Jeffries says Dems could save Speaker Johnson from efforts to remove
Top Democrat in the House of Representatives, Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., suggested that members of his party could vote to save Speaker Mike Johnson if his GOP colleagues move to oust him. On Tuesday, April 9, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., threatened to bring a motion to vacate forward if Johnson holds a vote on an international aid bill. The package would provide funding for Ukraine, Israel, the Indo-Pacific region and civilians in Gaza.
“Now I’ve made the observation, not a declaration, the observation that if the speaker were to do the right thing and allow the House to works its will with an up or down vote on the national security bill, then I believe there are a reasonable number of Democrats who would not want to see the speaker fall as a result of doing the right thing,” Jeffries told reporters on Thursday, April 11.
It is unclear how many Democrats would vote in Johnson’s favor if a motion to vacate is brought forward. Regardless, Rep. Dan Kildee, D-Mich., told Straight Arrow News that Johnson needed to work more closely with Jeffries if he wanted to get bills passed in a nearly evenly divided Congress.
“If the speaker recognizes that going forward the only way we’re going to get things done is by working together, he can’t on one day ask for our help when he can’t get something done and on the next day treat us like we don’t exist,” Kildee said.
Johnson said there are many options under consideration for both the foreign aid package and a bill to reauthorize Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. The section allows the government to spy on foreigners overseas without a warrant.
“How he handles the FISA process and how he handles funding Ukraine is going to tell our entire conference how to handle the motion to vacate,” Greene said.
Greene wrote a letter to her Republican colleagues that explained her lack of confidence in the speaker. It began with his decision to move a government funding bill forward that did not include many Republican policy priorities.
Johnson said he stands by his decision, saying the other option was a government shutdown.
“I just don’t think that would be helpful to us, from a political standpoint, for the Republican party to continue to govern, to maintain, keep and then grow our majority in November,” Johnson said. “I thought that would have been a great hindrance to it. So that wouldn’t be helpful, nor does a motion to vacate help us in that regard either. It would be chaos in the House.”
It is unclear how many Republicans would vote to remove Johnson. The House shut down for three weeks after representatives voted to oust Kevin McCarthy. Lawmakers said they thought the process to choose a replacement was frustrating and stressful. They also said they do not want to go through it again.
Attacks on postal workers are on the rise, so lawmakers want new protections
A bipartisan group of lawmakers in the House of Representatives introduced a bill to address the rising number of attacks against letter carriers. According to the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC), there have been more than 2,000 such crimes committed since 2020.
“Throughout our history, letter carriers in uniform have been able to walk down even the meanest streets in this country without incident,” NALC President Brian Renfroe said at a press conference on Capitol Hill. “No one messed with their letter carrier. That has changed.”
Many of the attacks involve weapons — including guns. Some are caught on security cameras in local neighborhoods, such as one in which a letter carrier was assaulted on a front lawn by two masked men and another in which a carrier was punched in a driveway and subsequently tumbled into the street.
“It was two young, young men wearing ski masks and holding an AK-47,” letter carrier Matt McBee from Detroit said of his attack. “They stuck it to my head and all they wanted was the key.”
The letter box keys are a big target, so lawmakers included funds in the bill to address that. The Protect Our Letter Carriers Act would provide $1.4 billion to replace the universal key with an electronic key and replace the old blue mail boxes with high security boxes. The bill would also change sentencing guidelines for anyone who assaults or robs a postal carrier, treating them the same as someone who assaults a law enforcement officer.
To build support for the bill, the sponsors brought in some heavy hitters of their own, including United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y.
“The fact that any worker is subjected to any act of violence, while doing a job on behalf of the American people is not something that we should ever tolerate,” Jeffries said.
Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa., a sponsor of the bill, hopes to get it passed using what’s known in the House as the 290 rule. If leadership won’t bring a bill up for a vote, rank-and-file members can get it put on the consensus calendar if they get 290 co-sponsors.
“I think we will get 290 co-sponsors on this bill,” Fitzpatrick said. “This is a no brainer, I can’t imagine anybody being opposed to it. Which means that I fully expect this to come on the floor this year and pass with overwhelming support.”
