Trump suggests regime change in communist Cuba as economy worsens
Former President Trump has suggested a regime change take place in Cuba should he be reelected to office in November. The presumptive Republican nominee, 77, spoke on Truth Social Friday about the deepening crisis inside the communist nation as it endured one of its worst economic and energy crises with food shortages and blackouts pushing the country toward the verge of collapse. “I want to express my admiration and support for all of the brave people of Cuba, who are standing up against the vile communist regime,” Trump said in the video post. “It’s not easy, and we appreciate it, and it’s gonna be changed.” CALLS GROWING FOR CUBAN MILITARY TO SIDE WITH THE PEOPLE AS PROTESTS ERUPT OVER ENERGY, FOOD SHORTAGES “Under Cuba’s brutal and corrupt dictators, the Cuban people are suffering terrible food shortages, energy blackouts, poverty, political repression and religious persecution,” he added. “I want the people of Cuba to know that we are watching what is happening in Santiago very closely, we are watching it every single minute of the day,” Trump said. “We are with you.” The communist regime has come under intense pressure as the economic situation deteriorates there. Miguel Díaz-Canel, 63, became president in 2019, taking over from Raúl Castro, 92, who still effectively leads the 65-year-old dictatorship. Protests have erupted in Cuba over energy and food shortages, with calls growing for the military to side with the people and for the Communist regime to come to an end. The U.S. Embassy urged the Cuban government to respect the protests in a post on its Facebook page. The regime has sought assistance from the World Food Programme (WFP), asking for powdered milk and other items. “Under my administration, we will return to being very strong on the oppressors. Unlike Crooked Joe Biden, who has been very weak on the communists, I stand with the Cuban people,” Trump went on to say. PROGRESSIVE HOUSE DEMS MADE SECRET ‘HUMAN RIGHTS’ TRIP TO CUBA AMID WORSENING BORDER CRISIS AT HOME “He does not stand with them, he doesn’t care about them, he couldn’t care less. I echo your call for the release of political prisoners in Cuba and for the free and fair election that we have to have.” “You have to have free and fair elections,” he said. “Our country has some problems with that also, by the way.” “Most of all, I share your vision for a Cuba that is safe, prosperous and free. God bless the Cuban people and God bless America.” Cuban Deputy Foreign Minister Fernández de Cossío, suggested in a Monday interview with The Associated Press that the food shortages were due to the U.S.’s long-standing embargoes. He also accused the U.S. of “open interference [in] Cuba’s domestic affairs” after the State Department called on Havana to respect the protesters and “attend to the legitimate needs of the Cuban people.” “It was also cynical, as we said publicly, and hypocritical because it was referring to issues that are occurring in Cuba in which there’s an import and responsibility from the U.S. government,” de Cossío said, calling the comments “disrespectful.” The U.S. has had trade and other financial embargoes on Cuba largely since the early 1960s, though certain exceptions permit the export of food products to the island nation so long as they are used in the private sector and not by the government. The State Department in January reissued an increased caution warning for travelers to Cuba due to crime and violent crime including armed robbery and homicide. Fox News’ Caitlin McFall and Bradford Betz contributed to this report.
