Government shutdown: Republicans on Capitol Hill have killed the bipartisan bill that would have kept the government open after funding authorization runs out Saturday at midnight. Trump advisor Elon Musk came out against the agreement yesterday and Donald Trump followed his lead shortly thereafter. House Speaker Mike Johnson, who worked with Democrats to come up with the agreement that would fund the government until the middle of March, said there currently is no alternate plan that would prevent a government shutdown this weekend.
Debt: Donald Trump has threatened a primary challenge for any Republican member of Congress who supports a continuing resolution to keep the government open that doesn’t include an increase in the national debt. An increase in the national debt while President Biden still is in office would allow Trump to quickly put into effect the tax cuts he promised for the wealthy and big corporations. Congress currently is expected to have to raise the national debt this coming June. Doing it now would allow the Biden Administration to be blamed for increasing the national debt rather than Trump.
Amazon strike: The Teamsters Union went on strike at a number of Amazon facilities in the U.S at 6 a.m. Eastern Time this morning. The union accused Amazon of refusing to follow the law and bargain with the union. Teamsters General President Sean O’Brien said, “If your package is delayed during the holidays, you can blame Amazon’s insatiable greed. We gave Amazon a clear deadline to come to the table and do right by our members. They ignored it.” The union said its members are putting up primary picket lines at hundreds of Amazon Fulfillment Centers nationwide.
Cable cuts: The investigation into the cutting of three cables under the Baltic Sea that carry internet traffic took a new turn today when the Chinese allowed Swedish police to board a Chinese ship that has been in waters near where the cable cut occurred. The cables were cut in November and sabotage was suspected. Officials from Denmark, Finland and Germany also were allowed on the ship. Investigation found that tracking data showed that the ship had been near where the cable cuts happened at the time they were cut.
Stock market: The U.S. stock markets were expected to recover somewhat today from the dramatic drops of yesterday after the Federal Reserve’s announcement on interest rates. The Fed announced another 0.25% rate cut, but Fed Chairman Jerome Powell said that instead of cutting interest rates four times next year the Fed now expects that only two cuts are likely. Powell also said there is concern that Donald Trump’s plan for trade tariffs would raise costs for consumers, hurt commerce and increase upward pressure on inflation.
Hornet: The Washington State Department of Agriculture and the United States Department of Agriculture have declared the northern giant hornet has been eradicated from Washington and the United States. The hornets, also known as the murder hornet were first spotted in the U.S. in Washington State five years ago. Their sting can kill a human and they also spit venom. They attack and kill other insects that are vital to the pollination of crops. Both the state and national agriculture departments report that efforts to wipe out nests were successful and none of the hornets have been spotted in the U.S. in the past three years.