The bill has 14 co-sponsors and has been referred to both the Judiciary and Oversight committees. It has not been introduced in the Senate.
Jeffries considers discharge petition to go around Speaker Johnson on foreign aid
The top Democrat in the House of Representatives said there are more than 300 bipartisan votes in the chamber to pass the $95 billion dollar foreign aid package the Senate approved Tuesday, Feb. 13. Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., is calling on Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., to bring it up for a vote.
“More than 300 bipartisan votes,” Jeffries told reporters. “It’s not too much to ask in America’s national security, that we get an up or down vote and let the House of Representatives actually work its will.”
Johnson said he opposes the bill and won’t bring it up for a vote because it does not contain any border security provisions.
“The Republican-led house will not be jammed or forced into passing a foreign aid bill that was opposed by most Republican senators and does nothing to secure our own border,” Johnson said.
Jeffries said “all options are on the table” to get this bill approved and he will “utilize every legislative tool available.” There are multiple options to go around Johnson and force a vote on the bill.
One is a discharge petition. That option requires a majority of members — 217 representatives — to sign a petition that is filed with the House clerk and ultimately brings the bill up for a vote on the floor.
Discharge petitions are time consuming and require at least a seven day waiting period before a vote, and votes are only allowed on certain days of the week.
Another difficult option is a PQ, or “ordering of the previous question.” It requires a majority vote and, if successful, Democrats would control the House Floor for one hour of debate on the legislative item that was offered in the PQ.
There is no timeline for when Democrats will try either option, but they’ll need the help of a group of Republicans to do it.
“This effort to pass a national security bill is not charity,” Rep. Jason Crow, D-Colo., said. “This bill and this effort is directly, directly aligned in support of U.S. national security interests and the American people.”
Johnson, his leadership team and those opposed to the foreign aid package are going to do everything they can to stop these maneuvers and are working on ideas of their own.
“What Speaker Johnson should do is one of two things,” Rep. Bob Good, R-Va., said. “Either send back an Israel support bill paid for by cutting UNRWA, UN funding, climate credits, IRS expansion, the Commerce slush fund — there’s lots of low hanging fruit — combined with border security. And then we ought to add border security to the spending battles ahead.”
The Republicans’ border bill, H.R. 2, has failed to get any support from Democrats, so it’s not going to become law as is. The same can be said for their idea to cut funding from current programs to offset new spending. Republicans tried that with a previous aid package for Israel and it didn’t go anywhere.
How Al Green and the Democrats sank the Mayorkas impeachment vote
Republicans failed to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas Tuesday, Feb. 6, in a 214-216 vote. Three Republicans joined every Democrat to kill the impeachment resolution.
Technically, four Republicans voted against the resolution. However, one member of GOP leadership, Rep. Blake Moore, changed his vote from yes to no at the very end, allowing members to bring it up for a second vote at a later date. That’s exactly what they plan to do as soon as next week.
“There hasn’t been a failure yet. We’re going to bring it back,” Rep. Marjorie Taylor Green, R-Ga., told reporters.
House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., missed the vote because he was receiving cancer treatment. If everyone votes the same way when he returns, the resolution should be approved 216-215.
Tuesday night’s failure went beyond Scalise’s absence.
During a vote on another bill, Rep. Al Green, D-Texas, was absent, and everyone thought he was in the hospital.
So, when Republican leaders counted who was present, they determined the impeachment resolution would pass based on attendance. Little did they know, Green had checked himself out of the hospital and rolled into the Capitol on a wheelchair to cast his vote against the resolution, making it a tie, which fails.
“Al Green is a great American, a great patriot,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., said. “He made it clear to me that it was important for him to be present to cast a vote against the sham impeachment, led by Marjorie Taylor Greene, targeting a hard working public servant like Secretary Mayorkas.”
The Republicans who voted against impeachment are Reps. Tom McClintock, Calif., Ken Buck, Colo., and Mike Gallagher, Wis.
McClintock released a 10-page letter explaining his opposition beforehand, and Buck also announced he’d vote no ahead of time. However, Gallagher was a surprise.
