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Bob Agnew
Reporting from Capitol Hill, Bob Agnew has updates on what’s going on in the Senate.
No Compromise. Schumer Prepares To Blame House GOP For Shutdown
Fri, Sep 1, 2023 at 1:22 pm
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer [D-NY] is laying the groundwork to blame House Republicans for an expected government shutdown at the end of the month. In a letter to his Democrat colleagues Schumer writes that any shutdown will be the result f what he calls “political games” by House Republicans. Fiscal House conservatives are demanding 2024 spending cuts deeper than those already agreed to by Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and the white house. And they’ve vowed not to budge, even if the budget stalemate leads to a shutdown at the end of September. Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell has said the senate GOP will not support House bills demanding the deeper than agreed upon cuts.
Listen DownloadPresident Biden Says McConnell Was “His Old Self” In Phone Call
Fri, Sep 1, 2023 at 6:10 am
President Biden is giving Senator Mitch McConnell [R-KY] a clean bill of health after the two spoke on the phone about the senator’s recent bouts of confusion during press conferences. President Biden has been the target of recent criticism about his advanced age, and occasional episodes of physical or verbal missteps in public. He was quick to contact the senior senator from Kentucky after McConnell froze during a press conference this week and says of McConnell ”He was his old self on the telephone.” The president also notes McConnell’s issues arent unusual given he’s still recovering from a concussion suffered during a fall earlier this year.
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Former Senator: “Huge Difference” Between Biden, McConnell Confusion
Thu, Aug 31, 2023 at 4:53 pm
A former U.S. senator says there’s no comparison between Senator Mitch McConnell’s [R-KY] confused pauses during two press conferences and President’s Biden’s numerous stumbles while speaking in public. Former Senator Jim Talent [R-MO] says the biggest difference is between being President of the United States…and a lawmaker. And while a recent associated Press NORC poll found more than THREE-quarters of Americans feel President Biden is too old to serve a second term, Talent insists the same cannot be said of McConnell.
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“Medically Clear”. Capitol Doctor Says McConnell Fit To Perform Duties
Thu, Aug 31, 2023 at 4:47 pm
The Capitol doctor has given Minority Leader Mitch McConnell [R-KY] a clean bill of health to continue his duties in the Senate. Capitol attending physician Brian Monahan says McConnell is “medically clear to continue with his schedule as planned.” On Wednesday McConnell appeared to freeze up in confusion while taking questions from reporters in Kentucky. In a statement Monahan notes McConnell is still recovering from a concussion sustained in March and writes “Occasional lightheadedness is not uncommon in concussion recovery and can also be expected as a result of dehydration.”.
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McConnell Calls Spending Talks “A Pretty Big Mess”.
Wed, Aug 30, 2023 at 5:08 pm
The Senate’s top Republican isn’t sounding very optimistic about reaching a compromise spending bill. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell notes he supported a compromise struck in May that raised the debt ceiling but kept spending levels below those sought by the white house. After House fiscal conservatives later passed bills calling for even lower levels McConnell told reporters “. “Without stating an opinion about that, that’s not going to be replicated in the Senate.” There’s growing talk about the likely need for a continuing resolution, with lawmakers not expected to reach a compromise by the end of September.
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Former Congressman Mike Rogers Set To Announce 2024 Senate Bid
Wed, Aug 30, 2023 at 4:24 pm
A former Congressman may throw his hat in the ring for a shot at Michigan’s open Senate seat in 2024. Former U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers, a Republican who served in the U.S. House for seven terms and chaired its intelligence committee, is expected to soon announce a bid for Michigan’s open U.S. Senate seat. Rogers would become the first prominent Republican in the state to announce a campaign more than eight months after longtime Democratic Sen. Debbie Stabenow announced that she would retire next year after her fourth term. His announcement could immediately make the race one of the most competitive in the country in 2024, when Republicans are looking to take control of the chamber from Democrats, who hold a slim 51-49 majority.
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McConnell Freezes For 30 Seconds During Kentucky Press Conference
Wed, Aug 30, 2023 at 2:36 pm
For the second time in a matter of weeks Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell [R-KY] has frozen in apparent confusion for several seconds during a press conference. It happened as McConnell was speaking with reporters in Covington, Kentucky and one asked about his thoughts on running for re-election in 2026. In a video posted on “X”—the platform formerly known as Twitter-McConnell can be heard apparently mumbling a phrase, and then staring ahead in silence for about 30 seconds. Mc Connell suffered a similar episode while addressing reporters at the Capitol last month.
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More Dog Owners Skeptical About Pet Vaccines
Tue, Aug 29, 2023 at 5:00 pm
A new study shows a majority of dog owners are growing more skeptical about the use of vaccines for their pet’s health—including the vaccine to prevent rabies. 52% responding to a survey in the medical journal Vaccine express doubt about the safety, effectiveness, and necessity of vaccines. Pet owners who feel that way are said to have a case of “Canine Vannine Hesitancy”—or CVH. Some officials fear a rise in CVH cases may lead to a corresponding rise in dogs spreading rabies to humans. A fatal disease that claims 59,000 lives every year according to the WHO.
