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Biden’s 1st Congress Speech Lays Out Ambitious Agenda, Family Plan

US President Joe Biden has made the case for sweeping government action in an address to a sparsely populated joint session of Congress like no other in U.S. history thanks to the pandemic .

Speaking on the 99th day of his presidency in a chamber overrun by insurrectionists just more than three months ago, Biden laid out an ambitious legislative agenda before an audience of lawmakers severely limited by the coronavirus pandemic. 

Biden used his address to tout his efforts to get the nation back to normal after the pandemic and the divisive presidency of Donald Trump. He made no direct mention of his predecessor, but argued those present had a responsibility to “prove democracy still works and our government still works and we can deliver for our people.

“We have stared into an abyss of insurrection and autocracy — of pandemic and pain — and ‘We the People’ did not flinch,” Biden said. “At the very moment our adversaries were certain we would pull apart and fail. We came together.”

In a historic first, two women were seated directly behind Biden on the dais: Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Vice President Harris.

The president fist-bumped masked lawmakers as he entered the chamber, including Rep. Liz Cheney (Wyo.), the third-ranking House Republican, who voted to impeach former President Trump for inciting the Jan. 6 mob.

He outlined what he said were the successes of a nationwide vaccination effort and a $1.9 trillion economic relief package signed into law in March.

And he touted new legislative proposals to invest a total of $4 trillion to build climate-friendly infrastructure such as roadways and broadband as well as child care and family leave programs.

Biden said it was time to acknowledge that the trickle-down economics of the Reagan era had failed, proposing major tax hikes on corporations, investment income and wealthy households.

“We have to do more than just build back. We have to build back better,” Biden said. “We have to compete more strenuously than we have.”

“Throughout our history, public investments and infrastructure have literally transformed America. These are investments we made together, as one country, and investments that only the government was in a position to make. Time again, they propel us into the future,” he added.

The proposals face a deeply uncertain fate in Congress, where Democrats hold only a slim majority. Earlier Wednesday, Sen. Joe Manchin (W.Va.), a centrist Democrat, expressed discomfort with the price tag of Biden’s agenda. 

The president, who campaigned as a moderate who could win over Republicans and ease partisan tensions, extended an olive branch multiple times in his remarks by welcoming GOP proposals and negotiation on his ideas. But he made clear inaction was unacceptable, framing it as a matter of restoring confidence in government. 

He also described his proposals as those that have historically had bipartisan support, reflecting the White House’s efforts to redefine the notion of bipartisanship. 

“We welcome ideas. But the rest of the world isn’t waiting for us. Doing nothing is not an option,” Biden said. “We can’t be so busy competing with each other that we forget the competition is with the rest of the world to win the 21st century.”

There were a few moments of bipartisan applause during the speech, such as when Biden vowed to confront China and promoted his “Buy American” initiative. The president chatted with lawmakers on his way out of the chamber, including Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio), who is among the Republican senators who offered a counterproposal to Biden’s infrastructure plan.

In contrast, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) was seen on camera appearing to doze off during the address.

Biden sought to frame the gridlock that has come to define Washington, D.C., as a looming threat to the country’s democracy. He boasted that the early actions of his administration have shown how the government can work for the public but cautioned that lingering apathy from lawmakers would have lasting consequences.

“In another era when our democracy was tested, Franklin Roosevelt reminded us — in America, we do our part. That’s all I’m asking, that we all do our part,” Biden said.

He urged Congress to pass immigration reform, even if by piecemeal, to protect Dreamers and secure the border, and renewed a push for a ban on assault weapons and expanded background checks. He called on lawmakers from both parties to “find consensus” and pass policing reform by the anniversary of George Floyd’s death next month. And he urged the Senate to pass the Equality Act, which would expand protections for members of the LGBTQ community.

Biden called on Congress to pass a $15 minimum wage, a progressive priority that has run into opposition among even some Democrats in the Senate. And he pushed for action on lowering drug prices and expanding Medicare benefits, two elements for which Democrats advocated that were left out of his families plan when it was unveiled by the White House in advance of the speech.

The laundry list of priorities won applause from moderate and progressive Democrats alike. But with slim Democratic majorities in the House and Senate, each of those legislative efforts face an uphill battle and will require the support of at least some Republican senators.

“I was not overly inspired,” said Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), a moderate Republican who has backed some Biden nominees. “I think he wanted to make sure we knew all of the ins and outs of his various plans. I was looking for more of an uplifting and outreach on the bipartisan note that we heard from the inauguration speech.”

