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The Largest Barrier to Biden getting things done

During his 2020 presidential effort, Joe Biden promised to enact ambitious new programes and reforms – including on voting rights, health care, gun control, the environment and education. He reportedly imagined himself to become a veteran president, like Franklin Delano Roosevelt during the Great Depression, who could execute sweeping change and rescue a country confronting a calamitous crisis.

In first 100 times presidency, but reality has set in. Most of Biden’s big-ticket goals require the support of Congress. And though the legislative branch is commanded by his party, passage of the president’s schedule is far from guaranteed. Even the Senate, one of the two legislative acts, is unique among western democracies in efficiently necessitating a super-majority to enact major pieces of legislation. Only today, but has it become a common – and powerful – tool for both political obstruction. Its critics revile it like an anti-democratic practice that can grind the gears of government to a halt. Its supporters claim it is a cherished tradition which promotes bipartisanship and averts a hurried legislative process. After 20 kids and six teachers have been killed by a gunman in a school in Newtown, Connecticut, in 2012, a tearful President Barack Obama pledged to face the issue of gun control.

That started a legislative process that included committee hearings, lobbying from interest groups, several coverage proposals and, eventually, draft laws. All this activity culminated four weeks later with 54 senators in the 100-seat chamber voting to progress a bipartisan bill which will require background checks on personal firearm transactions – closing the so called “gun show loophole” to get off-the-books weapon purchases. In that the US Senate, however, a simple majority was not enough. Because of the filibuster, the bill required 60 votes to proceed.

Obama and the gun-control urges were six short – and the bill has been effectively killed. The Senate hasn’t come any closer on substantive firearm laws in the eight years since. There is nothing in the US Constitution relating to it. The authors left legislative voting principles up to the individual chambers. Initially, the House and the Senate allowed its members to take part in unlimited debate on any topic. It didn’t take long for savvy legislators to realise that they might use the principles to essentially talk a proposal to departure, holding the floor until its proponents gave up and moved to additional business.

The sections of their filibuster As that the House of Representatives grew in size, so it adopted rules for restricting the amount of time allotted for debate. To do this would need a two-third majority of those present in the Senate. The Senate next altered the filibuster rule in 1975, lowering the votes needed to end debate to the modern-day three-fifths indicate, or 60 out of the 100-seat chamber. In addition, it changed the process so filibustering senators merely needed to signal their intent to block laws and not physically take part in debate on the bottom of the chamber. The aim was to permit the Senate to place the contested laws apart and keep with other company, avoiding lengthy delays and gridlock. The result, however, has been to make filibustering easier. It generated a distinction from past “speaking” filibusters – a brassy, but typically unworthy, parliamentary approach not unfamiliar to a lot of western democracies.

The chamber recently enacted some exceptions to the filibuster, though. In 2013, Democrats voted to permit a simple majority to stop debate on presidential appointments to the executive branch and also lower-level courts. Four years later, Republicans enlarged that exception to include Supreme Court nominees. The Senate dug out a process by which the Senate could pass particular laws affecting the US budget with a simple majority through something known as “reconciliation.” The Senate would later include information on everything might be accomplished. Legislation can’t boost the US budget deficit after 10 years. It needs to be geared toward paying or earnings, rather than just in a tangential manner. And all laws needs to be analyzed from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office and accepted by the Senate parliamentarian. Republicans have used the process to pass tax cuts, like the one backed by Donald Trump in 2017. Joe Biden and the Democrats employed the strategy to enact the 1.9tn Covid relief announcement last month.

The government is now considering using reconciliation to permit a simple majority to pass on the president’s own $2tn infrastructure program. With just 50 Democrats in the Senate, Biden would require 10 Republican votes to break a filibuster under ordinary rules. Democrats originally thought they’d have just two opportunities to utilize reconciliation before the 2022 congressional mid-term elections (when they might drop control of one or both chambers of Congress). A recent judgment by the Senate parliamentarian opened the door to greater opportunities, although all 50 Democrats – like reconciliation sceptic Manchin – will have to sign off to the move, gun-control laws in 2013 later Sandy Hook, an immigration bill that included a path to citizenship for the children of undocumented migrants in 2010some of Roosevelt’s New Deal legislation, for example a programe providing retirement income for its elderly Lyndon Johnson’s Civil Rights Act has been held up for 57 days, before being rescued and passed.

