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Year: 2024

Present and Accounted For: House Republicans’ small majority could make attendance a priority

Present and Accounted For: House Republicans’ small majority could make attendance a priority

It’s long been said that Congress is a lot like school. What’s the first thing they do in school? Take attendance. That is one thing which they usually don’t do in Congress. But they might next year. FAMILIAR FACES, FAMILIAR PLACES: THE LATEST FROM CAPITOL HILL Figuring out who is present and accounted for and who is out will emerge as one of the most dramatic daily events on Capitol Hill. It is always about the math on Capitol Hill. But the 119th Congress will really be about the math. Every day in the House will hinge on who’s sick. Who has a parent/teacher conference. Whose plane was delayed due to snow. Who is just playing hooky and isn’t reliable. Who was giving a speech downtown, got caught in traffic and just didn’t make it back in time. Whose kid is starring in the school play. Whose aunt died. President Trump and House Republicans have big plans for their 2025 legislative agenda. But the miniscule size of the GOP majority could temper those expectations on a daily basis. It will be interesting to see what Republicans can execute. Republicans will likely begin the new year with a 219-215 majority. So 434 seats. There is one vacancy as former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., resigned. That’s a margin of four seats. But it in reality, it means the GOP majority can only tolerate one Republican defector on each roll call vote without needing help from the other side. One Republican “nay” is 218-216. But two Republican rebels produces a 217-217 tie. By rule, ties lose in the House. But the beginning of the new Congress on January 3 could represent the Halycon days for the House Republican Conference. Reps. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., and Michael Waltz, R-Fla., intend to resign in January to join the Trump Administration. Stefanik is up for United Nations Ambassador and requires confirmation for that post. The President-elect tapped Waltz to serve as National Security Advisor. That position is not subject to Senate confirmation. So the Republican majority will dwindle to 217-215. At that point, Republicans can’t lose any votes to pass their agenda. THE HITCHHIKER’S GUIDE TO GAETZ’S STATUS IN THE HOUSE AND THE ETHICS COMMITTEE REPORT That is a problem for House Republicans who regularly had a squadron of defectors – ranging from keeping the government open to even impeaching Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. This could even spell problems for House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., returning to the Speaker’s suite. Johnson must win an outright majority of all House members voting when the new Congress convenes on January 3 to become Speaker. He’ll have a bit of a cushion when the new Congress starts. But it won’t be much. House Republicans still suffer from political PTSD after the 15 rounds it took to elect former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., early last year. Yes. There will be special elections to fill the seats of Gaetz, Stefanik and Waltz. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) has already called a special election for the Gaetz seat for April 1. You can’t make this stuff up. The other special elections are months away because Stefanik and Waltz haven’t resigned yet. In fact, if Stefanik is confirmed and resigns in late January, it may be May before there’s a special election in her seat – based on New York law and discretion afforded New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D). The results in special elections sometimes produce “special” results. The usual electorate periodically stays home and the opposite party captures those seats in off-cycle elections. So, even though these are “Republican” seats, there’s no guarantee that Republicans will automatically prevail. But if things go according to plan, Republicans will have those seats back in a few months, with a comparatively robust 220-215 majority. That means Republicans can lose up to two votes on any major issue. But there are always absences. Always resignations. And this isn’t limited to the Republican side of the aisle. SPRINT TO CONFIRM TRUMP NOMINEES KICKS OFF IN JANUARY There have long been concerns about the health and attendance of 79-year-old Rep. David Scott, D-Ga., the top Democrat on the House Agriculture Committee. Scott faced criticism earlier this year over a lack of public appearances and interviews. 76-year-old Rep. Raul Grijalva, D-Ariz., is the top Democrat on the House Natural Resources Committee. Grijalva vowed that this term would be his last after suffering from cancer. The illness sidelined Grijalva for months. He missed more than 300 roll call votes on the floor between February and this fall and did not conduct interviews. Late Reps. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Tex., Bill Pascrell, D-N.J. and Donald Payne Jr., D-N.J., were all in office when they passed away this year. Late Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., died in 2023. Democrats make a lot of noise right now about the agenda of President-elect Trump. It will be incumbent on Democrats to have full attendance to oppose Republicans and generally make life miserable for the majority. But Democrats can only do that if they show up. All the time. Such was the case when House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., had the votes of every House Democrat on each roll call for Speaker in January and October of last year. Only Rep. David Trone, D-Md., missed a couple of votes because he underwent a surgical procedure. But Trone returned to Capitol Hill later that evening to vote. Rep. Al Green, D-Tex., was hospitalized this past February. But Green came to the Capitol in a wheelchair in February to help torpedo the initial effort to impeach Mayorkas. Republicans had three defectors on their side. Green’s vote fresh from a hospital gurney forced the GOP effort to fail on the floor and try again. One factor which was a challenge for the GOP was the health of House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La. Scalise was diagnosed with cancer last year and was out the first part of 2023. Scalise has now recovered. But his absence hamstrung