Another one of those senators, Tim Scott (R-S.C.), delivered the GOP rebuttal to Biden’s speech. He panned Biden’s agenda and argued that the government spending and tax hikes would weaken the economy, accusing Democrats of divisive action by passing a “partisan” coronavirus relief bill. 

“The actions of the president and his party are pulling us further and further apart,” Scott said.

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Biden’s Family Plan: Christmas Year-Round

The Hill- President Biden outlined his American Families Plan, an ambitious package that would call for $1 trillion in new spending and $800 billion in new tax credits and aim to significantly expand access to preschool and community college, as well as child care and health care benefits.

Biden will detail the proposal during a speech before a joint session of Congress in which he is expected to lay out his agenda for the coming months. The centerpiece of the speech will be the families plan, which is being rolled out less than a month after Biden unveiled a $2.3 trillion infrastructure proposal.

The American Families Plan calls for a $200 billion program offering universal pre-kindergarten for all three- and four-year-olds; $109 billion for tuition-free community college for any American who wants it; $85 billion to increase Pell Grants to benefit low-income and minority students; and more than $4 billion in funding for larger scholarships, certification and support programs for teachers.

The plan would build upon provisions of the American Rescue Plan by extending the Affordable Care Act premiums tax credits indefinitely and make the earned income tax credit expansion for childless workers permanent. It would permanently make the child tax credit fully available to the lowest-income families, while extending other aspects of the expansion of the credit, such as the increase in the credit amount, through 2025.

The proposal also calls for the creation of a national paid family and medical leave program. The $225 billion investment would provide workers up to $4,000 a month if they require leave to care for a new child, care for a seriously ill loved one, deal with an illness or another serious reason.

Other measures Biden will call on Congress to pass include a $45 billion investment in meal programs for children and low-income families; unemployment insurance reform; $225 billion for investments in child care that would include a $15 minimum wage for early childhood staff and expanded child care center accessibility.

Officials said the plan would be paid for through tax reforms targeted at wealthy Americans, such as an increased capital gains tax rate, a higher top income tax rate and increased IRS auditing enforcement on high-income individuals and businesses.

“We view the American Families Plan as a core element of President Biden’s strategy to build back better and generate a strong and inclusive economy for the future,” a senior administration official said.

The plan, which faces an uncertain future in Congress, does not go as far as some Democrats hoped. Some have pressed for a permanent expansion of the child tax credit, and it’s not clear that lawmakers will be satisfied by the proposal to make part of the expansion permanent while extending other parts through 2025. Key Democrats signaled on Tuesday that the House bill would include such a provision despite Biden not putting it in his initial proposal.

Biden has also faced pressure from members of his party, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), to include health-related provisions expanding health coverage and lowering drug prices. The ideas had initially been expected to be part of the plan, but Biden did not include them in the final version.

Asked why such provisions were not included, a senior administration official said that the permanent ObamaCare premium tax credit represents a “critical investment” and insisted that Biden remains “fully committed to negotiations to reduce the cost of prescription drugs.

The White House views the proposal as a companion to Biden’s $2.3 trillion infrastructure and climate plan he announced last month, and officials said that the investments would be made over a 10-year period.

The two plans combined total more than $4 trillion in government spending, on top of the $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief bill that Biden signed into law about 50 days into his term. The administration’s two most recent proposals include tax increases that would pay for both plans in full over a 15-year period.

Biden’s proposed jobs plan would be paid for through an increase in the corporate tax rate, while Wednesday’s proposal would roll back the 2017 Trump tax cuts by increasing the top individual tax rate from 37 percent to 39.6 percent for taxpayers in the top 1 percent of income. Biden is also proposing an increase in the capital gains tax rate for households making more than $1 million to 39.6 percent, which officials have said would only impact 0.3 percent of taxpayers.

Senior administration officials made clear the proposal is meant at a starting point and that Biden is open to hearing suggestions on what should be included and how to pay for the package. But Republicans are likely to oppose Biden’s family plan and the tax hikes proposed to pay for it, and some moderate Democrats could also oppose the plan because of its large price tag and tax provisions.

“What you’ll hear the president explain tomorrow night is if people have other ideas about how to finance these critical investments, he is open to hearing them,” said one official. “But he believes that these issues of tax fairness, of making sure people pay the taxes they already owe, are fundamental and necessary.”

Biden and other top administration officials are set to embark on a publicity blitz after Wednesday’s speech to educate the public about both the infrastructure proposal and the families plan and win over support for both measures.

