had sued to block the subpoena issued in April to Mazars USA, an accountant for the president and Trump Organization.

 Read more at: Judge rules against Trump in records dispute with Congress

USA: Trump vetoes measure to end US involvement in Yemen war and giving military support to Saudi-Arabia

Birds of a feather flock together

President Donald Trump has vetoed a bill Congress passed to end US military assistance in the Saudi Arabia led war in Yemen.

In a break with the president, Congress voted for the first time to invoke the War Powers Resolution to try and stop US involvement in a foreign conflict.

But Trump vetoed the measure with the Congress lacking the votes to override him.

"This resolution is an unnecessary, dangerous attempt to weaken my constitutional authorities, endangering the lives of American citizens and brave service members, both today and in the future," said Trump in a statement.

House approval of the resolution came earlier this month on a 247-175 vote. The Senate vote last month was 54-46.

Congress has grown uneasy with Trump's close relationship with Saudi Arabia as he tries to further isolate Iran, a regional rival.

Many lawmakers also criticized the president for not condemning Saudi Arabia for the killing of a Saudi writer Jamal Khashoggi, who had been critical of the kingdom.

Read more at: Trump vetoes measure to end US involvement in Yemen war | Trump News | Al Jazeera

USA - Voodoo Economics: Trump budget to propose slashing domestic Spending and boosting defense - by Damien Paletta Erica Werner

President Trump on Monday will propose major spending cuts across a range of domestic government programs while seeking a large increase for the Pentagon, a budget plan that’s already encountering withering opposition from Democrats who control the House, as well as some Republicans.

The budget has little chance of becoming law because of bipartisan resistance to many of its elements, but it sets forth the White House’s vision ahead of what is expected to be a fierce battle over government spending later this year.

Even with deep spending cuts, the president’s plan would not balance the budget until the mid-2030s, two people briefed on the plan said, falling short of the 10-year time frame that Republicans have sought for years. The people spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the plan ahead of its public release..

Read more: Trump budget to propose slashing domestic spending, boosting defense