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Thursday, April 20, 2023

Supreme Court Extends Pause of Abortion Pill Ban Through Friday

New York Times: The Supreme Court extended a pause on a lower-court ruling that had sought to limit access to a commonly used abortion pill, ensuring that the drug, mifepristone, would remain widely available for now. In a brief order, Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. announced that the court would extend its stay through Friday evening, giving the court more time to consider the case. At issue is a ruling by Judge Matthew J. Kacsmaryk of the Northern District of Texas, who in recent weeks had invalidated the Food and Drug Administration’s approval of the pill (New York Times). CNBC: Mifepristone, used in combination with another drug called misoprostol, is the most common method to terminate a pregnancy in the U.S., accounting for about half of all abortions (CNBC).

Speaker McCarthy Releases Proposal to Avoid Debt Ceiling Catastrophe

Daily Wire: House Republicans released their long-awaited proposal to avert a debt ceiling crisis in a bid to end a standoff with the White House. The 320-page “Limit, Save, Grow Act of 2023,” introduced by GOP leadership on Wednesday, would lift the U.S. debt limit by $1.5 trillion or until March 31, 2024 — whichever comes first. As a trade-off, Republicans want a variety of spending cuts and commitments aimed at fostering economic growth (Daily Wire). CSPAN: Speaker McCarthy (R-CA): “Today, I’m proud to announce we are introducing the Limit, Save, Grow Act of 2023… The bill would responsibly raise the debt limit into next year and provide more than $4.5 trillion in savings to American taxpayers” (Twitter).

69% of Americans Do Not Look on Economy Favorably

CNBC: Amid persistent inflation, higher interest rates and recession worries, Americans have never been more negative about the economy, according to the latest CNBC Survey. A record 69% of the public holds negative views about the economy both now and in the future, the highest percentage in the survey’s 17-year history. The survey of 1,000 people nationwide found that about two-thirds of Americans say their wages are falling behind inflation, and two-thirds say the nation is headed for recession or already in one. The fallout from these negative views is hitting President Joe Biden’s approval rating. His overall rating fell by 2 percentage points to 39% and his disapproval rating rose by a point to 55% compared with the November survey (CNBC). RNC Research: Biden: “I’m sick of this stuff … the American people think the reason for inflation is government spending more money. Simply not true” (Twitter)!

Biden Looks to Punish Those with Good Credit Scores by Making Them Fund High-Risk Mortgages

Washington Times: Homebuyers with good credit scores will soon encounter a costly surprise: a new federal rule forcing them to pay higher mortgage rates and fees to subsidize people with riskier credit ratings who are also in the market to buy houses. The fee changes will go into effect May 1 as part of the Federal Housing Finance Agency’s push for affordable housing, and they will affect mortgages originating at private banks across the country. The federally backed home mortgage companies Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will enact the loan-level price adjustments, or LLPAs. Mortgage industry specialists say homebuyers with credit scores of 680 or higher will pay, for example, about $40 per month more on a home loan of $400,000. Homebuyers who make down payments of 15% to 20% will get socked with the largest fees (Washington Times).

Germany Bans New Oil and Gas Heating Systems

Financial Times: The German government has approved a bill banning new oil and gas heating systems from 2024 that opposition parties claimed would impose “incalculable costs” on homeowners. The bill, which resolves a dispute between liberals and Greens in Olaf Scholz’s three-party coalition, stipulates that any heating system installed in new or old buildings after January 1, 2024 must be 65 percent based on renewable energy. Exemptions will be made for people on low incomes. The measure will speed up the shift to heat pumps, solar panels and hydrogen boilers powered by renewables in German buildings. It is seen as a crucial part of Berlin’s efforts to achieve carbon neutrality by 2045 (Financial Times). Just the News: As a result, the collect annual energy costs for Germans could reach $10 billion until 2028. Critics have been quick to respond to the bill being approved, such as opposition Christian Democrats spokeswoman Anne König, who said citizens will pay the price (Reuters).