The White House will face a complicated road to getting both proposals passed, even as officials have said publicly they hope to see some kind of progress on an infrastructure bill by Memorial Day and passage by summer. The White House has not ruled out using budget reconciliation to pass Biden’s proposals without GOP support, which Democrats resorted to in order to pass his coronavirus relief bill.

Some White House allies, such as Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.), have suggested working with Republicans to pass a bipartisan bill that addresses traditional infrastructure like roads, bridges, railways and broadband, while using the budget reconciliation process to pass other priorities in a way that would not require GOP support.

Biden will maintain an “openness to others’ ideas,” a senior official told reporters, but is committed that “these are investments we can’t afford not to make as a country.”

Naomi Jagoda contributed.

 

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Indians Go to Polls as Virus Rages, Vaccines Effective for Seniors

People in the Indian state of West Bengal are voting in the final phase of elections despite soaring Covid cases.

Long queues were seen outside polling booths, raising concerns about the further spread of the virus as a deadly second wave sweeps the country.

Experts already fear that West Bengal could be the next epicentre of the virus, as campaigning has continued there with large crowds.

It recorded more than 17,000 cases in the last 24 hours – a new high.

The state has already seen seven phases of voting. The eastern state is one of the few where Prime Minister Narendra Modi does not have a majority of seats.

There has been a lot of criticism that he continued to hold large rallies there even as the virus began overwhelming the country.

The BBC’s correspondent in the area, Amitabha Bhattasali, says some of the biggest rallies, including those attended by Mr Modi, saw throngs of people not wearing masks or maintaining social distancing.

What is happening now in India?

Hospitals have been overwhelmed, oxygen is in critically low supply and crematoriums are operating non-stop.

The overall death toll officially surpassed 200,000 on Wednesday, though experts believe the actual number could be much higher.

The country also reported 379,257 new infections on Thursday, the world’s highest single-day total.

It was the deadliest day so far, with 3,645 people succumbing to the coronavirus.

People cremate their relativesimage copyrightReuters
image captionCrematoriums are working throughout the night and using empty spaces like parks and car parks to build makeshift funeral pyres

What about vaccines?

The government had said that all adults will be eligible for Covid-19 vaccinations from 1 May, with online registration opening from 28 April.

But people on social media complained that they were not able to get slots because the website crashed soon after it opened.

So far, India has been vaccinating health workers, front line workers and adults over the age of 45.

But less than 10% of the population has received an initial jab and there are concerns about meeting demand.

Although India is one of the world’s biggest producers of vaccines, it does not yet have the stocks for the roughly 600 million people who will be eligible from 1 May.

Number of cases and deaths
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The White House says the United States is redirecting its own order of AstraZeneca manufacturing supplies to India, allowing it to to make more than 20 million doses of the vaccine.

Epidemiologist Bhramar Mukherjee says India must combine the immunisation drive with a widespread lockdown to slow the spread of the virus.

The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.View original tweet on Twitter
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Several parts of the country are under lockdown and curfew, including in the capital Delhi.

The government of Maharashtra, which is home to the financial capital Mumbai, is considering extending its lockdown until mid-May.

There is no lockdown or curfew in West Bengal state though.

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US: Study Finds Pfizer, Moderna Vaccines Effective in Preventing Older Adult Hospitalizations

More real-world evidence of the vaccines working: A CDC study finds the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are 94 percent effective against hospitalization in older adults

The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines were 94 percent effective in preventing hospitalization for COVID-19 among people age 65 and older, according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) study released Wednesday.

The study provides new evidence on the benefits of vaccination, and builds on results from the clinical trials by adding real-world evidence from 417 hospitalized adults in 14 states from January to March.

“This multisite U.S. evaluation under real-world conditions suggests that vaccination provided protection against COVID-19–associated hospitalization among adults aged [65 and older],” the study states.

The virus is particularly dangerous for older people, so the results in that age group are particularly important.

The 94 percent effectiveness was for people who were fully vaccinated, meaning they were at least two weeks past their second dose. For people who were only partially vaccinated, meaning they were more than two weeks past the first dose but less than two weeks past the second dose, effectiveness was 64 percent.

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Premier Brantley’s Monthly Press Conference Live updates

Premier of Nevis Mark Brantley convenes his monthly press conference today and The Observer will bring you updates live via this article.

Continuously refresh to stay up to date.

10:00 am: Premier Brantley is introduced by Wakely Daniel to make his opening statement.

10:03 am: Brantley announces that six police officers of the Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police force received their letter confirming their ranks two of them are serving in the Nevis Division Joel Caines serving as Inspector and Kishawn Charles serving as Seargent.