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GOP Differences Place Additional Ukraine Aid In Doubt
Tue, Aug 29, 2023 at 1:53 pm
House and Senate Republicans appear headed toward an internal battle over additional funding for Ukraine. Republicans are divided between those with traditional national security views, who favored more aid to Ukraine and those who espouse the “America First” outlook that’s gaining traction among Trump, aligned Republicans . A nationwide poll of adults, conducted by a nationwide poor, conducted by CNN last month show the majority of all Americans, 55% and 71% of Republicans are opposed to Congress approving more funds for Ukraine. President Biden is seeking $24-billion in additiona funds and he’ll need at least somesupport from Republicans in the House and Senate to get it passed.
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Poll: Oregonians Ready To Reverse Course On De-Criminalizing Drugs
Tue, Aug 29, 2023 at 12:45 pm
Oregonians are starting to regret their first-in-the-nation anti-drug enforcement law passed back in 2020. TWO-thirds of Oregonians responding to a survey from the Foundation For Drug Policy Solutions say they want to repeal some or all of the controversial measure 110. Passed by the voters in 2020, it effectively legalized possession of fentnyl, cocaine and heroine in favor of expanding addiction treatment, all to be funded by the state’s cannabis tax. More than half of poll respondents now say measure 110 should be repealed, blame it for unsafe streets, and a growing homeless population.
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House GOP Leader Steve Scalise Diagnosed With “Very Treatable” Cancer
Tue, Aug 29, 2023 at 12:02 pm
House Majority Leader Steve Scalise [R-La] says he’s been diagnosed with what he calls a “very treatable” form of blood cancer. Scalise announced that after not feeling well he had some bloodwork done and was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma. Scalise says he’s grateful for the early detection and for an excellent medical team. Quote-“with the help of God, support of my family, friends, colleagues, and constituents, I will tackle this with the same strength and energy as I have tackled past challenges,”Scalise says he’s already in treatment and that he plans to return to work as Majority Leader when the House returns from it’s August break in mid-September.
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Senate, House GOP Rift Raises Specter Of Shutdown
Tue, Aug 29, 2023 at 6:14 am
Senate Republicans appear unlikely to join House fiscal conservatives in demanding additional spending cuts for fiscal 2024. GOP leaders stood with House Speaker McCarthy in the Spring when he went toe to toe with— and won concessions from—the president over spending levels. With a handful of critical Senate seats up for grabs in 2024, those same leaders are not looking to be embroiled in a new battle as some House conservative demand even deeper cuts than agreed to back in May. Without Senate GOP support, any House bill will have to pass muster with the Senate’s majority Democrats. A standoff that raises the prospect of a govenrment shutdown if no deal can be achieved by the end of September.
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Joe The Plumber Dead At Age 49
Mon, Aug 28, 2023 at 3:49 pm
The man known to the world as “Joe the Plumber” has died after a long bout with cancer. Samuel “Joe” Wurzelbacher, was thrust into the political spotlight as “Joe the Plumber” after questioning Barack Obama about his economic policies during the 2008 presidential campaign. After gaining fame Wurzelbacher became a sought-after voice by conservatives, wrote a book, and even launched an unsuccesful bid for a seat on Congress. His family says Joe the Plumber died at the age of 49 after a protracted battle with pancreatic cancer.
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Nikki Haley Says US Racial Equality a Work In Progress
Mon, Aug 28, 2023 at 3:04 pm
GOP presidential candidate Nikki Haley says the country is making good progress on racial equality but also believes there’s more to be done. The former UN ambassador says the country has changed since Martin Luther King Junior’s “I Have a Dream” speech. Haley says to keep moving in the right direction it will take help from those with influence..from the media to politicians.
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Finance Woes Force NC Furniture Maker To Close Up Shop
Mon, Aug 28, 2023 at 2:00 pm
A North Carolina based high-end furniture maker has been forced to close THREE of its plants due to rising interest rates that have become emblematic of so-called “Bidenomics”. Workers at three Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams plants were surprised to find paper notices tacked to entrance gates and doors when they showed up for work Monday morning.
The company’s interim CEO apologized in a letter for the abrubt nature of the shutdowns, blaming the current state of the U.S. economy. He also wrote that the Company had -quote-“ recently and unexpectedly learned that we are unable to secure critical financing to continue business operations.” Higher interest rates have made it harder for many company’s to service their debt, and limited their ability to invest in long-term growth.