“Secretary Mayorkas has faithfully implemented President Biden’s open border policies and helped create the dangerous crisis at the southern border,” Gallagher said in a statement. “But the proponents of impeachment failed to make the argument as to how this stunning incompetence meets the impeachment threshold Republicans outlined while defending former President Trump.”
There were mixed reactions from Republicans about their colleagues who voted no.
“They think it’s on constitutional grounds,” Rep. Carlos Gimenez, R-Fla., told Straight Arrow News. “They certainly don’t believe that he’s done a good job. But no, I have no problem with them. And no, it doesn’t concern me at all.”
“I would really love to see them go home and talk to their voters, the people that hired them to come here,” Greene said. “I know that several of them have very strong Republican districts.”
Some Republicans appear to be holding out hope that at least one of them may change their mind and vote to impeach. Greene said members need to think about it over the weekend.
Senators on both sides criticize border deal; House GOP says it’s DOA
The new Senate border deal is a 280-page makeover of the country’s asylum, work authorization, and immigration adjudication system. It has the support of President Biden, Senate leaders from both parties and House Democratic leadership. However, the bill appears to be doomed to fail after House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., called it “dead on arrival” in his chamber, and Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., who is in charge of scheduling votes, said it will not receive one.
“The border security bill will put a huge number of new enforcement tools in the hands of a future administration and push the current administration to finally stop the illegal flow,” Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., said in a statement.
Lankford was the principal Republican negotiator along with Sens. Kyrsten Sinema, I-Ariz., and Chris Murphy, D-Conn.
“We’re creating bold new tools to get control of the border for the first time in a long time.,” Murphy said. “But our bill does not deviate from our nation’s core values.”
Here’s just a small glimpse of what’s in it:
On asylum
The bill raises the credible fear standard for asylum-seekers and allows those who pass that new, higher bar to receive a work permit.
The bill requires those cases to be fully decided within 6 months. Currently, it takes years for those cases to be decided.
It also takes into consideration whether the applicant could have moved within their own country to find safety or moved somewhere other than the United States.
New Border Emergency Authority
The bill creates a Border Emergency Authority that requires DHS to shut down the border and immediately deport all new arrivals if Border Patrol encounters reach a one-week average of 5,000 per day.
Below that threshold, single adults would be detained, while families would be released.
General border security provisions
The bill provides $650 million to build and reinforce miles of new border wall.
It ends the Biden administration’s use of the CBPOne app to facilitate parole and work authorizations.
Foreign aid
The bill would provide:
$60.6 billion for Ukraine.
$4.8 billion in military support for the Indo-Pacific region.
In the Senate, progressives like Alex Padilla, D-Calif., and Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., oppose the bill. Meanwhile, conservatives, including Mike Lee, R-Utah, Josh Hawley, R-Mo., Steve Daines, R-Mont., and Rick Scott, R-Fla., are a “no,” raising questions as to whether it will receive support from half of Senate Republicans.
Sen. Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said he’s hopeful it’ll pass his chamber and had a message for Speaker Johnson.
“You know we need to fix our border, you know it has to be bipartisan. The bill that you passed didn’t get a single Democratic vote in the House or Senate, how are you going to get anything done?” Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.”
"The [hard-right extremists] are running your show… Do the right thing. You know what the right thing to do is… You say the border is in chaos, do something about it, don't just politically posture."
Johnson, meanwhile, is bringing forward a $14.3 billion dollar supplemental package for Israel during the week of Feb. 4.
The top Democrat in the House, Hakeem Jeffries, N.Y., said Johnson’s proposal provides critical aid to Israel but “irresponsibly fails to address the other national security issue.”
“There is reason to believe that this eleventh-hour standalone bill is a cynical attempt to undermine the Senate’s bipartisan effort,” Jeffries wrote to his fellow House Democrats.
Despite that, Jeffries said House Democrats will consider supporting the measure.