10:05 am: The Premier addressed the unfolding tragedy in St. Vincent and the Grenadines noting the people of that Federation are in his prayers.

“We as a government and as a people have made an appeal to donate much-needed supplies to the people of St. Vincent who are being impacted by the eruption of the La Soufriere volcano.”

He noted that last week Tuesday two 20 foot containers with water and other supplies were sent by the Nevis Disaster Management Department as part of a humanitarian effort geared towards assist fellow Caribbean people

10:07 am: He addressed the Cherry Gardens homeowners who were badly affected by what he described as “poorly constructed” soakaways and sceptics.

“If you go into those homes you would find that some people have actually started to run water onto the roads and we have a situation where drain water is running on to the island’s roads.”

He said it creates a serious health concern for people in that area and promised to address the matter with the government undertaking and underwriting the cost of fixing the soakaway and septic issues

10:12 am: Addressing COVID-19 vaccination Premier Brantley said as of Tuesday some 2972 persons on Nevis had received their first shot of the vaccine.

“The numbers are nowhere near where we would like to see them because the medical team and the science have advised that 70 percent is the benchmark as advised we are about 36 percent of where we need to be on Nevis.”

He said work needs to be done and that the numbers each day are not particularly encouraging. implored people to be responsible and do the right thing and think of the vaccine as protection for “you and your family.

Brantley urged teachers to be vaccinated as they would more than likely be interacting with unvaccinated people and would increase the risk for that person and the teacher.

10:26 am: Brantley Empathized with the people of India during their difficult period in handling the COVID-19 pandemic reminding them that St. Kitts and Nevis remain grateful to the government of that country for donating the first batch of vaccines to the Federation.

10:30 am: He announced that effective May 1 anyone seeking a work permit or residency will have to present evidence that they have been vaccinated.

“We feel that it is a reasonable measure to take in these circumstances.”

10:32 am As Minister of Foreign Affairs met with the USA Secretary of State with other Caribbean leaders and discussed making vaccines available to the Caribbean.

10:38: He congratulated the Bank of Nevis for acquiring Royal Bank saying that it was no small measure that the bank hoisted its sign on one of the prominent landmarks on Fort Street in St. Kitts.

10:40: Urged those in areas of power and water to have a conversation with the various companies to figure out a payment structure that will allow them to remain connected.

10:45: He gave updates surrounding various ministries and departments regarding some of their ongoing activities.

10:50: Branltely sent a special invitation to the people of St. Kitts to spend their Labour Day and Whit Monday weekends in Nevis as special rates would be on offer.

11:00  He empathized with those still waiting for severance payments but noted considerable efforts are being made to work through the numbers.

11:05 Brantley wraps up his opening statement and invites questions from the media.

11:07: the first question comes from The Observer’s Monique Washington who questioned the Premier on the fall out of not reaching herd immunity by the summer and backup plans if the tourism sector is not restarted as soon as possible.

She also questioned his Brantley legal opinion on businesses forcing employees to take the vaccine. And an update on Newcastle Fire Station

In response, Brantley noted the new Newcastle Police station will house both police and fire officers.

Brantley said they are also looking at improving other roads all over the island including the island main road.

Addressing the forced vaccination on employees he said it was universally accepted that people are not mandated to take a vaccine but if you choose not to take the vaccine then they may be consequences for not doing so.

He said that privately-owned businesses are who determines who work at their establishment and can decide not to employ unvaccinated people and creates debatable issues. Brantley said the cruise ships will not allow their guest to interact with unvaccinated people.

On an alternative to tourism, there is no easy solution he says because the infrastructure is dependent on tourism.

He noted that the movie industry in one such avenue, as well as construction and agriculture, have been incentivised to be developed further.

Brantley said they do not have an answer to replace tourism overnight.

He is hopeful that herd immunity will be achieved once each sees the value of taking the vaccine that is in their best interest. “If you vaccinate your chances of getting work increases.”

11:17: Brantley questioned on what is the feedback like in the public sector in Nevis and what is his position on mandating it.

He was also asked if the government is doing enough to reach out to the small man on the street who are the most vaccine-hesitant.

Brantley said they need to do more to get every man and woman vaccinated but noted that the hesitancy has come from all quarters including health professionals but there are plans to do more.

His position on the vaccination of public officials he said was encouraging and advocating.

“I am begging, pleading and beseeching.”