Ukraine Gets 36th Aid Package from the US Bringing Total Number Sent to Over $35 Billion

Washington Post: The Biden administration announced a $325 million security assistance package for Ukraine on Wednesday, marking the 36th drawdown of equipment for Ukraine from the Defense Department since August 2021. The United States has granted Ukraine more than $35 billion in military assistance since Russia’s invasion in February of last year. The package includes munitions and equipment from Defense Department inventories, including ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS launchers), artillery rounds, AT4 antiarmor weapon systems, antitank mines and missiles, according to a State Department spokesperson (Washington Post). Associated Press: A Ukrainian official warned on Monday that it is only a matter of time before his country is militarily prepared to begin its counteroffensive. Oleksiy Danilov, the secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council, said in an interview in Kyiv that the offensive against Russian troops will start when Ukraine’s troops are ready. And he said deliveries of armored vehicles and ammunition are key to the launch (Associated Press).

Chinese Embassy Sent Subcommittee Responsible for Getting Answers on Covid’s Origins a Letter Demanding They Halt Operations

Katie Pavlich: After lying to the world, disappearing doctors and covering up the fact that COVID-19 originated at the Wuhan Institute of Virology, the Chinese Communist Party is taking issue with congressional investigations into how the pandemic started. According to Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic Chairman Brad Wenstrup, lawmakers received a cease and desist letter from the Chinese Embassy in Washington D.C. demanding an end to their inquiries. Committee members have responded by telling the embassy to get lost (Townhall). Subcommittee on Covid Pandemic: The Chinese Embassy is attempting to interfere with our investigation into the origins of COVID-19 and silence our Members. It won’t work. We will follow the facts wherever they lead and deliver the truth to Americans (Twitter).

ESPN Anchor Supports Star Swimmer Riley Gaines in Protecting Women’s Sports

Outkick: The highest-profile ESPN on-air personality just broke rank and joined forces with Riley Gaines in her war for biological women and sports. The “Sunday NFL Countdown” on ESPN host made a major career decision Wednesday when the Liberty University alum dared to go against the grain at a company that a month ago celebrated biological male trans swimmer Lia Thomas as part of a Women’s History Month feature that was a complete slap in the face to biological females (Outkick). New York Post: The proposed update to Title IX legislation would prohibit blanket bans of transgender athletes competing against women (New York Post). Samantha Steele Ponder: This would take away so many opportunities for biological women and girls in sports. It is a shame that we are needing to fight for the integrity of Title IX in 2023 and the reason it was needed in the first place (Twitter).

EU Agrees to Double Their Output of Semiconductors

Euronews: The European Parliament and EU member states reached an agreement on Tuesday on how to boost the supply of semiconductors in Europe, as the bloc races to reduce its dependency on Asian suppliers. The European Union has prioritised local chip production following the economic aftereffects of the COVID-19 pandemic which triggered supply chain shocks that led to significant shortages. Asian companies, especially those in China and Taiwan, currently dominate the manufacture and export of semiconductors. Under the agreement, the EU aims to double its current global market share to 20 percent in 2030 and mobilise more than €43 billion in public and private investments to feed Europe’s growing appetite for chips (Euronews).

10.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Challenges Biden for 2024 Nomination, Takes 14 Percent of His 2020 Base

Fox News: A new USA TODAY/Suffolk University poll has Democratic presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. taking a double-digits’ worth of voters from Biden at his campaign’s formal launch. Fourteen percent of Biden’s 2020 voters flocked to Kennedy when the son of the late Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, Sr. announced his candidacy for the White House earlier this month. With Kennedy’s announcement, the field of Democratic challengers is growing as a GOP maelstrom is brewing, meaning Biden will have to fend off Democrats and Republicans as he tries to hold on for a second term (Fox News). Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is a devout critic of Dr. Fauci and the Covid vaccine. He contributed to the two-part documentary The Real Anthony Fauci, highlighting Fauci’s role in the AIDs and COVID-19 epidemics (SalemNow).