Speaker Johnson pushes border reform in meeting with Biden on Ukraine aid
Following a meeting at the White House on Wednesday, Jan. 17, House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., told reporters he pressed President Biden on immigration reform, calling the southern border a “national security and humanitarian catastrophe.” Biden invited congressional leaders to push for more aid to Ukraine, aid that has been blocked by House Republicans for months over demands of a stricter border policy as the U.S.-Mexico border has been flooded with a record number of migrants.
But the American people have those same concerns about our own domestic sovereignty, and our safety, and our security.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La.
According to the Pew Research Center, 10.5 million undocumented immigrants have been living in the U.S. since 2021. While Republicans have drawn a proverbial line in the sand demanding the border be addressed in any Ukraine-Israel funding package, the meeting may have marked a path forward for negotiations that have been at a stalemate in Congress.
Any party that says do it my way or no way, we’re not going to get anything done.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.
“We understand that there is concern about the safety, security, sovereignty of Ukraine,” Speaker Johnson said. “But the American people have those same concerns about our own domestic sovereignty, and our safety, and our security.”
Today, I’ll join bipartisan Congressional leaders to meet with @POTUS at the White House and discuss the importance of passing a national security supplemental.
It’s a matter of the highest national urgency that both parties keep working together pass the supplemental.
“The only way we will do border and Ukraine, or even either of them, is bipartisan,” Schumer said. “Any party that says do it my way or no way, we’re not going to get anything done.”
Biden meeting with top lawmakers to talk aid for Ukraine and Israel
The White House announced on Tuesday, Jan. 16, that President Biden will meet with top lawmakers to push for more aid to Ukraine and Israel, efforts that have stalled in Congress. According to ABC News reporting, on Wednesday, Jan. 17, Biden will meet with House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., to find a path forward and get more funding passed.
Biden requested $106 billion in funding for Ukraine and Israel to be passed in October, but negotiations in Congress came grinding to a halt as Republicans set a hard line on immigration reform, demanding it be tied in with any additional funding to Ukraine.
I met with the Prime Minister of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam Pham Minh Chinh.
I thanked Viet Nam for its support of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as humanitarian assistance.
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) January 16, 2024
Negotiations have been ongoing for months with seemingly no progress as Republicans want stricter border enforcement as migrants flood the southern border, but according to the White House, those talks are now moving in the right direction. Still, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said it’s time for Congress to act.
“You know, this is about securing our border,” Jean-Pierre said. “This is about our national security and the consequences of congressional inaction would be severe. So, the president is going to have this all-important conversation.”
Evacuating the wounded in the conditions where the 126 TDF Brigade is currently operating is a complex and dangerous operation. But the highest value is life—above all. In war, nothing is easy and straightforward. The Victory we achieve together is all the more precious. pic.twitter.com/ThkLYQl0tE
Lack of funding has been a thorn in Ukraine’s side in its fight against Russian invaders of late, with the Biden administration saying it is quickly running out of funding to provide aid to Ukraine. It has been over a year since Congress approved major funding for Ukraine.
US strikes Houthi targets in Yemen as group is expected to be added to terror list: The Morning Rundown, Jan. 17, 2024
The U.S. launched another airstrike against Houthi targets, as the Iranian-backed group is expected to be relisted as a global terrorist organization. And the next Republican debate is canceled just days before the New Hampshire primary. These stories and more highlight The Morning Rundown for Wednesday, Jan. 17, 2024.
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US launches strike as Houthis expected to be added to terrorist list
The United States carried out another airstrike against Houthi targets in Yemen on Tuesday, Jan. 16, destroying four anti-ballistic missiles. This was the third military strike by the American forces against the Iranian-backed group since last week’s U.S.-led attack that struck dozens of Houthi targets.
Later in the day, the Houthis claimed responsibility for an attack on a Greek-owned bulk carrier; no injuries were reported, and the vessel did not suffer any damage. According to U.S. officials, the Biden administration is planning to put the Houthi rebels back on the list of terrorist organizations, marking them as “specially designated global terrorists,” which would impose financial restrictions on the group.
The Houthis had been designated as a terrorist organization back in January of 2021, but the group was removed from the list over concerns the move would stall peace talks and impact the civilians of Yemen who have been part of a nearly decade-long civil war. The Houthis said they would continue to attack ships in the Red Sea as long as Israel pressed on with its military operation against Hamas in Gaza.
