Aid bills: Speaker of the House Mike Johnson says he will bring up for votes this week four separate bills that will deal with aid for Ukraine, aid for Israel, aid for Taiwan and create a loan program for humanitarian aid for Ukraine. The separate bills may then be merged into a single package to send to the Senate. Far-right Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene says she is opposed to Johnson’s plan and threatens to force a vote to remove him as speaker. Far-right Republicans have opposed legislation that combines aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan into one bill. Whether Johnson has the votes to pass the separate bills remains to be seen.
Trump trial: Donald Trump returned to court in Manhattan this morning for the second day of jury selection in his hush money trial. Yesterday 96 prospective jurors were called in to be interviewed by the judge and attorneys for both the prosecution and defense. Fifty immediately said they could not be impartial because of their opinions about Trump and were dismissed. A number of reporters said that during the proceedings it appeared as if Trump fell asleep several times. They reported that his eyes closed and his chin slumped down to his chest
Trump stock: Shares of Trump Media were trading at less than $25 each this morning, a sharp drop from where they had been at more than $79 a share after the company went public a few weeks ago. Trump Media announced today that it is getting ready to roll out a streaming TV service that will offer news, entertainment and religious programming. Yesterday, the company said it plans to issue another 21.4 million shares of stock. Doing that would allow certain investors to exercise warrants they hold and purchase additional shares at a low price. A filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission indicates that Donald Trump plans to sell 114.8 million shares of the company’s stock.
Copenhagen fire: A fire tore trough the stock exchange in Copenhagen today, causing substantial damage to the building that dates from the 17th century. The building was undergoing renovation and scaffolding on the exterior added to the difficulties of fighting the fire. All occupants of the building were reported to have escaped and some of the artwork in the building was rescued from the flames. Officials in Copenhagen compared the stock exchange fire to the fire at Notre-Dame in Paris in 2019.
Bridge collapse: The Associated Press reported this morning that the ship Dali that crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore causing it to collapse had electrical problems before it sailed. The AP said its source spoke on the condition of anonymity. The head of the National Transportation Safety Board said last week that the agency was investigating the possibility of electrical issues on board the ship. Video of the accident shows lights on the ship blinking in the moments before the ship hit the bridge.
Recordings: The Library of Congress today announced the 2024 additions to its National Recording Registry. Each year the library adds 25 recordings to the registry that are audio treasures worthy of preservation for all time based on their cultural, historical or aesthetic importance. The oldest recording is from 1919. Among this year’s selections for preservation are Gene Autry’s “Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” Perry Como’s “Catch a Falling Star,” ABBA’s “Dancing Queen,” and The Dixie Chicks’ “Wide Open Spaces.”
