politics

In a late-night maneuver, the Senate passed a bipartisan bill that authorizes research on pediatric cancer after a similar proposal was cut when House Republicans abandoned the first funding deal this week.

Sen. Tim Kaine, a Virginia Democrat, pushed a bill to final passage through unanimous consent — a rarely successful procedure that allowed quick approval because no senator objected. It extends for five years a program at the National Institutes of Health to research pediatric cancer and other diseases.

Summary

President Joe Biden achieved his 235th judicial confirmation, surpassing Trump’s total for a single term and marking the highest number since Jimmy Carter.

Biden prioritized diversity, appointing two-thirds women, a majority people of color, and increasing representation of public defenders and civil rights lawyers.

Notable confirmations include Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, the first Black woman on the court.

While Democrats celebrated reshaping the judiciary, they acknowledged challenges ahead, as Trump’s return to office offers Republicans renewed opportunities to shape the courts, with nearly three dozen vacancies awaiting appointments.

Summary

MAGA activists and speakers at the AmericaFest conference in Phoenix rejected bipartisan compromise, demanding “hyperpartisanship” to implement Trump’s agenda.

Bannon derided House Speaker Mike Johnson’s efforts to prevent a government shutdown, while Trump Jr. urged targeting Republicans who oppose his father’s policies, calling the GOP the “America First party.”

With Trump-backed Cabinet picks facing scrutiny and slim congressional majorities, tensions remain high.

Critics warn the MAGA movement’s hardline stance could hinder governance and deepen partisan divides as Trump prepares to take office.

Summary

The December 2024 government shutdown standoff highlighted the limits of Trump’s influence over congressional Republicans.

Trump derailed a bipartisan funding bill but failed to rally support for a replacement plan tying spending to a debt limit increase.

The House rejected his proposal, forcing Republicans to compromise with Democrats on a stripped-down funding bill.

The temporary deal avoids a shutdown but sets up future clashes over spending cuts and debt limits.

The episode revealed Trump’s inability to unify his party and emphasized the fragility of the Republican House majority.

Summary

The Republican-led House passed a stopgap bill to prevent a government shutdown, funding operations through March 14.

The bill, which excludes a debt ceiling increase demanded by Trump, includes $100 billion in disaster aid and a one-year farm bill.

The measure now moves to the Senate hours before 12:01 a.m. Speaker Mike Johnson faced internal GOP divisions and external pressure from Trump, who opposed earlier bipartisan agreements.

Democrats criticized the process as prioritizing tax cuts for billionaires over critical programs like cancer research, highlighting tensions ahead of Trump’s return to office.

Summary

Musk is trying to backtrack on his previous demands to shut down the government.

Elon Musk initially supported a government shutdown, criticizing Republicans who backed a continuing resolution and calling for no new bills until Donald Trump retakes office.

His posts on X encouraged GOP hardliners and contributed to chaos in Congress.

After a bipartisan spending bill failed to pass, Musk blamed Democrats, ignoring that 38 Republicans also voted against it.

Facing backlash for his earlier remarks, Musk is now deflecting responsibility as House Speaker Mike Johnson struggles to avoid a shutdown.

Summary

The Biden administration has canceled $4.28 billion in federal student loans for 55,000 workers under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program, benefiting teachers, nurses, and other public service employees.

This marks the final round of PSLF relief before Biden leaves office, bringing his total student loan cancellations to $180 billion for 4.9 million Americans.

While Biden expanded PSLF by easing restrictive rules, he failed to achieve broader loan forgiveness after Supreme Court and legal challenges blocked his efforts.

Republicans criticize the cancellations as unfair taxpayer burdens, while Trump has opposed Biden's plans.

Summary

Nick Fuentes, a white supremacist, claimed an armed man attempted to kill him at his recently doxxed home in Berwyn, Illinois. Police did not corroborate his claims.

Police confirmed they fatally shot a man on Wednesday, who was also a suspect in a triple homicide earlier that day.