Republican risks to ravage Biden’s legislative schedule employing the filibuster have already prompted some on the left to involve the outright abolition of the procedure – something which could be accomplished with a simple majority vote in the Democrat-controlled chamber. Others have indicated reinstating the talking-filibuster principle, once more making the procedure a greater test of political endurance and will. Biden – a former senator – has long been a competitor to filibuster reform, telling the BBC in 2019 that the procedure secure the utilization of minorities. “Let’s figure out how we could find this done and continue in the direction of greatly changing the abuse of even the filibuster rule. “Concerned Democrats warn that if their party doesn’t act now – when they have hands of Congress and the presidency – it may be years before such an chance for reform arises . They argue that a filibuster-free Senate could allow their party to alter the political playing area – by enforcing election legislation that would improve their party’s vote, adding new candidates to the Supreme Court and the remaining national judiciary, and from devoting statehood (and fresh congressional representation) to Democrat-leaning Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia.

Other major policy initiatives which appear improbable to acquire 60 votes in the Senate – but might pass on with just Democratic votes if the filibuster were eliminated – add a government-run medical insurance policy plan to compete with private businesses, universal pre-kindergarten care, free or low-cost faculty education, new firearm regulations and also fresh climate-change legislation.

“The filibuster is giving a veto to the gun business,” Senator Elizabeth Warren said through a 2020 Democratic presidential main debate. “It provides a veto to the petroleum market. It is likely to provide a waiver on immigration. “Filibuster fans, but warn that Republicans could cancel anything Democrats reach – and pass conservative principles – in subsequent years. “If the filibuster is eliminated,” Senator Manchin wrote in a recent Washington Post opinion column, “a new and dangerous precedent will be set to pass sweeping, partisan legislation which changes the direction of our state every time there’s a change in political management. The consequences will be deep – our state may never see steady governing again.” With no Manchin’s assistance, Democrats don’t have the votes to change anything. Until he reconsiders, or more Democratic Senate candidates triumph in 2022, the filibuster is protected to get now Joe Biden US politics

World News

Ukraine war: Kyiv secures a bridgehead across the key Dnipro River, reports

But military experts warn that advancing from positions across the Dnipro could be very difficult.

Ukrainian troops have set up positions on the east bank of the Dnipro River in southern Kherson region, reports say.The region is partially Russian-held and crossing the river could be significant in future offensives.The US-based Institute for the Study of War says Russian military bloggers have posted “enough geolocated footage and text reports to confirm” the advance.BBC Ukraine says its military sources have reported a “certain movement across [the] Dnipro” near Kherson city.

Ukraine’s military has not confirmed the movement, while Russia has denied the reports.But if the reports that Ukraine has secured a bridgehead on the east bank are correct, it could be significant in helping Kyiv drive Russian troops back.A Ukrainian advance in the area could, in the future, even cut the land corridor to Ukraine’s Crimea peninsula, annexed by Russia in 2014.However, military experts say any Ukrainian troop movements in the bridgehead area – which is crisscrossed by floodplains, irrigation canals and other water obstacles – would be a tough task.And Ukrainian advances would be further complicated by Russia’s significant advantage in the air.

Ukraine’s military has for some time publicly spoken about preparations for a major counter-offensive, without specifying where and when it could be launched.Until now, all of the Kherson region on the east bank of the Dnipro has been under Russian control, with the wide river serving as a natural barrier.The regional capital – sitting on the west bank – was liberated by Ukrainian forces last November.Celebrations as Ukraine takes back key city KhersonPutin visits occupied Kherson region in UkraineIn Sunday’s report, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said “geolocated footage published on 23 April indicates that Ukrainian forces are operating in areas north-west of Oleshky on the east” bank of Dnipro.

The ISW added there was not enough information to analyse the scale of the reported Ukrainian advance – or the further intentions of the Ukrainian military.On Monday, Russia’s WarGonzo military blogger reported that Ukrainian troops were “trying to gain a foothold on Bolshoi Potemkin [Velykyi Potyomkin – Ukrainian] island”, which is located between the new and old channels of the Dnipro.

World News

India’s population will surpass China this week, according to UN

Last week, a different UN body said the milestone would be passed later in 2023.

India is expected to overtake China as the world’s most populous nation by the end this week. A different UN body predicted last week that India would surpass China by the middle this year. The Asian nations have accounted more than a quarter of the global population since over 70 years. The UN’s Department of Economic and Social Affairs said in a press release that “China will soon relinquish its long-held position as the world’s largest country”.