He reminded that the public service has been paid on time and in full but cannot promise that will remain if the economy does not turn around. The Premier said some has lulled themselves into a false sense of security because of how well the pandemic was managed.

11:30:  He was asked to provide an update on works at the Alexandra Hospital and the VAIA

He said at the Hospital the external works are done and are in the process of reconfiguring the interior to ensure the correct flow can take place.

At the airport, he said they opted to scale back the expansion project but cater to the private jet market and are still working with the designers.

11:45: He is asked is the government interested in opening test centres in Nevis and also about the alleged teacher-student sexual claims.

Brantley says he sees no value in mass testing but sees value in mass vaccinations as it helps to solve the problem of the disease itself.

He said two male teachers were involved in inappropriate behaviour and noting the matter is under investigation and insists there must be a safe environment for students to go to school. He said they were unaware of any report of any physical engagement with young people and that the reports were about inappropriate comments that were made.

He condemned the circulating of photos of you women involved in the incident.

11:50 He is questioned on how the movie industry is impacting the people of Nevis.

He said they are on to something really good when one considers how negotiations have panned out noting he was doing his part to foster and develop the relationships.

He said almost 40 locals have been directly employed from St. Kitts and Nevis and over 150 extras in the first movie and seven now with speaking parts in the second.

12:10 Premier Brantley now bring the press conference to a close and invites all to return in a months time for another edition

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St. Vincent Volcano: People Warned About Visiting Danger Areas

St. Vincent’s La Soufriere Volcano remains active and the National Emergency Management Organization (NEMO) is urging persons to desist from visiting the Red and Orange Volcano Hazard Zones due to the potential danger of mudflows in river systems.

NEMO says according to information received from the scientists at the Belmont Volcano Observatory, there were lahar flows within the river system in the Red and Orange Volcano Hazard Zones from 9 am to 10 am today.

Lahars are a dense mixture of ash and water. This usually occurs during heavy rain which creates mudflow that destroys everything in its path as it rushes down the volcano’s slopes faster than a river. The lahars can pose a danger to persons visiting the Red and Orange Zones.

As a result of this, the Royal St Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force will be restricting persons travelling into the Red and Orange Hazard Zones.

According to the forecast received from the St Vincent and the Grenadines Meteorological Services, occasional showers are expected to continue during the course of the day and from late Wednesday into the end of the week.

Residents and motorists should remain alert due to rain-soaked ash and possible poor visibility due to volcanic ash.

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World View: Biden’s Speech, India Devastated, More

April 28, 2021

Alternate text
  • President Joe Biden is putting the finishing touches on his first address to a joint session of Congress, a prime-time speech on Wednesday night on the eve of his 100th day in office. Biden will use the speech before lawmakers and a broader viewing audience to talk about what he’s accomplished in the opening months of his presidency, and lay out his other domestic and foreign policy priorities.
  • India crossed a grim milestone of 200,000 people lost to the coronavirus as a devastating surge of new infections tears through dense cities and rural areas alike and overwhelms health care systems on the brink of collapse.
  • The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention eased its guidelines on the wearing of masks outdoors, saying fully vaccinated Americans don’t need to cover their faces anymore unless they are in a big crowd of strangers
  • The only Black Republican senator, Tim Scott, to respond to Biden’s address
  • Gentrification in Israel’s Jaffa pushes Arabs out
  • 3D printers make environmentally friendly houses

ANDREW MELDRUM

The Associated Press

Johannesburg, South Africa

The Rundown

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WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is putting the finishing touches on his first address to a joint session of Congress, a prime-time speech on Wednesday night on the eve of his 100th day in office. Biden will use the speech before lawmakers and a broader viewing audience to talk about what he’s accomplished in the opening months of his presidency, and lay out his other domestic and foreign policy priorities. WHEN AND WHERE CAN I WATCH OR LISTEN TO BIDEN? The speech is set for 9 p.m. EDT and will be broadcast by the major networks and cable news TV channels. The White House plans to stream it at www.WH.gov/live, as well as on its YouTube, Facebook and Twitter pages. Live coverage will also be provided by C-SPAN, C-SPAN Radio and C-SPAN.org. NPR is streaming the speech on its website,…Read More

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NEW DELHI (AP) — India crossed a grim milestone Wednesday of 200,000 people lost to the coronavirus as a devastating surge of new infections tears through dense cities and rural areas alike and overwhelms health care systems on the brink of collapse. The health ministry reported 3,293 daily COVID-19 deaths in the last 24 hours, bringing India’s total fatalities to 201,187, as the world’s second populous country endures its darkest chapter of the pandemic yet. The country also reported 362,757 new infections, a new global record, which raised the overall total past 17.9 million. The previous record of 350,000 on Monday had capped a five-day streak of recording the largest single-day increases in any country throughout the pandemic. …Read More