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Arrests Underscore Massive Fraud Under Biden’s American Rescue Plan
Fri, Aug 25, 2023 at 2:03 pm
Hundreds of arrests this week shine a new light on the scope of fraudulent claims for Covid-19 relief money. The DOJ says it arrested 300 suspects in Covid aid fraud schemes accounting for the theft of some 830-MILLION dollars. Just a fraction of the 300-BILLION that was stolen, along withe another $125-BILLION watchdogs say was wasted. What’s being called the greatest grift in U.S. history came out of President Biden’s $1.9-TRILLION dollar American Rescue Plan administered with such lax oversight the DOJ says it allowed fraudulent claims even to prison inmates and criminal gangs,
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T-Mobile To Cut 5000 Jobs
Thu, Aug 24, 2023 at 3:03 pm
T-Mobile is cutting about 7% of its workforce. T-Mobile says the elimination of 5000 jobs will be completed by the end of September. In a letter to employees T-Mobile president and CEO Mike Severt said the cuts would have little impact on retail and other “front facing roles, and will be primarily centered on technology, corporate, and back office jobs. Sievert says the jobs largely duplicate others and are not in line with the company’s changing systems, processes, and priorities.
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Mask Mandates Making A Comeback Amid New Covid Cases
Thu, Aug 24, 2023 at 2:40 pm
Amid an uptick in new Covid cases some organizations have begun to re-introduce the mask mandates . The Hollywoord film studio Lionsgate is askin employees to don thier masks on certain floors of the building. Simlar precautions can be seen from hospitals n New Yrok, to colleges in New Jersey and Georgia. The mandates are alreadly drawing pushback. Conservative firebrand Repreenstative Marjorie Taylor Green posted on “X”- the platofrm formerly known as Twitter-quote: “Americans have had enough COVID hysteria. WE WILL NOT COMPLY!”
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Bankrate: Nine In Ten U.S. Workers Seeking More Flexible Work Hours
Thu, Aug 24, 2023 at 2:20 pm
Nearly 9 in 10 workers responding to a Bankrate.com survey said they hope to find a more flexible work schedule., including a FOUR-day week, remote work, or a combination of remote and in-person work, 81% said they support working FOUR days , even if it means longer hours on those days. 68% said they support a hybrid work schedule, 64% fully remote, Of those seeking more flexiblility, more than half say they would consider changing jobs or industries to make it happen.
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CDC Launches New Program To Combat Deadly Sepsis In Hospitals
Thu, Aug 24, 2023 at 1:41 pm
The CDC says it’s “ Hospital Sepsis Program Core Elements will act as a “managers’s guide” on how to organize staff and find the needed resources to bring sepsis rates down. The initiative was sparked by new data that finds a THIRD of patient who die in U.S. hospitals had sepsis while hospitalized. Sepsis occurs when the body’s immune system responds in an extreme way to infection, and can damage tissue and organs.
Listen DownloadSalmonella: “Do Not Kiss Or Snuggle Your Turtle” Warns CDC
Wed, Aug 23, 2023 at 2:41 pm
The CDC is warning people not to kiss their pet turtles. The CDC says 26 people in 11 states have contracted salmonella after kissing their turtles. NINE had to be hospitalized. In an investigation notice the CDC says turtles with shells less than FOUR inches long are most likely to be sources of the illness. It warns “Don’t kiss or snuggle your turtle, and don’t eat or drink around it,” . The CDC says children under FIVE, those over 65, and people with weak immune system should not keep turtles as pets.
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Biz Owners Looking For Inflation Solutions From GOP Debaters
Wed, Aug 23, 2023 at 2:17 pm
Small Business owners are likely to key in on the economy in the first GOP presidential debate. Through all the drama and politics, business owners will be straining to hear reassuring news that the GOP candidates are prepared to solve the problems brought on by “Bidenomics”. They iclude a 20% price hike for food, 50% more for gas, and Americans spending on average $1000 more each month for the basics. The most recent Job Creator’s Network shows inflation is the top concern for small business owners nationwide.
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CDC-New Covid Sub-Variant More Likely To Reinfect Survivors and The Vaccinated
Wed, Aug 23, 2023 at 1:58 pm
Health officials say the latest sub-variant of Covid may be more likely to infect those who’ve had the disease before or have been vaccinated. The CDC warns the new sub-variant-BA-2.86-has led to a handful of infections in the U.S. Denmark, South Africa, the UK, and Israel, since it was first discovered last month. Only TWO of those were in the U.S. The CDC says it still unknown whether BA-2.86 causes a more severe illness than other subvariants. Health officials also say since genomic mapping for Covid-19 has slowed down in recent years, the spread and occurrence of new sub-variants may go undetected for longer.
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Israeli High Court Ruling Could Divide Society
Wed, Aug 23, 2023 at 1:16 pm
At issue, whether Israel’s Supreme Court will strike down a new law limiting it’s power.
Israel’s former ambassador to the U.S. Dr, Michael Oren says if it does it will pit the High Court against the country’s government and elected officials.
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