House Republicans slam $200 million in funding for new FBI HQ
House Republicans railed against a provision of the $1.2 trillion federal funding package that passed Friday that will fund a new FBI headquarters in Maryland. Tucked away in the 1,012-page bill was a line that appropriated $200 million for the General Services Administration to build a new FBI headquarters in Greenbelt, Maryland. The new funding outraged some House Republicans, who have accused the bureau of political bias. “The $1.2 trillion, 1000-page swamp-bus released in the dead of night includes $200 MILLION for a new FBI Headquarters So much for those ‘cuts’ to FBI,” Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, posted on X. The FBI funds were included in a list of “sellouts and failures” contained in the spending package posted by Rep. Scott Perry, R-Pa. SENATE PASSES MAMMOTH $1.2T SPENDING PACKAGE AFTER BRIEF PARTIAL GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN Republicans hold a long list of grievances against the FBI including the investigations into former President Trump, an anti-Catholic memo that identified traditional Catholics as potential “terrorists,” and activities during the pandemic to flag so-called misinformation on social media. The FBI has contested GOP allegations and maintained its law enforcement operations are not influenced by politics. But the bureau’s denials have not quieted its critics. “The FBI labels parents as domestic terrorists, targets pro-lifers, and wages a war against conservative Americans. Their punishment? $200 MILLION for a new headquarters in this ‘minbus,’” said Rep. Eric Burlison, R-Mo. “Vote NO.” HOUSE PASSES $1.2 TRILLION GOVERNMENT SPENDING BILL TO AVERT GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN In November, the Biden administration announced Greenbelt, a Washington, D.C., suburb, as the home for a new FBI facility to replace the crumbling J. Edgar Hoover Building, which is blocks away from the White House. The GSA, which manages the government’s real estate portfolio, said that Greenbelt site about 13 miles northeast of Washington was the cheapest one with the best access to public transit. Lawmakers approved $375 million for the headquarters project in a government funding bill last year. Rep Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., had put forward an amendment to strip that funding from the fiscal 2023 bill, but was unsuccessful. RUBIO SAYS BEING TRUMP RUNNING MATE WOULD BE ‘INCREDIBLE HONOR’ Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., welcomed the additional $200 million for the FBI in a statement Thursday, calling the new building in Prince George’s County one of his “top priorities.” “This funding that I worked to secure within our FSGG appropriations bill is another critical step in moving forward with the new headquarters in Greenbelt,” said Van Hollen, chairman of the Financial Services Appropriations Subcommittee, in a statement to Roll Call. “We are ready to welcome the FBI to its new, consolidated headquarters in Maryland,” added Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Md. “The latest funding adds to the more than $1.5 billion already available for this important and urgent project,” he told Roll Call. Fox News Digital’s Danielle Wallace contributed to this report.
Leading conservative judicial activist poured $216M into causes in 12-month span: tax forms
EXCLUSIVE: A group affiliated with Leonard Leo, a top conservative judicial activist, poured $216 million into causes over the course of a year, tax forms obtained by Fox News Digital show. The Marble Freedom Trust, a nonprofit for which Leo acts as chairman, has found itself under the microscope of media outlets and Democratic politicians such as Rhode Island Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse due to Leo’s involvement in the conservative judicial sphere. During its 2022 fiscal year, the group gave large sums of money to three other entities. “Liberals, led by over $1 billion a year from the foreign-funded Arabella Advisors network, have dominated dark money in politics,” a Marble Freedom Trust spokesperson told Fox News Digital.”In the face of such lopsided spending, Marble Freedom Trust is working to even the playing field so that conservatives can crush liberal dominance.” FEDERAL JUDGE DISMISSES LAWSUIT CHALLENGING DC NONCITIZEN VOTING LAW According to the Marble Freedom Trust’s newest tax forms, Leo’s group disbursed $216.8 million between May 2022 and May 2023, an increase of $34.1 million over the previous year, when it handed out $182 million in donations. The new tax documents show the nonprofit pushed a bulk of this cash — $153.7 million — to the Schwab Charitable Fund, a donor-advised fund used by groups and individuals to make other charitable contributions. The New York Times previously reported that the Schwab Charitable Fund gave $141.5 million to the 85 Fund, another group linked to Leo, before the period laid out in the most recent tax forms. TOP