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In the small Nebraska town of Oxford, the school district dropped its mask mandate last month in what was a fairly straight-forward decision: Cases were down dramatically, and it didn’t bother local officials that their move flouted Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines. Those federal mask guidelines just didn’t seem to fit local conditions well in the town of about 800 people where hardly anyone wears a mask. “We haven’t paid a whole lot of attention to what is going on at the federal level — mainly what is coming out through the state,” Southern Valley Superintendent Bryce Jorgensen said. “You just can’t compare Chicago to Oxford, Nebraska. Things are just different.” …Read More

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WASHINGTON (AP) — Ten years after they found and killed Osama bin Laden, U.S. Navy SEALs are undergoing a major transition to improve leadership and expand their commando capabilities to better battle threats from global powers like China and Russia. The new plan cuts the number of SEAL platoons by as much as 30% and increases their size to make the teams more lethal and able to counter sophisticated maritime and undersea adversaries. And there will be a new, intensive screening process for the Navy’s elite warriors, to get higher-quality leaders after scandals that rocked the force and involved charges of murder, sexual assault and drug use. Rear Adm. Hugh Howard, top commander for the SEALs, laid out his plans in an exclusive interview with The Associated Press. He said the Navy’s sp…Read More

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NEW DELHI (AP) — India’s death toll from COVID-19 has surpassed 200,000 as a virus surge sweeps the country, rooted in so-called super-spreader events that were allowed to happen in the months after India thought it had the pandemic under control. Now India is enduring its darkest chapter yet, with mass funeral pyres, burials and a collapse of the health system compounded by shortages of oxygen, ventilators, and hospital beds. Fueling the catastrophe were a series of crowded events, like mass rallies by politicians such as Prime Minister Narendra Modi, religious holidays and pilgrimages on the River Ganges, where people relaxed their vigilance and didn’t wear masks or keep their social distance. …Read More

OTHER TOP STORIES

WASHINGTON (AP) — Tim Scott, the only Black Republican senator, is often happy to dart past Capitol Hill reporters without saying much. This time, he and the spotlight have …Read More

A look at what’s happening around the majors today: ___ NICE NEWCOMERS …Read More

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — A turreted former Catholic girl’s school in Jaffa is being transformed into an exclusive Soho House club. Around the corner, a historic ex-convent is…Read More

A new generation of startups wants to disrupt the way houses are built by automating production with industrial 3D printers. 3D printing, also known as additive manufacturin…Read More

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US: Cruise Resumption Bill Blocked in Senate

A Bill that could have allowed the resumption of cruise vacations by July 4, 2021, was blocked in the US Upper House by Washington Senator Patty Murray eight days after its introduction, Cruise Industry News reported earlier this week.

Named the CRUISE (Careful Resumption Under Improved Safety Enhancements) Act, it was aimed to revoke the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC’s) current Conditional Sail Order on cruises and require the CDC to provide COVID-19 mitigation guidance for cruise lines to resume safe domestic operations, the cruise shipping industry publication reported.

The Bill, the publication said, was initiated by Florida senators Rick Scott and Marco Rubio and Senator Dan Sullivan of Alaska.

Scott and Rubio attempted to advance the CRUISE Act on April 21 on the Senate floor but Senator Murray objected, preventing it from passing.

“Cruise ships require specific focus and protocols in place to prevent future outbreaks,” Cruise Industry News quoted Senator Murray as saying in her objection.

“While I am as eager as anyone else to see a return to travel, we cannot cut corners. Doing so risks lives and will only further delay returning to normal, hurting our economy more in the long run,” Murray was quoted further.

“We must trust the science, and we must allow the CDC to continue its work to help us return to what we love as safely as possible. So I will continue to work with CDC and the administration as they develop the next phase of their cruising guidance, but for now, I object,” she explained.

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Biden’s 100 Days: A World of Difference from Trump

President Biden’s first 100 days in office have been aggressive on policy, but subdued on style.

Biden, a 78-year-old former vice president and centrist senator who was far from the first choice of most progressives in the 2020 Democratic primary, has gone big on policy, seeking to reshape the economy and social safety net amid a historic pandemic.

He’s sought to undo former President Trump’s agenda, issuing executive actions from Day One to do away with his predecessor’s wall on the southern border and travel ban, among many other issues.

