Schumer urges Democrats to keep the government open
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer is urging Senate Democrats to join him in supporting the Republican measure passed in the House that would keep the government open for another six months. Without passage of a funding bill in the Senate by midnight tonight the government would be forced to shut down. Schumer says that a government shutdown would allow Donald Trump and Elon Musk to fire even more people and dismantle even more government agencies faster than they’ve been able to do it with the government still functioning.
Trump asks Supreme court to uphold his change to the Constitution
Donald Trump has filed an emergency action asking the Supreme Court to uphold the change he made to the U.S. Constitution removing the right to U.S. citizenship for anyone born in the U.S. Lower courts have ruled that what Trump did is blatantly unconstitutional and reverses about 250 years of history. The Supreme Court in 1898 issued a ruling that supported the Constitution on the matter of birthright citizenship. An attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union, who challenged Trump’s action, called what Trump did outrageously cruel and illegal.
Musk and company moving into Post Office
U.S. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, who was appointed in 2020 by Donald Trump, has revealed that he has invited Elon Musk and his government efficiency workers to start working on the post office. Some Republicans for decades have advocated selling off the profitable parts of the post office to private companies. Elon Musk this month called for privatizing the Postal Service. DeJoy says that he wants to cut 10,000 employees at the Postal Service in the next 30 days. Since DeJoy became postmaster general the postal workforce has been reduced by 30,000 employees.
Judges order federal employee firings to be reversed
Federal court judges in California and Maryland have ordered the Trump Administration to reverse its firings of tens of thousands of federal workers in numerous departments. Judges William Alsup in California and James Bredar in Maryland ordered that the employees be rehired. Bredar set a deadline of 1 p.m. on Monday for all employees to be restored to their jobs. Bredar ruled in a lawsuit filed by a coalition of state attorneys general that was led by New York Attorney General Letitia James. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt would not say whether the Trump Administration would obey the court orders.
Putin has questions about possible ceasefire in war with Ukraine
Russian spokesman Dmitry Peskov says that Russian President Vladimir Putin needs answers to his questions about how the ceasefire that has been agreed to by Ukraine would work. U.S. Envoy Steve Witkoff met with Putin yesterday to discuss a possible ceasefire. Putin said he is generally in favor of a 30-day ceasefire but has conditions such as Russia keeping territory it invaded and controls. Putin referred to Donald Trump’s Administration as being Russia’s colleagues and partners in negotiations for a ceasefire.
Fire on American Airlines plane at Denver
Twelve people were taken to the hospital as the result of a fire that broke out on an American Airlines Boeing 737-800 after the airplane made an emergency landing at Denver International Airport. The airplane had taken off from Colorado Springs and the flightcrew diverted to Denver because of engine vibrations. After landing, an engine fire broke out and spread. Passengers got out of the plane using emergency slides and overwing exits. The plane, flight 1006, had 172 passengers and six crew on board.