The gunman reportedly carried weapons, including a crossbow, and was killed after firing at officers.

Fuentes alleged the man specifically targeted him, following the doxxing of his address after he posted on social media: “Your body, my choice. Forever.”

Summary

Uline, owned by Trump donors Liz and Dick Uihlein, allegedly uses Mexican workers on tourist and B1 visas to staff U.S. warehouses, according to a Guardian investigation. Experts say this practice is likely illegal.

The workers perform regular warehouse tasks, not training, and are paid less than U.S. counterparts.

Despite supporting Trump’s anti-immigration policies, the Uihleins profit from exploiting immigrant labor, underscoring hypocrisy.

Immigration advocates criticize the program as labor exploitation that undermines wages for all workers.

Uline and the Uihleins declined to comment on the allegations.

Summary

Elon Musk used his platform X to spread misinformation and rally opposition to a bipartisan stopgap funding bill, prompting GOP defections and Trump’s rejection of the measure.

Musk amplified false claims, including exaggerated congressional pay raises and bioweapons lab funding, which fueled backlash against the bill.

Critics, including Rep. Maxwell Frost, accused Musk of wielding undue influence over Congress, while lawmakers like Rep. Dan Crenshaw called out his fact-checking failures.

The bill’s collapse highlights Musk’s growing role in Trump’s inner circle and his sway over Republican decision-making.

Summary

A potential U.S. government shutdown looms after 38 House Republicans joined Democrats in rejecting a Trump-backed spending bill, which included a debt ceiling increase.

Trump derailed Speaker Mike Johnson’s initial bipartisan plan, causing GOP infighting and weakening Johnson’s leadership.

MAGA allies Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy rallied for a shutdown, angering GOP moderates.

The failure could furlough federal workers and disrupt holiday travel.

Frustration grows within the GOP over chaotic negotiations, foreshadowing future challenges under Trump’s second-term agenda.

Summary

Elon Musk played a key role in derailing a bipartisan stopgap bill to fund the U.S. government, using his influence on social media to oppose the compromise reached by Republican Speaker Mike Johnson and Democrats.

Musk’s criticism sparked growing Republican resistance, later echoed by Donald Trump. The resulting failure exposed deep divisions within the GOP, complicating Johnson’s leadership and future legislative efforts.

Democrats mocked Musk’s influence, while some Republicans expressed frustration.

The incident highlights challenges facing Trump’s narrow House majority, with instability threatening legislative priorities and potential governance deadlock.

Summary

The Pentagon warns that a potential government shutdown by Friday will halt military paychecks during the holidays unless Congress reaches a funding agreement.

Troops, including overseas and reserve forces, must continue reporting for duty unpaid, with federal civilian workers also affected.

The issue stems from House Republicans abandoning a spending plan after criticism from Donald Trump and Elon Musk over unrelated provisions, leaving lawmakers scrambling for an alternative.

Military leaders caution that this funding lapse will cause widespread disruptions, though such outcomes have been partially mitigated in past shutdowns.

Summary

A government shutdown could disrupt key activities for Trump’s presidential transition and inauguration, adding chaos to an already vulnerable process.

Federal staff are uncertain how their work with the transition team will be impacted, as most would be barred from communication unless deemed “essential” under the Antideficiency Act.

The shutdown threat emerged after Trump’s team, led by Elon Musk, derailed a bipartisan funding bill by demanding debt ceiling concessions.

This has left Republican leaders scrambling ahead of the Friday funding deadline.

The Biden administration’s Middle East aid envoy Lisa Grande reportedly made demands of Israel regarding the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, in a harsh phone call with Israel’s military liaison to the Palestinians, COGAT chief Gen. Ghassan Alian.

Channel 12 news reports that Grande demanded during the call that Israel declare it is not following a policy of deliberately starving Gazans

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Mike Johnson even voted no despite Trump backing the bill