While pushing a vaccination effort to open the economy and end the pandemic, he’s also been aggressive with legislation, winning passage of a $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill and setting up measures on infrastructure, child care, free community college and other issues that would total more than $3 trillion.

But while Biden’s governing approach has been assertive, his style has been much more relaxed, particularly compared to his predecessor’s stream-of-conscious social media musings and impromptu sessions with reporters.

With semiregular speeches, few news interviews and no unscripted tweets, Biden has fashioned himself the foil of the previous president.

“He’s a fairly calm, rational person and he is a thoughtful person and he just is the antithesis, I think, of Donald Trump in terms of persona and style,” said Barbara Perry, director of presidential studies at the University of Virginia’s Miller Center. “I think that has come across and calmed the country.”

Polls suggest it has so far, as Biden’s honeymoon is ongoing judging by his approval ratings.

Sixty-four percent of American adults approve of Biden’s handling of the coronavirus and 65 percent support the $1.9 trillion relief package he signed into law in March, according to a recent Washington Post-ABC News poll.

A slimmer 52 percent majority of adults approve of Biden’s job overall — higher than Trump at this point in his presidency but lower than his other predecessors.

“The only issues that have really mattered in the last 100 days are the pandemic and its effects on the economy,” said veteran GOP pollster Whit Ayres. “President Biden has focused most of his attention on those problems and has made substantial progress on both.”

“That said, there are numerous other issues lurking beneath the surface, not the least of which is he ran as a unifying candidate who would govern in a bipartisan way and he has governed by pushing a purely partisan agenda through a very narrow partisan majority in Congress,” Ayres continued. “History suggests that following that course of action creates a backlash in the next midterm election.”

Biden campaigned as a moderate who could work with Republicans to get things done but has not been able to get GOP lawmakers behind his proposals.

Democrats were happy that Biden, recognizing the urgency of the moment, didn’t wait for Republicans to come around to support the coronavirus relief bill before passing it with only Democratic support using budget reconciliation.

“Going in, my concern was that he was going to spend too much time negotiating with Sen. [Mitch] McConnell, at a time when cutting deals with Sen. McConnell was impossible,” said Jim Manley, a Democratic strategist and former aide to then-Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.). “I am absolutely convinced that if the Republicans were serious, they would find a willing negotiating partner in the president and his team, but he’s not willing to waste time while they play political games.”

But using the same strategy again carries political risk for the president.

The Post-ABC poll found that 60 percent of adults say they would rather see Biden try to win support from Republicans by making major changes to his proposals, versus 30 percent who would prefer he try to enact his ideas without major changes even if it means not getting GOP support.

Biden unveiled a $2 trillion infrastructure and climate package last month and is on the cusp of proposing another $1 trillion in spending on child care, education and paid family leave that he is proposing to pay for with tax hikes.

He’ll either need to find a way to pass them with GOP support — which would require significant change — or get Democrats behind their own package.

“Historically, there is a narrow window usually in the first year of a four-year presidency to get stuff done. After that, it gets a lot tougher,” said Manley.

Still, Jim Kessler, executive vice president for policy at the centrist Democratic think tank Third Way, argued that Biden is in a better position than past Democratic presidents to successfully “go big” in his first term because of the popularity of the relief proposal. Former presidents have been forced to enact policies that have been unpopular, he argued, noting President Obama’s bailout of banks in 2008.

“Joe Biden is going into this passing a rescue package that everyone loves and so, he still gets a few more bites at the apple of going big because his first big plans didn’t expend capital, it gained capital,” Kessler said.

Biden will push forward on his legislative agenda while his administration works toward increasing the uptake of coronavirus vaccines and communicates guidance on public health practices for those who are vaccinated.

“We certainly believe we’re still going to be at war at the virus and there is more work to be done to get the virus under control, to meet people where they are, to get people vaccinated who may not be confident in the efficacy at this time,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters Tuesday.

He’s also been saddled with a challenge he didn’t foresee: the wave of young migrants at the southern border. Republicans are trying to exploit Biden’s perceived weakness on the border to gain ground against Democrats in the midterms.

A recent Fox News poll found that 35 percent of U.S. adults approve of Biden’s handling of border security and 34 percent approve of his handling of immigration, while slim majorities disapprove of the president’s work on either issue.

“It has proved to be an issue that even this administration is finding difficult to manage,” said one Democratic strategist. Biden has “got to think about A, how to manage it humanely, and B, not have any swift reaction that would upset moderate to conservative voters.”

