Fauci testimony: House Republicans led by far-right extremist Marjorie Taylor Greene held a hearing about the Covid pandemic during which Dr. Anthony Fauci, former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases testified. The Republicans refused to call Dr. Fauci doctor and refused to acknowledge the scientific work that had been done to quickly develop vaccines when 4,000 to 5,000 Americans were dying every day from the virus. The Republicans voiced a bizarre conspiracy theory that during the pandemic Fauci would parachute into Central Intelligence Agency headquarters for secret meetings.
Border: With Republicans in Congress refusing to approve legislation proposed by the Biden Administration to deal with the situation at the U.S. border with Mexico, President Biden is trying the executive order route to severely restrict entry of asylum-seekers into the U.S. from Mexico. Asylum-seekers who crossed the border illegally would be prevented from asking for asylum in the U.S. They would need to leave the country and apply in Mexico. Sources familiar with the executive order say it would effectively close the U.S. border until the number of illegal borer crossings drops.
Peace plan support: The U.S. is urging the U.N. Security Council to support the three-phase peace plan for Gaza announced by President Biden. U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield disclosed that the U.S. has prepared a draft resolution for which it is seeking support, She said the U.S. wants the nations in the Security Council to join other countries that have expressed support for the latest cease-fire proposal. The draft resolution calls for a two-state solution that would give the Palestinians a state separate from Israel.
Heat warning: A dome of heat is building over parts of California, Arizona, Nevada and Utah that is expected to push temperatures to at least 20 degrees above average this week. High heat warnings have been put into effect for about 17 million people. The National Weather Service predicts that a large area of high pressure will stall over the West starting today and spread in the days to follow. Temperatures in the triple digits are expected.
Fortune 500: Fortune magazine today announced the Fortune 500 rankings for 2024, the 70th year of the iconic annual list of the largest corporations in the United States. The companies are ranked by revenue for the 2023 fiscal year. Walmart is No. 1 for the 12th year in a row, followed by Amazon, Apple, UnitedHealth Group, and Berkshire Hathaway. The total revenues generated by this year’s Fortune 500 companies was $18.8 trillion. To make the list, a company had to have revenues of at least $7.1 billion.
India election: Votes are being counted in India’s Parliament election where 543 seats are to be filled and a prime minister chosen. The election was held during a six-week period. The party or coalition holding the most seats gets to form a government and install its leader as prime minister. Prime Minister Modi is hoping to be re-elected for a third term. Opposition parties have been growing in strength and the result is expected to be tighter than in the past. India’s population is 1.4 billion.