Biden seen holding anti-Israel book during Black Friday shopping excursion

Biden seen holding anti-Israel book during Black Friday shopping excursion

President Biden on Friday picked up a copy of a book that described Israel as a colonial power in the face of Palestinian resistance despite his repeated support for the Jewish state.  Biden was spotted by the press leaving Nantucket Bookworks holding a copy of “The Hundred Years’ War on Palestine: A History of Settler Colonialism and Resistance, 1917-2017” by Columbia University professor emeritus Rashid Khalidi, the New York Post reported.  “I do not speak to the Post (or the Times for that matter), so this is not for publication, but my reaction is that this is four years too late,” Khalidi told the Post of Biden holding his book.  The newspaper noted it did not agree to any terms conditioning Khalidi’s response as off the record or on background. ANTI-ISRAEL PROTESTERS ARRESTED IN SENATE OFFICE BUILDING Fox News Digital has reached out to Khalidi and the White House. The book argues that “the modern history of Palestine can best be understood in these terms: as a colonial war waged against the indigenous population, by a variety of parties, to force them to relinquish their homeland to another people against their will.”  It was not clear if Biden purchased the book or if it was given to him.  Khalidi, who is of Palestinian and Lebanese descent, called the first Trump administration a “mouthpiece” for Israel and has criticized Israel over the humanitarian toll in Gaza after Hamas killed about 1,200 people inside Israel Oct. 7, 2023, in addition to kidnapping hostages, including Americans.  “It’s perfectly unclear, reading the Israeli press, what their political objective is. I mean, ethnic cleansing. That’s not a political objective. They’re doing that. They’re driving the population of the Northern Gaza Strip into the Southern Gaza Strip. But what their political objective is, is, to me, entirely unclear, in the writings of, as far as one can tell, from the Israeli press,” he said on the “Intercepted” podcast in November 2023. Biden has repeatedly declared his support for Israel but has been criticized by Israeli supporters for putting conditions on U.S. aid to the Middle East ally and pausing shipments of heavy munitions to Israel earlier this year. Meanwhile, pro-Palestinian supporters, who nicknamed Biden “Genocide Joe,” have increasingly criticized him and Netanyahu over civilian casualties in Gaza. Biden has also reportedly criticized his Israeli counterpart behind closed doors, the Post reported.  The book, published in 2020 before Trump brokered relationships between Israel and five Muslim countries, criticized Trump for moving the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem and recognizing Israel’s annexation of the Golan Heights, which it captured from Syria during the 1967 Six-Day war.  In the book, Khalidi wrote about Israel’s alleged discriminatory policies against Palestinians. “Settler-colonial confrontations with indigenous peoples have only ended in one of three ways: with the elimination of full subjugation of the native population, as in North America; with the defeat and expulsion of the colonizer, as in Algeria, which is extremely rare; or with the abandonment of colonial supremacy, in the context of compromise and reconciliation, as in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Ireland,” he wrote. He also praised the first intifada by Palestinians against Israel, which occurred from 1987 to 1993 and left more than 2,000 people dead, the Post wrote.  “The First Intifada was an outstanding example of popular resistance against oppression and can be considered as being the first unmitigated victory for the Palestinians in the long colonial war that began in 1917,” the book says.

