Senate

Washington — The Senate on Thursday failed to advance a bill to bolster federal efforts to combat domestic terrorism, a setback in Democratic efforts to take action in the wake of deadly mass shootings at a grocery store in Buffalo, New York , and an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas . The vote to begin debate on the bill, known as the Domestic Terrorism Prevention Act of 2022 , failed by a margin of 47 to 47, falling far short of the 60-vote threshold needed to overcome Republican opposition in the 50-50 Senate. Similar legislation passed the House in 2020 only to stall in the Senate. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York switched his vote to "no" in a procedural maneuver that allows him to bring the bill up again in the future. He first scheduled the vote earlier this week to respond to the Buffalo shooting, and on Thursday urged Republican members to advance the bill to kickstart a debate on domestic terrorism and strengthening gun laws to prevent future … [Read more...] about Senate fails to advance domestic terrorism bill over GOP opposition

Herschel Walker, Georgia's GOP Senate candidate, will officially go head-to-head with Democratic Senator Raphael Warnock after both candidates won their primaries on Tuesday—and the former football star appears well positioned to pose a strong challenge to the incumbent. Warnock, a pastor, hopes to maintain his seat, which he won in January 2021 in a runoff special election, flipping it blue after President Joe Biden became the first Democratic presidential candidate to win in Georgia since 1992. Walker has been endorsed by former President Donald Trump , who continues to hold a grudge against GOP leaders in the state after they refused to help him unconstitutionally overturn Biden's victory there. While Democrats won big in the presidential and runoff elections, also flipping Georgia's other Senate seat blue, it's unclear whether that momentum will hold during the midterm race this November. Recent polls suggest that Walker is slightly favored to beat Warnock, … [Read more...] about Herschel Walker’s chances of beating Raphael Warnock, according to polls

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and other Senate Republicans blocked the advancement Thursday of the Domestic Terrorism Prevention Act, a measure that was pushed by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer just a day earlier as something that "will let us take action on guns." Before Thursday's Senate vote, McConnell told reporters that he was "hopeful" for a "bipartisan solution that's directly related to the facts" of the mass school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, on Tuesday. But the Senate's vote tally landed at 47-47, falling short of the 60-vote threshold the bill would have needed to proceed, according to CNN . All votes against the measure came from Republicans and from Schumer, who changed his vote to "no" as a procedural move toward the end of the voting process. While many Americans and lawmakers have been united in grief and anger following the deadly shooting at Robb Elementary School, where 19 children and two adults were killed, Democrats and Republicans … [Read more...] about McConnell was “hopeful” for gun law middle ground before blocking Democrats

As the deadliest European war in decades enters its third month, Newsweek spoke with former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch about the deeper implications of the conflict — for Ukraine itself, but also for the wider world. Yovanovitch, whose recently released memoir, Lessons From the Edge, details both her 33-year diplomatic career and her firing by former President Donald Trump in 2019 following an extensive smear campaign against her, sees Ukraine as a key battleground in the global contest between democracy and autocracy. In her interview, Yovanovitch stressed the importance of understanding the effect that regime type has on a given country's policies, both foreign and domestic. From her perspective, the current hot war in Ukraine is not a battle over materialistic geopolitical interests or expanding alliance structures, but an attempt by an authoritarian Russian leadership to remake the world in its own image. It is a fight that, if Russia is permitted to win, … [Read more...] about Former U.S. Ambassador: ‘Ukrainians are fighting for our freedom as well’

Jimmy Kimmel's opening monologue was abruptly cut short Wednesday by a local TV station in Texas after he had called out "cowardly" senators for "listening to the NRA ." Kimmel called out the ABC affiliate station in Dallas, WFAA, on Twitter and vowed to understand why it happened. A representative from the station replied to Kimmel on Twitter and explained that it was a mistake. Kimmel addressed Tuesday's school shooting in Uvalde, Texas which left 19 children and two adults dead. The suspect, 18-year-old Salvador Ramos was shot and killed by law enforcement. The incident has once again sparked the gun control debate as Ramos reportedly bought the firearm on his 18th birthday after a Texas gun law change. Politicians have once again been pressed on the subject, and Kimmel intended to pile the pressure on them too. "Here we are again, on another day of mourning in this country, once again, we grieve for the little boys and girls whose lives have been ended and whose … [Read more...] about Texas TV Network cuts away from Jimmy Kimmel’s NRA monologue