DEM DARK MONEY NETWORK FACES IRS COMPLAINT OVER ALLEGED SELF-ENRICHMENT OF ITS FOUNDER During its most recent fiscal year, the Marble Freedom Trust also provided $55.5 million to the Concord Fund, which previously was known as the Judicial Crisis Network and also has been tied to Leo. Its last donation — in the amount of $7.6 million — went to the Knights of Columbus Charitable Fund, another donor-advised fund. Once an organization or individual pushes money to entities such as the Schwab Charitable Fund and Knights of Columbus Charitable Fund, it is practically impossible to trace where the money ends up. Leo has been the target of Democratic lawmakers over his involvement in right-leaning judicial matters as part of their investigation into Supreme Court justices. Senate Judiciary Committee Democrats Dick Durbin of Illinois and Whitehouse have sent letters to Leo and billionaire activists seeking information regarding trips and events Supreme Court justices have taken and participated in over the years. In October, the senators sent a letter to Leo, Harlan Crow and Robin Arkley in an attempt to strong-arm them into complying with a previous July request for details about trips involving justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito. Leo, however, rejected their demands in a letter his attorneys sent to committee Chairman Durbin, a copy of which Fox News Digital previously obtained. “We have put forward clear and detailed reasons why the Committee’s inquiry is a form of political retaliation in violation of the First Amendment and the Equal Protection component of the Due Process Clause,” Leo’s attorney, David Rivkin, wrote in the letter. “But, for the most part, the October 5 Letter ignores these points, and, since our last correspondence, the Committee has only expanded the retaliatory campaign it is mounting against Mr. Leo.” For decades, Leo has been a part of the Federalist Society, which progressive activists have long criticized for its involvement in helping advise and lobby former President Trump through the nominations of Supreme Court justices Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett. Leo has also been a target of Washington, D.C.’s Democratic Atorney General Brian Schwalb, who launched an investigation into Leo’s network last summer. Schwalb’s office faced criticism for targeting Leo while ignoring a similar liberal dark-money network overseen by the Arabella Advisors consulting firm. After the criticism, Schwalb’s office also opened a probe into the Arabella Advisors-managed network.
Democrats ripped for trying to ‘kill democracy’ with effort to protect Biden, silence third-party candidates
FIRST ON FOX: Democrats are taking heat over their efforts to protect President Biden’s re-election chances by trying to silence third-party and independent presidential candidates. Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein’s campaign lashed out at the Democratic National Committee (DNC) over its creation of a new team to actively combat her candidacy, as well as that of independent presidential candidates Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and Dr. Cornel West. “Rather than try to take away ballot options that would better represent the interests of the American public, perhaps the Democratic Party should focus on passing legislation that would actually help struggling people such as a universal single-payer healthcare program or guaranteed housing,” Stein campaign manager Jason Call told Fox News Digital during an interview. WATCH: DEMOCRAT FRONTRUNNER IN TIGHT SENATE RACE DROPS RACIAL SLUR DURING HOUSE HEARING “Sadly, both major political parties in America are fully beholden to the corporate interests which fund the political system,” he said. Call argued that third parties, particularly the Green Party, were “a challenge to that system of corporate hegemony which seeks to deny the general public their own collective power,” and went on to flip Democrats’ ad nauseam rhetoric about “saving democracy” against them. “If this is the plan Democrats intend to use, to tie up third-party campaigns with trumped-up legalese, or to change rules midstream because they are afraid of losing voters to candidates who better represent their values and priorities, I don’t know how that can be considered an exercise in democracy. The Democrats appear willing to kill democracy in order to ‘save it,’” he said. Political strategists and campaign experts from both parties also weighed in on the DNC’s efforts, agreeing that the presence of third-party candidates on the ballot largely posed more of a threat to Biden than former President Donald Trump, but differing on Democrats’ approach. HILLARY CLINTON WADES INTO CRUCIAL BATTLEGROUND SENATE RACE THAT COULD DETERMINE BALANCE OF POWER “There’s no question that third-party candidates are a concern. Look at the impact Jill Stein had in 2016,” Democratic strategist and Fox News host Jessica Tarlov said, referencing Stein drawing votes from