What’s next after Syrian opposition forces’ surprise offensive?

What’s next after Syrian opposition forces’ surprise offensive?

Fighting around Aleppo and Idlib reaches its most intense level in years. Anti-government fighters in northwest Syria launch their biggest offensive in years. The fighting is the most intense since the height of the war almost a decade ago. So why has the violence flared up again, and why now? Could it escalate? Presenter: Bernard Smith Guests: Qutaiba Idlbi – Senior policy adviser at the American Coalition for Syria Omer Ozkizilcik – Director of Turkish studies at the Omran Diraset research organisation Caroline Rose – Director at the New Lines Institute, a non-partisan think tank in Washington, DC Adblock test (Why?)

Leicester sign van Nistelrooy as manager after his impressive Man Utd spell

Leicester sign van Nistelrooy as manager after his impressive Man Utd spell

Leicester City appoint Ruud van Nistelrooy as their new manager following Dutchman’s release by Manchester United. Leicester City hired Ruud van Nistelrooy as their manager on Friday following his impressive spell as interim coach at former club Manchester United, which included two wins over his new team. The 48-year-old van Nistelrooy joined on a deal until June 2027 and will take over a team in fifth-to-last place in the English Premier League after promotion last season. Van Nistelrooy, a former Netherlands striker who played club football for Man United and Real Madrid, joined United’s coaching staff in July as an assistant to compatriot Erik ten Hag. After Ten Hag was fired last month, Van Nistelrooy took charge on an interim basis and had three wins and a draw in his four games at the helm before Ruben Amorim was hired as Ten Hag’s full-time replacement. Among those victories was a 5-2 thrashing of a weakened Leicester team in the English League Cup and a 3-0 win over the Foxes in the Premier League. “I’m proud, I’m excited. Everybody that I speak to about Leicester is enthusiastic,” Van Nistelrooy said. This will be van Nistelrooy’s second senior full-time managerial role, having led PSV Eindhoven for almost a season and winning the Dutch Cup before quitting near the end of the 2022-23 campaign. “Ruud’s experience, knowledge and winning mentality will undoubtedly bring great value to us,” Leicester chairman Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha said, “and we look forward to supporting him in achieving success for our fans and our club.” Leicester, which fired Steve Cooper last weekend after just two wins from its 12 league games so far, plays Brentford away on Saturday. Van Nistelrooy will not be in charge then but will be in attendance, with the team being led by first-team coach Ben Dawson. Dawson said the departure of Cooper was “a little bit unexpected” and the players “shared some of that unexpectedness early in the week”. He added the club’s hierarchy “dealt” with the fallout from a Christmas party that Leicester’s players had in Copenhagen last weekend, images of which have circulated on social media. OInone video, a sign bearing the words “Enzo I miss you” was carried around a nightclub where Leicester’s players were partying. Cooper’s predecessor was Enzo Maresca, who joined Chelsea in the offseason. Cooper was fired a day after the party in Copenhagen. British newspaper The Daily Telegraph reported this week that Leicester’s Thai owner, Aiyawatt, held a meeting with the players after being left disappointed by the footage. “First and foremost, the lads had a couple of days off and it’s their decision what they do with their time off,” Dawson said. “The issue you mentioned, the club have dealt with pretty quickly early in the week. Everybody has moved on and the lads have been really professional and worked well.” Adblock test (Why?)