The man who identified victims of the Texas shooting said he found friends' children and one of his former schoolmates lying among the dead. Eulalio Diaz Jr, Uvalde's justice of the peace, had the awful task of identifying the bodies. He acts as coroner because the small town does not have a medical examiner. He said he tried to prepare himself for the worst possible scene, but what he saw went beyond his imagination. On the floor, where all 21 victims died after the gunman barricaded himself in, was teacher Irma Garcia - who one survivor said had tried to shield her pupils from the attack . "She was a year behind me in school, at Uvalde High School. We were together through junior high and high school," Mr Diaz, 49, said. In a town of just 15,000 he said "everybody knows everybody" and among the hellish scene were the children of friends. Mr Diaz said it was an excruciating task as "children don't carry IDs, they don't have name badges". Determined to spare parents … [Read more...] about Texas school shooting: Man who entered classroom to identify victims found friends’ children and ex-schoolmate among dead

The first data on Paxlovid, out last November, hinted that the COVID antiviral would cut the risk of hospitalization and death by 89 percent . Pundits called the drug “ a monster breakthrough ,” “ miraculous ,” and “ the biggest advance in the pandemic since the vaccines .” “ Today’s news is a real game-changer ,” said Albert Bourla, the CEO of Pfizer, which makes the drug. The pills are “ a game changer ,” President Joe Biden repeated a few months later. Now, finally, the game is being changed. The government has ordered 20 million courses of Paxlovid, committing half of the $10 billion in additional COVID funding that is being negotiated in the Senate; and Pfizer says that the number of patients taking the drug increased by a factor of 10 between mid-February and late April. But as the treatment spreads, so too does confusion over its effectiveness and side effects. Patients have complained of a bitter, metallic taste, or one like grapefruit juice mixed with … [Read more...] about Paxlovid Is a Game Changer and a Head-Scratcher

US President Joe Biden and his Mexican counterpart, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, discussed the pressure from migration at the countries' border during an hourlong phone call on Friday, vowing to promote "just, humane and effective efforts to reduce" irregularity. "In view of the unprecedented flows of migrants from throughout the hemisphere to our two countries, the presidents reiterated the need to build stronger tools for managing regional migration surges," the White House said in a statement after the call. Describing the conversation as "cordial", Lopez Obrador tweeted that they "spoke of issues of interest to the bilateral relationship." The two presidents also talked about the upcoming Summit of the Americas in June in Los Angeles, with Lopez Obrador calling on the United States to invite all nations of the Americas to the summit "without excluding anyone." The remarks were a reference to the Biden administration's suggestion that Venezuela, Cuba and Nicaragua were … [Read more...] about US and Mexico presidents discuss ‘unprecedented’ migration surge

By Matt Murphy Published 16 hours ago Share close Share page Copy link About sharing As the US reels from another school shooting, more details are emerging of the horror that unfolded in Texas near the border with Mexico. Witnesses have described traumatised children covered in blood being hugged by parents. Others had to come to terms with devastating news of the deaths of loved ones. But Tuesday began much like any other weekday in May in Uvalde, about 80 miles (130km) west of San Antonio. Around 08:00 local time, near the centre of the town, some 600 students aged seven to 10 were arriving at Robb Elementary School. The summer holidays were fast approaching and many children were savouring their final days in middle school before graduation. How the shooting began That morning on the other side of town Salvador Ramos fired the opening shots of one of America's … [Read more...] about Texas shooting: How a sunny Uvalde school day ended in bloodshed

Monkeypox: Health agency urges people to look out for symptoms Sign up for FREE health tips to live a long and happy life SUBSCRIBE Invalid email We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info Monkeypox — a close relative of smallpox — is a viral disease typically contracted from animal bites or the consumption of improperly cooked meat, but that can spread from person-to-person by close contact. Initial symptoms of infection can include chills, fatigue, fever, and muscle aches — with more severe cases often presenting with a rash on the face and genitals that can spread elsewhere on the body before scabbing over. The virus is known to cause severe disease among certain vulnerable groups, including young children, people who are immunosuppressed and pregnant … [Read more...] about Monkeypox panic: France rolls out vaccines as cases soar — ‘identify, detect and isolate’