On Tuesday, Jan. 16, the countries of Qatar and France announced they brokered a deal between Israel and Hamas to deliver medication to Israeli hostages taken during Hamas’ terror attack in October in exchange for additional medicine and aid for Palestinians living in Gaza.
President Biden to host top lawmakers to talk aid to Ukraine and Israel
The White House announced on Tuesday, Jan. 16, that President Biden will meet with top lawmakers to push for more aid to Ukraine and Israel, efforts that have stalled in Congress. According to ABC News reporting, on Wednesday, Jan. 17, Biden will meet with House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., to find a path forward and get more funding passed.
Biden requested $106 billion in funding for Ukraine and Israel to be passed in October, but negotiations in Congress came grinding to a halt as Republicans set a hard line on immigration reform, demanding it be tied in with any additional funding to Ukraine.
Negotiations have been ongoing for months with seemingly no progress as Republicans want stricter border enforcement as migrants flood the southern border, but according to the White House, those talks are now moving in the right direction. Still, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said it’s time for Congress to act.
“You know, this is about securing our border,” Jean-Pierre said. “This is about our national security and the consequences of congressional inaction would be severe. So, the president is going to have this all-important conversation.”
Senate advances stopgap bill as shutdown deadline looms
The Senate has voted to advance a stopgap spending measure that would extend government funding deadlines to March 1 and March 8, which would give Congress more time to pass long-term funding. But there is still work to be done to avert a shutdown as this week’s deadline rapidly approaches.
The Senate voted 68-13 on Tuesday, Jan. 16 on a bill to serve as a vehicle for a two-step stopgap, also called continuing resolution (CR). The two-tiered spending bill must still pass the Senate and the House, where there may be Republican opposition, making it difficult to push through. Without it passing both chambers, the government would partially shut down on Friday, Jan. 19, when funding for some agencies runs out; for other agencies, funding would run out on Feb. 2.
As hardline conservatives in the House fight for lower spending levels than what was agreed to by congressional leaders, it seems Speaker Johnson has his work cut out for him, especially considering working with Democrats to pass short-term spending is what got former Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., ousted from his position. If the measure does pass the House, it will mark the third short-term spending bill passed by Congress since September.
ABC News cancels GOP primary debate in New Hampshire
The next Republican primary debate that was scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 17, in New Hampshire is no longer taking place. ABC News announced yesterday its decision to cancel the debate after it said both former President Donald Trump and former United Nations ambassador Nikki Haley failed to respond to their invitations by the Tuesday afternoon, Jan. 16 deadline.
Earlier in the day, Haley released a statement that said she would only debate President Biden or former President Trump, who is coming off a victory in the Iowa caucuses. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who qualified for the ABC News debate, responded to Haley’s comments saying she was afraid. Trump has not participated in the previous debates, citing his commanding lead in the polls.
The former president is expected to attend the second day of his defamation trial in New York on Thursday, Jan. 17, before heading back to New Hampshire for campaign events. New Hampshire will hold its primary election next Tuesday, Jan. 23.
The merger would have created the fifth-largest airline in the country, a deal JetBlue said is needed to compete with bigger rivals. Both airlines disagreed with the judge’s ruling and are considering an appeal.
‘Oldest dog ever’ world record suspended amid controversy
Controversy over the age of the world’s oldest dog ever has led Guinness World Records to suspend the title as the group reviews its findings. We have reported on Bobi before here on The Morning Rundown.
The reportedly 31-year-old guard dog was announced as the world’s oldest living dog and oldest dog ever in February 2023. Bobi died in October, but now, months later, Guinness World Records said it received comments from a group of skeptical veterinarians questioning the dog’s age. The publication said both records are on pause until the investigation is finished.
Texas Supreme Court blocks woman’s abortion, mother’s life ‘not at risk’
The Texas Supreme Court is now temporarily blocking a 31-year-old woman from having an abortion. This development follows a lower court granting an emergency order that allowed her to have the abortion.