Fear of Trump tariffs drive shoppers for Black Friday deals

Fear of Trump tariffs drive shoppers for Black Friday deals

Brushing snowflakes off her hair, Teagan Hickson walked into a Walmart Supercenter in Fort Wayne, Indiana, with hopes of picking up a few holiday deals on Black Friday. The first thing the mother of two spotted: a pallet stacked high with Gourmia digital air fryer ovens for $50 each. Her sister Jordan had been wanting one, she said, but money was tight right now for everyone in her family. She worried about expenses next year after reading posts on Facebook about price hikes if President-elect Donald Trump’s planned tariffs go into effect in January. “I’m trying to not spend too much,” said Hickson, 43. “I don’t want to add to my credit cards, but I don’t want to pay more for stuff next year.” As retailers reopened United States stores after the American Thanksgiving holiday, some locations drew clusters of shoppers. People were eager to see stores’ Black Friday discounts, often comparing them to rivals’ prices for similar merchandise online. Weighing on the minds of many Americans: Should prices rise in 2025 as a result of Trump’s move to implement new tariffs on some US imports, consumers like Hickson could feel the impact at grocery stores and restaurants, potentially driving up their living costs. At the Walmart, Hickson called her husband, Josh, who was sitting in front of his computer at home and ready to compare prices in the store with what they could find online. “Baby, this looks pretty nice,” she told Josh. “What’s it online?” A few seconds later, Josh found a similar model on Amazon for double the price. She grabbed a box, put it in her cart, and headed deeper into the big-box store. Walmart, which operates 4,700 US stores, this year is offering a variety of deals on Samsung TVs, Dyson vacuum cleaners, Lego and Hot Wheels toys, Levi’s jeans, and air fryers, although its pre-Black Friday discounts began on November 11. Cristal Lopez pushed a cart full of clothing and a couple of sling tote bags through the aisles of a North Bergen, New Jersey, Walmart Supercenter, looking for holiday clothes for her two kids.“I find the prices pretty much the same as last year,” she said, adding that she still had some shopping to do to finish her holiday list. She intends to spend $1,000 to $2,000 total – same as last year – mostly on clothing. Shoppers were expected to buy more merchandise online on Friday, and with purchases of $10.8bn, up nearly 10 percent from a year ago, according to projections from Adobe Analytics. People looking to upgrade their TVs may find the best deals on Friday, with discounts peaking at 24 percent off the listed price, according to Adobe’s analysis of retailers’ online prices. Macy’s opened its door three hours earlier than its normal time [File: Heather Khalifa/AP Photo] ‘Spontaneous purchases’ Still, the US retail trade group, the National Retail Federation, expects roughly 85.6 million shoppers to visit stores this year, up from 76 million last year. Shoppers have only 26 days between Thanksgiving and Christmas, against a more leisurely 31 days last year. Adding pressure for retailers is inflation-fatigued shoppers’ reluctance to splurge unless they get good deals. “With fewer days to shop, consumers are more likely to make spontaneous purchases, contributing to retail growth during the holiday season,” said Marshal Cohen, chief retail adviser at Circana, a research firm. Evelyn Contre, 49, waited in a 20-person line at a Lululemon store with her two daughters. Contre had already browsed the websites of Abercrombie & Fitch and Lululemon on Thursday for Black Friday deals before heading into Crabtree Valley Mall in Raleigh, North Carolina, on Friday. Crowds were sparse early at a Macy’s store in Santa Barbara, California, despite Black Friday discounts reaching 50 percent for home goods and apparel and an early opening of 7am, three hours earlier than typical. John Dillard, 66, was shopping for Levi’s 504 jeans that he said his daughter had suggested for him. Macy’s was offering them for 40 percent off their usual $60 price. Dillard, a local retiree, said he was planning to attend a holiday party and needed new clothes for the occasion. Dillard, who said he had already bought men’s dress pants at Macy’s that were discounted to $35 from $95 and a pair of black men’s dress shoes for just $25, said he typically eschews in-store shopping to avoid the crowds. Deals were important to him because he planned to only buy what he needed for the party. “How often am I going to wear these clothes?” he said. Target cut prices by $100 on products such as a 75-inch Westinghouse TV and Nintendo Switch gaming console, and took more than 50 percent off Barbie dolls, Keurig coffee machines and KitchenAid mixers, deals which started on Thanksgiving and run through Saturday. The retailer is selling a new Taylor Swift Eras Tour book, and exclusive Wicked-related products for Target Circle members. “Black Friday is just not what it used to be,” said Hoss Moss, a 58-year-old chef from New Jersey, who stood outside a Target store for the first time in 15 years to buy Swift’s book for his teenage daughter. “Grocery prices are expensive and … even clothing is not at a price you would get before.” He said his family of four plans to spend $2,000 to $3,000 on gifts this year, mostly at Macy’s and Lululemon. Adblock test (Why?)