President Biden signs stopgap spending measure |
The federal government has averted yet another near shutdown, as President Biden signed a stopgap measure to cap off the week. Departments funded through March 8 via the stopgap include: - Interior
- Transportation
- Housing and Urban Development
- Veterans Affairs
- Energy
- Justice
- Commerce
- Energy
The House and Senate fast-tracked the temporary fix while lawmakers continue to hash out details, including border security and aid for Ukraine and Israel.
But lawmakers still haven’t reached an agreement on a long-term spending plan. Biden’s signature on the temporary bill punts the issue to March 22, giving lawmakers three weeks to wrap up fiscal 2024 funding for the Pentagon, the legislative branch and foreign operations, as well as various departments: - Labor
- Health and Human Services
- Education
- State
- Homeland Security
“This bipartisan agreement prevents a damaging shutdown and allows more time for Congress to work toward full-year funding bills. That’s good news for the American people. But I want to be clear: this is a short-term fix — not a long-term solution,” Biden said in a statement. |
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Welcome to Evening Report! I’m Liz Crisp, catching you up from the afternoon and what’s coming tomorrow. Not on the list? Subscribe here. |
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US to airdrop humanitarian aid into Gaza |
The United States is planning to airdrop humanitarian aid into Gaza amid negotiations for a temporary cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war. President Biden confirmed the plans Friday during an Oval Office meeting with the prime minister of Italy. Watchdogs and aid agencies have warned of increasingly dire circumstances among Palestinians as the ongoing conflict wages after the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel.
“Innocent people got caught in a terrible war, unable to feed their families, and you saw the response when they tried to get aid. And we need to do more, and the United States will do more,” Biden said.
Biden was referring to the shooting of hundreds of Palestinian citizens scrambling for aid, allegedly at the hands of Israeli forces. More than 100 people were killed and more than 700 wounded. White House spokesperson John Kirby said it is “extremely difficult” to carry out an airdrop, especially in such a crowded area, because the aid needs to be dropped where it is accessible for aid organizations but also in an area with high concentrations of people in need.
The Pentagon does not yet have a plan in place for the airdrops, which are set to start in the coming days. No specific schedule has been announced. (The Hill) |
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Fani Willis case now in judge’s hands |
Attorneys for former President Trump and his Georgia co-defendants have made their final pitch to disqualify Fulton County, Ga., District Attorney Fani Willis (D) — continuing to hammer on her romantic relationship with a lead prosecutor.
Judge Scott McAfee aims to issue a ruling in the next two weeks. The case centers on Trump’s alleged efforts to overturn Georgia’s 2020 election results but the arguments have since focused on Willis’s relationship with special prosecutor Nathan Wade.
“There are several legal issues to sort through, several factual determinations that I have to make,” McAfee said. “Those aren’t ones I can make at this moment, and so, I will be taking the time to make sure that I give this case the full consideration it’s due.” (The Hill) |
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Shiff, Garvey in statistical tie in California race: Poll
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Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif) and Republican opponent Steve Garvey are in a statistical tie for the open U.S. Senate seat they are running for, according to new polling data from the Institute of Governmental Studies at the University of California – Berkeley.
The poll found Garvey at 27 percent support and Schiff at 25 percent. They are facing off in a jungle primary — when all candidates run in the same primary, regardless of party affiliation — with candidates including Democratic Reps. Katie Porter and Barbara Lee, who are polling below 20 percent. (The Hill)
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White House wants retraction from Fox News
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The White House is demanding Fox News renounce its coverage of bribery allegations against President Biden’s son, Hunter Biden, after the arrest of a key figure in the accusations against the Biden family.
Calling the allegations against Hunter Biden “false,” White House spokesman Ian Sams blasted the network. “I would cite the number of times Jesse Watters and Sean Hannity promoted this allegation and made false statements about President Biden on primetime television throughout this time period, but the footnote citations would fill multiple pages,” Sams wrote in his letter to Fox News top brass and later obtained by The Hill.
A Fox News spokesperson told The Hill the network “will continue to report on developments in all aspects of the ongoing investigations, hearings, and trials.” (The Hill) |
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NBC’s “Meet the Press”: GOP presidential candidate Nikki Haley; Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.).
- NewsNation’s “The Hill Sunday with Chris Stirewalt”: Rep. Jim Himes (D-Conn.); Rep. Ken Buck (R-Colo.).
- CNN’s “State of the Union”: Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.).
- MSNBC’s “The Weekend”: Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D-Ill.)
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FOX’s “Fox News Sunday”: Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.); Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.).
- CBS’s “Face the Nation”: Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska); Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.); Rep. Mike Turner (R-Ohio).
- MSNBC’s “Inside with Jen Psaki“: Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.); Former Rep. Beto O’Rourke (D-Texas).
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MSNBC’s “Alex Witt Reports”: Sen. Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Rep. Colin Allred (D-Texas).
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5 days until Super Tuesday.
250 days until the 2024 presidential election. |
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It’s a big week ahead with Super Tuesday and Thursday’s State of the Union address from President Biden. |
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