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Canada: Military Deployed Amidst Worsening COVID Wave

(CNN) Canada has deployed its military to Ontario amid a worsening Covid-19 wave that has caused the positivity rate to hit an all-time high in the province.

The government approved Ontario’s request for medical and other support as ICU admissions hit new highs Monday.

“We have approved a request for assistance from Ontario to provide support to their provincial healthcare system against COVID19,” Bill Blair, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, said on Twitter. “@CanadianForces will provide medical + civilian human health resources within medical care facilities in ON, as well as logistical and admin. Support.”

Earlier this month the province issued new stay-at-home orders that were met with some protests. The government doubled down on April 16 when it said it would strengthen enforcement and penalties for those not complying with orders.

Canada said it would deploy federal health human resources, provide support from the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF), and pay for the redeployment of the Canadian Red Cross to support and relieve staff in medical care facilities, a statement released late Monday said.

“The CAF is preparing to deploy up to three multi-purpose medical assistance teams (MMATs), which are scalable healthcare provider teams primarily composed of Nursing Officers and Medical Technicians as well as additional CAF members for general duty support as applicable,” the statement said. “The MMATs will be rotated in and out of the province rather than deployed simultaneously to ensure that CAF support is sustainable.”

Ontario is already using surge capacity in dozens of hospitals, including a few field hospitals that are admitting patients with Covid-19 who do not need intensive treatment or those who have recovered enough to be transferred into the field facilities.

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Ex-Barbados Minister Gets 2 Years in U.S. Prison for Money Laundering, Bribes

A former minister in the government of Barbados was sentenced on Tuesday to two years in prison for laundering bribes he received from a Barbadian insurance company through a U.S. bank, the U.S. Justice Department said.

Donville Inniss, 55, who had served as minister of industry in the Caribbean nation and as a member of its parliament, was convicted by a federal jury in January 2020, the department said in a statement.

Inniss concealed the nature of the bribes by receiving them through a dental company and a bank located in Elmont, New York, according to the statement.

Inniss, a legal permanent resident of the United States who lived in Florida, had been charged in Brooklyn federal court.

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Brazil Senate Opens Pandemic Probe, Bolsonaro Feels the Heat

Maria Marcello

Reuters- Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro looks on during a ceremony at the Sao Sebastiao neighbourhood in Brasilia, Brazil April 5, 2021. REUTERS/Adriano Machado/File Photo

A Senate inquiry into the Brazilian government’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic kicked off on Tuesday, with lawmakers launching what may be a major headache for President Jair Bolsonaro ahead of next year’s election.

Nearly 400,000 people have died from COVID-19 in Brazil, the second-highest death toll in the world after the United States. Bolsonaro, a far-right former army captain, has drawn harsh criticism due to his long-running efforts to minimize the dangers of the virus, shun masks and push unproven remedies.

The inquiry will be overseen by Senator Renan Calheiros, a veteran lawmaker and Bolsonaro critic responsible for the final report. Procedural decisions will fall to Senator Omar Aziz, from the hard-hit state of Amazonas, as committee president and Senate opposition leader Randolfe Rodrigues as vice president.

The probe is expected to focus on the government’s delays in securing vaccines, including the details of drawn-out negotiations with foreign drugmakers, and missteps in Amazonas, where an infectious new variant sprung up late last year.

Beyond the new facts uncovered, the inquiry is expected to generate a political spectacle, with lawmakers pinning Bolsonaro on the ropes ahead of next year’s fraught presidential election, where he is almost certain to seek re-election.

Although the probe could add to calls for impeachment of Bolsonaro, experts say that is an unlikely outcome. Instead, they suggested the government could deflect blame toward former Health Minister Eduardo Pazuello, who oversaw the chaos in Amazonas and has been criticized for slow vaccine negotiations.

Bolsonaro’s early efforts to undermine the probe reflect its potential to cause him damage. He and his allies strove to have Calheiros removed from leading the inquiry, alleging he could not be impartial as his son is the governor of Alagoas state, and the inquiry will probe federal funding of state programs.

Carla Zambelli, a lower house lawmaker and Bolsonaro ally, convinced a court to block Calheiros on Monday night, but the decision was later reversed by another federal court.

On Tuesday, Calheiros said he would act impartially and that the probe would be “deep, technical, focused on its objectives and depoliticized.”

“The country has a right to know who contributed to the thousands of deaths, and they should be punished,” he added.

He said he had proposed calling for testimony from current Health Minister Marcelo Queiroga, as well as his predecessors during the pandemic, including Pazuello.

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