Kate Cox said her baby has been diagnosed with Trisomy 18, also called Edwards’ syndrome. This genetic condition often ends in miscarriage or still birth.
The state’s Supreme Court contends that is not a reason for an abortion, arguing Cox’s doctors have failed to show how the birth of the baby would threaten the mother’s life.
Abortion law in Texas allows for an exemption if the mother’s life is in jeopardy. Cox’s doctors say going through with the birth could jeopardize her health.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) argues that is different from her life being at risk, saying her doctors failed to show Cox is at risk of death by following through with the pregnancy.
Paxton also added that “it appears there was no second opinion from another doctor at the hospital.”
Cox is currently 20 weeks pregnant and already a mother to two children. She said she wants to continue growing her family, but — according to Cox’s lawsuit — her doctors told her having this baby could jeopardize her future fertility and, under the best circumstances, the baby would live for a week at most.
I do not want to continue until my baby dies in my belly or I have to deliver a stillborn baby or one where life will be measured in hours of days, full of medical tubes and machinery.
Kate Cox
“I do not want to continue until my baby dies in my belly or I have to deliver a stillborn baby or one where life will be measured in hours of days, full of medical tubes and machinery,” Cox said. “I desperately want the chance to try for another baby and want to access the medical care now that gives me the best chance at another baby.”
According to a Minnesota Department of Health report tracking Edwards’ syndrome, “There is no known cause of Trisomy 18. Studies have shown that only 50% of babies who are carried to term will be born alive. The median of survival among live births has varied between 2.5 and 14.5 days. About 90% – 95% of babies do not survive beyond the first year.”
Political leaders are reacting to news of the Texas Supreme Court blocking the abortion until further review, blaming “MAGA” and former President Donald Trump.
“MAGA Republicans in Texas and throughout the country are risking the lives of mothers,” House Minority Leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-NY, posted on X.
MAGA Republicans in Texas and throughout the country are risking the lives of mothers and threatening to jail doctors.
The extremists are determined to criminalize abortion care.
“This story is shocking, it’s horrifying, and it’s heartbreaking,” Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-Texas, said. “It’s also becoming all too commonplace in America because of Donald Trump.”
The Texas Supreme Court’s decision did not give any timetable on when the court may offer its final ruling. As things stand, if an abortion is performed, the State of Texas will prosecute.
Tens of thousands expected in D.C. for pro-Israel rally: The Morning Rundown, Nov. 14, 2023
A rally in support of Israel is expected to attract tens of thousands to Washington, D.C. And the TSA announces a record level of travelers will take to the skies this Thanksgiving. These stories and more highlight The Morning Rundown for Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2023.
Tens of thousands are expected at the march for the Israel rally in D.C.
As the nation’s capital prepares for the March for Israel, ABC News is reporting the Department of Homeland Security has designated the gathering as a “Level 1” security event, the highest rating of risk assessment, a classification usually assigned to the Super Bowl.
Sources said DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas signed off on the designation on Monday, Nov. 13.
While officials have not indicated any specific threat to the March for Israel, designating it as a “Level 1” event means the rally has such “significant national and/or international importance that it may require extensive federal interagency security and incident management preparedness.”
According to ABC News, the assessment said high-profile events like this remain an attractive target for foreign terrorists and homegrown extremists. D.C. police have requested the assistance of the National Guard to help with security.
Speakers will include relatives of those taken hostage by Hamas, Israeli President Isaac Herzog, as well as several members of Congress. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., are scheduled to address the crowd.
Organizers of the rally said attendees will be showing their gratitude toward American lawmakers and President Joe Biden for their continued support of Israel. The March for Israel comes just over a week after thousands of pro-Palestinian protesters held a rally in D.C. demanding a ceasefire in Gaza and calling for an end to American aid to Israel.
Blinken responds to State Dept. Criticism over Israel-Hamas war policy
The anguish that comes with seeing the daily images of babies, children, elderly people, women, and other civilians suffering in this crisis is wrenching. I feel it myself,
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken
Officials told multiple news outlets that at least three messages have been filed in the department’s internal dissent channel, a system set up during the Vietnam War, criticizing the administration’s firm support for Israel as the country continues its military operation in Gaza in response to Hamas’ Oct. 7 terror attack.
