After midnight, 95 senators again signed on to an amendment that provided federal funds to hire 100,000 new police officers nationwide. Just Vermont Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders and Republican Sens. Mike Lee of Utah and Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania voted against.
West Virginia Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin raised concerns over the $3.5 trillion budget plan the Senate passed Wednesday, warning that the level of spending would have a negative impact on future generations.
Inflation increased at a rapid 5.4% clip compared to August 2020, the Department of Labor said Wednesday. Used car prices have surged 41.7% over the last year.
With the IIJA’s passing, senators are now set to take up their budget resolution. The mammoth resolution, unveiled by Vermont Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders, addresses priorities including health care, climate change and immigration and as outlined costs $3.5 trillion.
Three of the report’s scenarios predict rising temperatures will likely exceed 2 degrees Celsius in the 21st century unless there is a sharp reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. Such an increase would result in increased heat waves, flooding, droughts, tropical cyclones, and reductions in Arctic sea ice, according to the report.
State legislatures in six states limited their governors’ emergency powers wielded during the COVID-19 pandemic, arguing executives have overextended their authority.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, saying he did not want to be a distraction, announced Tuesday afternoon that he will resign as governor, with that move effective in 14 days. When the resignation goes into effect, Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul will become New York’s 57th governor and the first woman to lead the state.
The vote, which was to invoke cloture on the bill as a substitute amendment, was approved 68-29, with 18 Republicans joining every Democrat in voting in favor. It followed an earlier procedural vote, which passed 64-33, and a motion to adopt the amendment, which passed 69-29. The vote sets the package up to officially pass the Senate Tuesday.
With a federal moratorium on evictions set to expire, New Hampshire renters at risk of being kicked out of their homes will have access to assistance under a new law.
Some state and local public health officials soon may recommend reinstating mask mandates, imposing curfews, limiting travel and even reclosing schools and businesses. But in numerous states, newly minted laws may prevent many of those public health precautions.
The American Postal Workers Union (APWU) announced its opposition to a mandate forcing its members to get the coronavirus vaccine. The APWU also demanded that Biden’s administration negotiates with union leadership before issuing any mandate.
“We’ve got to shake people at this point and say, ‘Come on now.’ We tried voluntary. We could not have been more kind and compassionate,” de Blasio said on MSNBC. “Free testing, everywhere you turn, incentives, friendly, warm embrace. The voluntary phase is over.”