then-Democrat presidential nominee Hillary Clinton in key battleground states. Polls show Stein, West and Kennedy would pull significant support from both Biden and Trump, although Biden appears to be more at risk of losing votes with their presence. Because of that, the DNC announced last week the formation of its official committee to wage war on those candidates, including with legal challenges and opposition research. Some view the DNC’s new project as akin to the efforts by many on the left to target Trump with lawsuits, investigations and criminal prosecutions. “This goes hand-in-glove with their attempts to put Donald Trump in jail or at least keep him off the ballot in as many places as they can,” said Tim Murtaugh, a Republican strategist who served as communications director for Trump’s 2020 re-election campaign. DEMS FLIP SCRIPT ON GOP CRIME AGENDA, TARGETING RNC CONVENTION PLANS WITH SURPRISING NAME “They know Joe Biden is a disaster and a political liability to himself, so they’re trying to eliminate all his competition, whether it’s Trump or Kennedy or anybody else,” he added. Tarlov took a different approach. She admitted that although Kennedy being on the ballot “arguably hurts Trump more,” he would still inevitably “siphon off some Democratic votes.” “We will do best if it’s a clean Biden vs. Trump race, and it’s very smart of the DNC to be focused on the issue,” she said. But Murtaugh, like Call, flipped Democrats’ usual “saving democracy” rhetoric against them. “This is authoritarian, dictator kind of stuff, driving toward single-candidate elections. ‘Destroying democracy to save democracy’ is a heck of a campaign strategy, but that’s what they’re doing,” he said. Fox News Digital has reached out to Kennedy, West and the DNC for comment. The DNC previously confirmed to Fox the reporting on its anti-third-party efforts, but did not expand upon the ultimate direction it would go. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
Instagram users fume as app begins limiting political content
While Meta owner Mark Zuckerberg pumped big bucks into the 2020 presidential election to help people get out and vote, his company has begun restricting Instagram users’ access to political information in their feeds ahead of November’s election. Instagram appears to have changed users’ algorithm settings to the default position of limiting political content – and users have been furiously reacting to the change online. Meta announced on Feb. 9 that a change to both Instagram and Threads was in the works, saying in a press release that it no longer wanted to “proactively recommend” political content from accounts users don’t follow. THE DARK SIDE OF INSTAGRAM REELS: AN INVESTIGATION REVEALS RISQUÉ AND DISTURBING RECOMMENDATIONS The company said that it would effectively be restricting political content mentioning “laws, elections, or social topics” from accounts not being followed by users unless they choose to do so, although the company did not go into detail about what it meant by political content. However, there would be no restrictions on accounts users already follow, Meta said at the time. But the February announcement did not say that all users would be automatically switched to the default position of limiting political content – which appears to have been the case over the last 48 hours, according to many users. “We should all be outraged but this overstep,” wrote independent journalist Jessica Reed Kraus to her 1.2 million Instagram followers. “Censorship during peak campaign months is a direct threat to the [sic] democracy.” Grant Godwin, a citizen journalist known as “The Typical Liberal,” also ripped the move to his 2.9 million Instagram followers. “Limiting political posts right before the 2024 election. Go figure,” Godwin wrote. “Share this everywhere and DM your favorite political accounts to let them know!” he went on to write in all bold letters. ACTOR CLAIMS TIKTOK, INSTAGRAM CRACKED DOWN ON HIM FOR SHARING PRO-ISRAEL POSTS: FIGHTING AN ‘INFORMATION WAR’ Users can check their settings by clicking on “content preferences” and then “pollical content” where they will find two options: a “limit” or “don’t limit” option with the limit option already highlighted. It is unclear when the rollout took place, Fox News Digital reached out to Meta for comment, but a spokesperson did not provide a timeline. The spokesperson also did not say why Meta appears to have made the limiting of political content the default setting. “This announcement expands on years of work on how we approach and treat political content based on what people have told us they wanted,” the spokesperson said. “It does not impact posts from accounts people choose to follow; it impacts what the system recommends. And now, people are going to be able to control whether they would like to have these types of posts recommended to them.” Some Instagram users said that when they tried to change their settings, the app crashed. “The entire app crashes when