Democrat accuses ethics committee chair of ‘betraying process’
Susan Wildthe ranking Democrat on the House ethics committee, accused the committee’s chair, Michael Guestof “betraying the process” and mischaracterizing the meeting.
She said that the committee voted on whether to release the report but were in deadlock along party lines.
“In order to affirmatively move something forward, somebody has to cross party lines and vote with the other side,” Wild told reporters, noting that there were five Democrats and five Republicans on the committee.
She said that the committee will reconvene on 5 December to discuss.
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Here is the latest on the Matt Gaetz report:
China has renewed efforts to curry favour in Pacific island nations, a new report has found, after charting a “resurgence” in Beijing-backed aid and infrastructure funding.
Over the past decade, China has lavished billions of dollars on Pacific island nations, part of ongoing efforts to build influence in competition with the US and its allies.
Having cut back on Pacific aid at the height of the Covid pandemic, China’s commitments have climbed in recent years, Australia’s Lowy Institute said in a new study.
“Beijing has emerged from a pandemic-induced lull with a more competitive, politically targeted model of aid engagement,” the thinktank said in its annual Pacific aid report on Wednesday.
“The uptick in Chinese spending has been accompanied by a resurgence in new Chinese project commitments, signalling a revival in its ambition to engage in major infrastructure works in the Pacific.”
Australia – traditionally the Pacific’s partner of choice – remained the largest donor.
But US funding now narrowly trails that of China, the second-largest bilateral donor in the region, authors Alexandre Dayant and Riley Duke said.
In 2022, the most recent year with complete data, China spent $256m – up nearly 14% from three years earlier.
Australia spent $1.5bn, and the US $249m – both figures falling after a sharp increase the previous year.
US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin expressed regret Wednesday that his Chinese counterpart chose not to hold talks with him during meetings of Southeast Asian defense chiefs in Laos, calling it a setback for the entire region.
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations is holding security talks in Vientiane at a time of increasing maritime disputes with China and as the transition to a new U.S. president approaches.
The decision by Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun “is a setback for the whole region,” Austin said after the first day of meetings.
“It’s unfortunate. It affects the region because the region really wants to see us, two significant players in the region, two significant powers, talk to each other, and that reassures the entire region,” he said.
There was no immediate comment from China on its decision not to meet with Austin.
Trump nominates Pete Hoekstra as ambassador to Canada
Trump has nominated his former ambassador to the Netherlands, Pete Hoekstra, as his ambassador to Canada. Here is how his first day as ambassador to the Netherlands went.
In a statement released a moment ago, the president-elect said:
I am very pleased to announce that former Ambassador, and former Congressman, Pete Hoekstra, has been nominated as my United States Ambassador to Canada. Pete is well-respected in the Great State of Michigan – A State we won sizably. He represented Michigan’s 2nd District in Congress for nearly 20 years, where he was also Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, and was a great help to our Campaign as Chairman of the Michigan Republican Party.
I overhauled the disastrous NAFTA Agreement, the worst Trade Deal in the History of the United States, which was switched to the USMCA (Mexico/Canada), which no one thought could be done. We brought Trade with Mexico and Canada to a level playing field for our wonderful Farmers and Working Families. In my Second Term, Pete will help me once again put AMERICA FIRST. He did an outstanding job as United States Ambassador to the Netherlands during our first four years, and I am confident that he will continue to represent our Country well in this new role. Thank you, Pete!
The US senate has blocked a measure to stop the sale of mortar rounds to Israel, Reuters reports.
Seventy-nine of the 100 senators have now opposed a resolution that would have blocked sales of tank rounds to Israel, while 18 approved it and one voted present.
The Senate is due to vote later today on two other resolutions that would stop shipments of two other types of offensive military equipment.
All of the votes in favour of the measure came from Democrats, while “no” votes came from both Democrats and Republicans. Approval would have been a marked departure from decades of US congressional support for Israel, which for years was the biggest recipient of US military assistance.
The “resolutions of disapproval” were filed by Senator Bernie Sanders, an independent who caucuses with Democrats, and co-sponsored by a handful of Democrats.
Backers hope that forcing a vote would encourage Israel’s government and President Joe Biden’s administration to do more to prevent Israel from killing more civilians, and particularly children. Israeli forces have killed 17,400 children in Gaza in just over a year.
More detail now on the measure on tank rounds.
US Senate has blocked legislation that would have halted the sale of some weapons to Israel, which had been introduced out of concern about the human rights catastrophe, and extremely high number of civilians and children Israeli forces have killed in the Palestinian territories.
As voting continued, 59 of the 100 senators opposed a resolution that would have blocked sales of tank rounds to Israel, while 15 supported it.
Senate blocks measure to halt sales of tank rounds to Israel
The senate has blocked a measure that would have halted the sales of tank rounds to Israel, Reuters reports. Voting continues on the other measures.
The resolutions being voted on are to block the sale of 120mm mortar rounds, joint direct attack munitions (JDAMS), and tank rounds. They must pass both the Senate and the House of Representatives with a simple majority. If they pass, they go to the president.
Trump likely to choose Johns Hopkins surgeon Martin Makary to lead FDA – report
Trump will probably choose Johns Hopkins surgeon and writer Martin Makary to lead the Food and Drug Administration, two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters on Wednesday.
Makary raised concerns about a number of public health issues during the Covid-19 pandemic, touting the protection from natural immunity and opposing Covid vaccine mandates.
The FDA is the world’s most influential drug regulator with a more than $7 billion budget. It is responsible for approving new treatments and assuring they are safe and effective before entering the biggest and most lucrative market. It has regulatory authority over human and veterinary drugs, biological medicines, medical devices and vaccines.
The agency is also responsible for maintaining safety standards for the food supply, tobacco, cosmetics, and products that emit radiation.
Brian Hughes, a spokesperson for the Trump transition team, said he would not speculate on or get ahead of any announcement.
As FDA commissioner, Makary would report to the head of the Department of Health and Human Services.
To lead HHS, Trump has nominated Robert F Kennedy Junior, an environmental activist who has spread misinformation about the safety of vaccines and one of several unconventional Trump picks for top administration jobs.
As a doctor, Makary was a co-developer of the Surgery Checklist, a routine for surgeons that improved patient outcomes and has been spread around the globe by the World Health Organization.
North Carolina Republican legislators gave final approval Wednesday to a series of political power moves that would weaken the incoming governor and other Democratic elected officials in the ninth-largest state, the Associated Press reports.
They’re contained in a massive bill sprinkled with a new round of Hurricane Helene relief provisions and rushed through a lame-duck General Assembly session.
The Senate voted along party lines for the 131-page measure, which would alter yet again how the State Board of Elections is appointed, likely leading to a GOP majority on a panel now controlled by Democrats. It also would move up in 2025 several post-election deadlines after Republican complaints that counties took too long this month to count provisional and absentee ballots, especially in light of an extremely close Supreme Court race.
The House approved the same measure Tuesday night, so the bill goes next to the desk of outgoing Democratic Governor Roy Cooper, who has blasted the effort as “massive power grabs.” Other Democrats called provisions unconstitutional. Any veto override attempt would happen early next month.
The measure was approved less than 24 hours after it was made broadly public in the final weeks before Republicans’ veto-proof majority ends, after electoral defeats in the House this month.
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