The UN Population Fund said last week that India would have 2.9 million more people than China by the middle of 2023. China’s birthrate has dropped recently, and its population shrank last year for first time since 1961. India’s population will continue to grow for several decades, it said. However, fertility rates in India are also dropping – from 5.7 babies per woman in 1950, to 2.2 today. In November, the world population reached 8 billion. Experts say that the growth rate is slower than it used to be, and is now at its lowest level since 1950.

World News

Scientists are concerned about recent rapid ocean warming.

There’s growing concern that the oceans are heating up quickly – and scientists are unsure of the implications.

It has never warmed up this much, so quickly. Scientists don’t fully understand why. But they worry that, combined with other weather events, the world’s temperature could reach a worrying new level by the end of next year. Scientists do not fully understand why it has happened. But they are concerned that combined with other weather conditions, the temperature of the planet could reach a new alarming level by the end next year. They are less efficient in absorbing planet-warming gases.

In the last 15 years, Earth’s heat has increased by 50 percent, with the majority of that extra heat going into the oceans. This has real world implications – not only was the temperature of the oceans a record in April, but in some areas the difference over the long term is enormous. Image source: Getty ImagesIn march, sea surface temperatures along the east coast of North America reached 13.8C above the 1981-2011 average. Karina Von Schuckmann, lead author of the study and oceanographer with the research group Mercator Ocean International, said: “It is not yet clear why such a rapid and huge change is occurring.”

“We have doubled heat in the climate system over the last 15 years. I don’t think this is climate variability, but it could be. We do see the change. “An interesting factor that could influence the level of heat entering the oceans is a reduction in shipping pollution. In 2020, the International Maritime Organisation implemented a regulation to lower the sulphur in fuel burned by ships. This has had an immediate impact on reducing the amount aerosol particles released in the atmosphere. Aerosols that pollute the air also reflect heat back into the space, so removing them could have caused more heat to reach the oceans.

The average surface temperature of the oceans has risen by 0.9C since pre-industrial times, with 0.6C of that increase occurring in the last 40. This is less than the rise in air temperatures on land which have increased by 1.5C. Oceans absorb heat much deeper than land and require more energy to heat. This has real-world implications. It is especially damaging to coral reefs. Extreme weather will increase as heat from the upper ocean surface increases hurricanes and cyclones. This means they become more intense and longer-lasting.Sea-level rise: warmer waters take up more space – known as thermal expansion – and can greatly accelerate the melting of glaciers from Greenland and Antarctica that flow into the oceans.

This increases global sea levels and increases the risk of coastal flooding. Warmer water has a lower ability to absorb CO2. The oceans will absorb less CO2 if they continue to warm. This will lead to more CO2 accumulating in the atmosphere, further warming the air. “The Australian Bureau model strongly suggests a strong El Nino.” Hugh McDowell, from Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology, said that the trend has been in that direction and that all climate models have been trending towards a stronger event. Mr McDowell warned that predictions are less reliable at this time of the year.

Other researchers are more optimistic. Experts believe that a fully-formed event will follow. “If we have a new El Nino on top of that, it will probably cause an additional global warming of 0.2-0.25C,” Dr Josef Ludescher from the Potsdam Institute for Climate Research said. “The impact of El Nino is reduced a few months following the peak. This is why 2024 is likely to be the warmest year on record. “Image source, Anadolu Agency.” And we may, we’ll be close to 1.5C and perhaps we’ll temporarily go over. El Nino is likely to disrupt weather patterns in Australia and around the world. It will also weaken the monsoon. There are also more fundamental concerns that as heat is absorbed by the oceans, they may be less able store excess energy.

One scientist described being “extremely stressed and worried”. Karina von Schuckmann says that some research has shown the world warming in jumps. Little changes over years are followed by sudden leaps upwards. After El Nino subsides, temperatures may drop again. She told BBC News that “we still have a window of opportunity to act and we should take advantage of this to reduce the effects.” Graphics by Erwan RIVALL.

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Wagner in Sudan: what have Russian mercenaries done?

The Wagner group denies involvement in the current conflict, but there’s evidence it has previously been active in Sudan.