I go to political settings. That’s wild,” one user fumed Friday. “Interesting I went to my settings and privacy and content & went to limit, and it takes me back out of Instagram. It won’t let me change it!!” wrote another. For the 2020 election, Meta CEO Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan poured about $400 million to two nonprofit organizations to help various government election offices across the country with work and equipment including ballot drop boxes, voting equipment, additional manpower, COVID-19 protective gear for poll workers and public education campaigns on new voting methods. Democrats defended the money as necessary to conduct the election safely during the COVID-19 pandemic, while Republicans noted most of the grants targeted Democrat-leaning districts. In several states, counties that broke heavily for Joe Biden received more “Zuck Bucks” donations, according to an analysis by the Capital Research Center. House Republicans found in an investigation that less than 1% of the funds were spent on personal protective equipment. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Bidens, Casey DeSantis and Ivanka Trump offer Kate Middleton well wishes following cancer diagnosis
President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden along with Ivanka Trump and Florida First Lady Casey DeSantis sent Kate Middleton well wishes on Friday after the British Royal announced her cancer diagnosis via social media. “Jill and I join millions around the world in praying for your full recovery, Princess Kate,” Biden wrote on X, formerly Twitter, while sharing the video announcement originally posted by the palace. “You are brave, and we love you. ~Jill,” the First Lady followed on X. KATE MIDDLETON ANNOUNCES SHE HAS CANCER, UNDERGOING CHEMOTHERAPY TREATMENT Jill Biden previously met with Middleton during a trip abroad in June 2021 where the two visited a UK classroom and partook in various activities with the school children. The pair also contributed to a roundtable with four early childhood experts from the United Kingdom. “From one mom to another, you’ve got this. If I can beat it, so can you. Have faith, stay strong, and fight like hell. We’re praying for you!,” DeSantis wrote on X, alluding to her own battle with cancer in 2021. She announced her diagnosis in October 2021, but after months of treatment and chemotherapy, Florida’s first lady was declared cancer-free the following year. “I am deeply saddened to hear about Princess Kate’s diagnosis. Amidst the trials she faces, her strength and grace continue to shine brightly. It’s disheartening to see the speculation that has surrounded her, particularly during a time when support and kindness are most needed,” Trump shared on X. KATE MIDDLETON, THE PRINCESS OF WALES, THROUGH THE YEARS: PHOTOS “During this challenging period, my thoughts and prayers are with Kate and her family. I hope for her swift and full recovery, and I look forward to seeing her continue to inspire and make a positive impact in the lives of others. Let us all show our support by respecting her privacy and focusing on sending positive thoughts her way.” Trump previously visited Buckingham Palace in 2019 while former President Donald Trump was still in office. All four of the former president’s children joined him on his state visit, which included a banquet with various members of the Royal Family. The Princess of Wales, 42, shared on Friday afternoon that she has been undergoing preventative chemotherapy treatment after a planned abdominal surgery showed “cancer had been present.” She did not elaborate on the form or extent of the cancer in her video. “I wanted to take this opportunity to say thank you, personally, for all the wonderful messages of support and for your understanding whilst I have been recovering from surgery,” Kate said in the video recorded Wednesday. KATE MIDDLETON’S CANCER ANNOUNCEMENT SHOWS HOW SHE IS ‘THINKING OF OTHERS’: ROYAL EXPERT “It has been an incredibly tough couple of months for our entire family, but I’ve had a fantastic medical team who have taken great care of me, for which I am so grateful.” “The Princess will return to official duties when she is cleared to do so by her medical team,” a Kensington Palace spokesperson told Fox News Digital. “She is in good spirits and is focused on making a full recovery.” The Princess of Wales explained that after her abdominal surgery, it was believed her condition was “non-cancerous.” However, further testing showed “cancer had been present.” She was advised to begin chemotherapy by her medical team. Middleton proceeded to ask the public for privacy as she continued with treatment. Kensington Palace confirmed to Fox News Digital on Thursday that Kate had been working from home during her recovery. She was being kept up to date regarding the Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood’s trial of an observation tool for child development. Fox News’ Lauryn Overhultz contributed to this report.