Though the U.S. has called for humanitarian pauses to allow more aid and the evacuation of civilians, hundreds of U.S. government employees have been advocating for a ceasefire.
In his letter emailed to State Department staffers, Blinken, who had just returned after a nine-day trip to the Middle East and Asia, acknowledged that the suffering caused by the crisis was taking a personal toll on many of them.
“The anguish that comes with seeing the daily images of babies, children, elderly people, women, and other civilians suffering in this crisis is wrenching. I feel it myself,” Blinken wrote. “I also know that some people in the department may disagree with approaches we are taking or have views on what we can do better…We’re listening: what you share is informing our policy and our messages.”
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Blinken said forums for diplomats are being organized in D.C., and managers are being asked to have candid discussions with their staff to get additional feedback.
The Supreme Court announced Monday, Nov. 13, that it has formally adopted a new code of conduct amid scrutiny over alleged ethical lapses, including justices accepting luxury vacations and high-end gifts and using taxpayer-funded staff to promote a book; though critics noted the ethics code did not come with a plan of enforcement.
All nine justices signed the 9-page code, which said they should “avoid impropriety and the appearance of impropriety” in their actions on and off the bench.
It is long past time for a code of conduct that explicitly applies to the Justices. However, the lack of any way to enforce the code of conduct should any Justice decide to ignore it is a glaring omission.
Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.
While the code does not restrict gifts or travel specifically, it does caution the justices should not take part in activities that “detract from the dignity” of their office or “reflect adversely to their impartiality.” The code says, “A justice should not allow family, social, political, financial, or other relationships to influence official conduct or judgment.”
In a statement accompanying the code, the high court said, “For the most part, these rules are not new,” but having the code is aimed to dispel any misunderstandings that the justices have been operating “unrestricted.”
Interstate-10 fire in Los Angeles believed to be arson
A fire that engulfed the I-10 highway in Los Angeles over the weekend is believed to have been an act of arson. California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) gave an update on the fire marshal’s investigation on Monday, Nov. 13.
“They made a determination a preliminary determination there was malice intent,” Gov. Newsom said. “That this fire occurred within the fence line of the facility you see behind me, that it was arson, and it was done and set intentionally.”
No one was reported injured in the fire. Investigators are determining if one person was responsible for starting the blaze or if there are multiple suspects.
According to the Department of Transportation, on average, 355,000 people travel on I-10 every day. Newsom added that the highway is closed indefinitely while crews continue to evaluate the damage.
TSA expects the holiday travel season to be busiest ever
Be prepared to have a lot of company if you travel for the holidays. TSA expects this holiday season to be its busiest ever. TSA said on Monday, Nov. 13, that it anticipates 30 million passengers will be screened through the 12-day Thanksgiving travel period from Friday, November 17, through Tuesday, November 28.
The busiest travel day is expected to be Sunday, Nov. 26, with 2.9 million passengers likely to be screened. TSA said it will do its best to maintain 30-minute or less wait times at standard screening lanes.
As holiday travel is about to kick into high gear, Congress is trying to avert a government shutdown this weekend, meaning TSA employees would work without pay until the government is funded.
In another Thanksgiving holiday forecast, AAA projects 55.4 million travelers will head 50 miles or more, with 49.1 million Americans driving to their destinations.
Rare stamps sold for $2 million
It’s a story for all you philatelists out there or for anyone who ever thought about taking up stamp collecting. Take note of these two words, “inverted Jenny.” They could mean big money being signed, sealed, and delivered your way.
The stamps were created in 1918 to commemorate the first regularly scheduled airmail service. One hundred of the stamps with the Curtis “Jenny” biplane flying upside down were sold to the public; the others were taken out of circulation due to the error.
Hack told The Washington Post he will probably keep the rare stamp in a safe in his New York home, protecting it from the elements and time. Hack said he’ll only take it out at times to show visitors interested in seeing the inverted Jenny or what he calls “a bit of American history.”