Russian Wagner mercenary forces are accused of having commercial and military ties with Sudan. However, the group denies involvement in the current conflict. Yevgeny Praighozin, who has close ties to President Vladimir Putin, has stated that “not one Wagner PMC [private company] fighter has ever been present in Sudan”. We have found no evidence of Russian mercenaries currently inside the country. There is evidence of Wagner’s previous activities in Sudan. Mr Prighozin’s operations in the nation have been targeted by US and EU sanctions. Gold-mining DealsIn 2017, Sudan’s former President Omar al-Bashir, during a trip to Moscow, signed a number of deals.

These included an agreement to establish a Russian naval base at Port Sudan along the Red Sea as well as “concessions on gold mining” between Russian company M Invest, and the Sudanese Ministry of Minerals. The According to a CNN investigation, gold was transported overland into Central African Republic where Wagner operates – exports that were not recorded in Sudanese trade data.

The BBC has not independently confirmed these images. In 2021, a Wagner linked Telegram channel published photos of an unnamed top Wagner leader awarding Sudanese soldier memorabilia during a ceremony that took place two years earlier. TelegramAnd, in July 2022 this channel distributed a clip allegedly showing Wagner’s mercenaries performing par The same source linked the Instagram profile of a Russian mercenary who called himself a “freelancer”. He shared stories of his exploits on Sudan in posts dating from August and Oct 2021. How influential is Wagner? The US Treasury claims that the Wagner Group has been involved in “paramilitary activities, support for maintaining authoritarian regimes and exploitation natural resources”. The relationship between the Royal United Services Institute and the UK-based Royal United Services Institute has grown since then.

“In 2018, they had around 100 men actively training Sudanese forces,” says Dr Joana De Deus Pereira from the UK. Sudanese media reported that the number grew to 500 and that they were mainly based in the south-west, near Um Dafuq and close to Sudan’s borders with the Central African Republic. According to Dr Samuel Ramani who wrote a book on Russia’s activities throughout Africa, the Wagner Group created its own media campaigns in order to keep President Bashir in power. Image source: AFP. This caused friction with the president’s security forces and Wagner switched its support to General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, who overthrew him.

Dr Ramani says that while the Foreign Ministry in Moscow opposed the coup, Prigozhin, and the Wagner Group, welcomed al-Burhan’s takeover. According to Dr Ramani it was between 2021 and 2022 when the Wagner Group increased their connections with the Rapid Support Forces, which is currently fighting Sudan’s regular army led by Gen Burhan. Mr Pri “Wagner had links with both General al-Burhan and Mr Hemedti in different degrees and ways,” she says. Wagner’s presence in AfricaWagner fighters are widely reported to be in the Central African Republic for several years, guarding diamond mines in the country, as well in Libya and Mali.

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Sudan fighting: Foreign nationals and diplomats evacuated

Several countries are helping their citizens leave the capital, Khartoum, following a week of fighting.

Several other countries have also started organising evacuations, starting on Sunday. France, Germany Italy and Spain have also started organising evacuations. A vicious power struggle has caused violence throughout the country. The UK government was able to airlift British diplomatic staff and their families out in a “complex” and “rapid” operation. Foreign Minister James Cleverly stated that options to evacuate remaining British nationals were “severely restricted”.

The German army reported that the first of three flights had left Sudan bound for Jordan with 101 people aboard. Italy and Spain evacuated citizens – the Spanish mission included citizens of Argentina, Colombia, Ireland Portugal, Poland Mexico, Venezuela, and Sudan. Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced his government had evacuated diplomatic staff. More than 150 people were evacuated to the Saudi Arabian port Jeddah by sea, including citizens from Egypt, Pakistan, and Gulf countries. Many foreign students from Africa, Asia, and the Middle East have also been trapped in Khartoum. They have made desperate calls for assistance.

The US announced on Sunday that a disaster response team will be sent to the region to “coordinate humanitarian response to those in need, both within and outside Sudan.” “Samantha Power, from the US Agency for International Development(USAID), said that the team would initially work out of Kenya and give priority to getting “life-saving humanitarian assistance to those in need.” The World Health Organization reports that the fighting has injured thousands and killed more than 400.

The death toll may be higher than 400, because people are unable to access healthcare due to the closure of most hospitals in the city. The fighting has also affected the western region of Darfur where the RSF was first formed. The UN has warned that 20,000 people, mostly women and children, have fled Sudan in search of safety in Chad across the border.