House Freedom Caucus chair ‘can’t defend’ Johnson amid push to oust speaker
House Freedom Caucus Chairman Bob Good, R-Va., would not say Friday whether he will support an effort to oust Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La. After the House passed a $1.2 trillion federal funding bill to avoid a partial government shutdown, firebrand Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., declared that Johnson had “betrayed” the “confidence” of the House GOP conference and introduced a motion to vacate. Good was evasive when asked if he would support the motion in an interview. “Well, he serves the pleasure of 218 members, I can’t make a defense for him as speaker,” Good said on “The Hill on NewsNation” when asked if Johnson deserves to be removed from leadership. The Freedom Caucus chief ripped the spending bill passed Friday for funding policies supported by President Biden and the Democratic Party. HOUSE PASSES $1.2T GOVERNMENT SPENDING BILL TO AVERT GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN “This is a performance-based business, and we’ve continued to pass all the major spending bills predominantly with Democrat votes,” he said. But he acknowledged that Johnson “has been dealt a difficult hand” with “the most narrow majority in the history of the country.” “That said, we could do a better job of fighting. We’re failing to do that, and I can’t defend his performance.” The House of Representatives narrowly passed the $1.2 trillion federal spending package on Friday, with most Republicans voting against it. The bill funds the departments of Defense, Homeland Security, Education, Health & Human Services and the legislative branch. Both Republican and Democratic negotiators walked away declaring victory on striking a deal — Johnson touted cuts to funding for non-governmental organizations, a 6% cut to overall foreign aid funds, and policies like banning the State Department from flying non-official flags at diplomatic facilities. GOP HARDLINERS FURIOUS AT JOHNSON FOR PASSING ANOTHER SHORT-TERM SPENDING BILL WITH DEMS: ‘USUAL C–P’ Democrats cheered the exclusion of enforcement measures of the House GOP’s H.R.2 border security bill — something conservatives demanded in order to fund the Department of Homeland Security — as well as increased federal child care funding and a $1 billion increase for climate and green energy programs. The exclusion of border security enforcement measures infuriated House conservatives, as did the timing of the bill. Lawmakers had less than 48 hours to review the legislation before they were asked to vote on it. Greene blasted the bill as “a dream and a wish list for Democrats and for the White House” after she filed her motion to remove Johnson from leadership. MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE FILES MOTION TO OUST SPEAKER JOHNSON “It’s more of a warning and a pink slip,” Greene told reporters. “There’s not a time limit on this, it doesn’t have to be forced … But I’m not saying that it won’t happen in two weeks, or it won’t happen.” Greene did not introduce her motion as a “privileged resolution,” which means the House is not forced to act on it, as was the case when Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., forced a vote to remove ex-Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif. Congress began a two-week recess on Friday, so there won’t be any developments in the push to remove Johnson at least until lawmakers return to Washington. Johnson’s office told Fox News Digital in a statement, “Speaker Johnson always listens to the concerns of members, but is focused on governing. He will continue to push conservative legislation that secures our border, strengthens our national defense, and demonstrates how we’ll grow our majority.” Fox News Digital’s Elizabeth Elkind contributed to this report.
US Senate passes $1.2 trillion budget, averting government shutdown
Bill passes after hours of gridlock over funding for three-quarters of the government for the next six months. Lawmakers in the United States Senate have passed a $1.2 trillion spending bill, narrowly averting a partial government shutdown. The lower house on Saturday approved the measure by a 74-24 vote after funding had expired for three-quarters of the government at midnight. But the White House sent out a notice shortly after the deadline announcing that the Office of Management and Budget had ceased shutdown preparations because there was a high degree of confidence that Congress would pass the legislation and the president would sign it on Saturday. Key federal agencies including the departments of Homeland Security, Justice, State and Treasury, which houses the Internal Revenue Service, will remain funded through September 30 after the bill was passed in the Democratic-majority Senate. But the measure did not include funding for mostly military aid to Ukraine, Taiwan or Israel, which are included in a different Senate-passed bill that the Republican-led House of Representatives has ignored. The bill also eliminates US funding for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) – which provides vital services on the ground to Palestinians in Gaza and across the Middle East – until March 2025. The agency lost millions of dollars in international support, led by the US, following allegations by Israel that some of its staff in the Gaza Strip were involved in the October 7 Hamas-led attacks. The House on Friday voted 286-134, narrowly gaining the two-thirds majority needed for approval of the six-bill package which represents the largest and most contentious section of federal funding. More than 70 percent of the money is set for defence spending, with the bills also covering the military, homeland security, healthcare and other services. Funding for those programmes was set to expire on March 22. Top Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer said it was “a very long and difficult day, but we have just reached an agreement to complete the job of funding the government”. “It is good for the country that we have reached this bipartisan deal. It wasn’t easy, but tonight our persistence has been worth it,” he added. We have just reached an agreement to complete the job of funding the government tonight. It wasn’t easy, but tonight our persistence has been worth it. It is good for the American people that we have reached this bipartisan deal. — Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) March 23, 2024 It took legislators six months into the current fiscal year to get near the finish line on government funding, the process slowed by conservatives who pushed for more policy mandates and steeper spending cuts than the Democratic-led Senate or White House would consider. The impasse required several short-term, stopgap spending bills to keep agencies funded. The first package of full-year spending bills, which funded the departments of Veterans Affairs, Agriculture and the Interior, among others, cleared Congress two weeks ago with just hours to spare before funding expired for those agencies. The vote tally in the House reflected anger among Republicans over the content of the package and the speed with which it was brought to a vote. House Speaker Mike Johnson brought the measure to the floor even though a majority of Republicans ended up voting against it. To win over support from Republicans, Johnson touted some of the spending increases secured for about 8,000 more detention beds for migrants awaiting their immigration proceedings or removal from the country – or about a 24 percent increase from current levels. Republican leadership highlighted more money to hire about 2,000 border patrol agents. Democrats, meanwhile, boasted of a $1bn increase for Head Start, an early childhood development programme, and new childcare centres for military families. They also played up a $120m increase in funding for cancer research and a $100m increase for Alzheimer’s research. Adblock test (Why?)
Moscow concert hall attack: Death toll rises to 115 with scores injured
Camouflage-clad gunmen with automatic weapons burst into a packed concert hall near Moscow, where the veteran rock band Picnic was to perform, shooting into the crowd and detonating explosives, setting the building on fire. The attack on the Crocus City Hall on Friday killed at least 115 people and injured more than 187. Russian authorities expected the number of casualties to rise. The blaze ripped through the venue, with smoke filling the building and screaming visitors rushing to emergency exits. The concert hall, one of the most popular in Moscow, can hold some 6,200 people. Graphic videos posted on social media showed the gunmen firing repeated rounds as they entered the building, shooting at screaming people at point-blank range. Helicopters were brought in to douse the flames from the air, as firefighters battled the blaze from the ground. The fire was eventually brought under control early on Saturday. The Emergency Situations Ministry said firefighters helped about 100 people escape through the building’s basement, while rescue operations were also launched for people trapped on the roof. ISIS-K, an offshoot of ISIL (ISIS), the hardline group that once sought control over Iraq and Syria, claimed responsibility for the attack on its Telegram channel, saying the gunmen had escaped. Russian investigators said on Saturday that 11 people had been detained so far. Adblock test (Why?)
Dissecting the ‘TikTok problem’
What’s the US’s issue with TikTok? Is it data security, secret Chinese influence or pro-Palestinian content? The threat to ban TikTok in the United States has prompted an online backlash. Critics question the premise that Chinese ownership poses a security risk and suggest the real reason may be the surge in pro-Palestinian content since October 7. Contributors:Julia Angwin – Tech Policy Writer, New York Times; Founder, Proof NewsRussel Brandom – Tech Editor, Rest Of The WorldMarwa Fatafta – MENA Policy and Advocacy Director, Access NowEvan Greer – Director, Fight for the Future On our radar: In yet another deadly raid on Gaza’s al-Shifa Hospital, Israel abducted Palestinian journalists covering the story – including one of Al Jazeera’s own. Producer Nicholas Muirhead reports. Why Russia has looted Ukraine’s art Following Vladimir Putin’s expected re-election this week, we’re revisiting a story about the Russian military’s targeting of Ukraine’s heritage. Producer Tariq Nafi explores how Russia’s war on Ukrainian culture is designed to rewrite history and weaken the country’s resistance. Featuring:Milena Chorna – Head of International Exhibitions, War Museum in UkraineAlina Dotsenko – Director, Kherson Regional Art MuseumIhor Poshyvailo – General Director, Maidan Museum Adblock test (Why?)