New Updates.

 

We live in a new composition of the House of Representatives. After Kevin McCarthy made concessions with far-right extremists, we witness the House expecting to vote on the rules package for the 118th Congress. This represents the first test of House Speaker Kevin McCarthy's slim Republican majority. McCarthy's concessions to the hardliners angered many moderate House Republicans. Many House members want to eliminate any accountability for Donald Trump when Trump did treason against the United States of America (by trying to overthrow the legal results of the 2020 election and agitating a terrorist mob harming people and property at the U.S. Capitol). McCarthy wants to pair any debt ceiling increase with spending cuts as Republicans are known for their obsession with spending cuts (even cuts to the social safety net that harms the poor, the working class, and the middle class). Some GOP leaders want to cut taxes for the super-wealthy, roll back IRS funding increases, and other roll backs.

Days ago, the supporters of Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro have broken into the country's congressional building, Supreme Court, and Presidential palace according to the Brazilian media. Like always, far-right extremists in Brazil are jealous of a progressive President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva who defeated Bolsonaro in a runoff election on October 30, 2022. These protesters have camped out in the capital for several days to protest Bolsonaro's loss. Jair Bolsonaro is a bigoted fascist whose loss was legal. Global governments have supported Lula like Spain, Portugal, France, and others. Brazilian police arrested protesters inside government buildings. The White House has condemned the violence too. The Brazilian judge ordered the arrest of 2 security officials who are accused of providing aid to the terrorists involved in the riot. Steve Bannon supporting the riot in Brazil shows his racist, sexist, and far-right agenda for all to see. There is no excuse for terrorism in Brazil. Democracy will prevail in the end.

Some empowered GOP lawmakers are trying to investigate the DOJ probes. This is trying to cover up the criminal activities of Donald Trump and other people. They are trying to obstruct legitimate investigations about what took place on January 6th too. The Department of Justice has every constitutional right to have legitimate due process actions to make sure that people, who violate the law, experience real accountability. Recently Lynette Hardaway of the Diamond and Silk team passed away at the age of 51 years old. She was known as Diamond. She passed away in North Carolina. Her sister is called Silk named Rochelle Richardson. She had an illness. Obviously, I don't agree with her political views and how she supported Donald Trump. Likewise, her passing is sad, and we are compassionate people. Her life was valuable, and her passing was a sad occurrence. We can both not agree with her views and express empathy for her life at the same time. This time is clear that we expose the nefarious agenda of Trump and his MAGA supporters. Many MAGA supporters and Trump are known to spew racist, xenophobic rhetoric. One example is how Trump called Mitch McConnell's wife a racist slur. Numerous MAGA supporters not only talked about glorifying violence, but many enacted violence in the U.S. Capitol harming countless lives. Therefore, our democratic freedoms must be promoted.

Prince Harry's new book and new interviews certainly have shocked many people. The irony is that Prince Harry has more sympathy in the States than in the UK. He recognizes his own personal responsibility for his errors and mistakes, but he wants the Royals, including his brother to take responsibility for his own errors too. He makes many claims and allegations from his own brother assaulting him to the hostility of the Royals towards Megan Merkle. Harry is right to say that some of the UK media have been explicitly racist against Merkle. That's clearly self-evident. Prince Harry explains his grief in losing his own mother, Princess Diana. He said that Princess Diana would be heartbroken over the rift with his brother Prince William. This is certainly unprecedented for a man to make these allegations against his own flesh and blood. These are serious accusations.

One of the most important news of our time in 2023 is how many New York City nurses are on strike against bad conditions, low wages, and lax infrastructure in hospitals, especially in dealing with the pandemic. We have seen the growth of fighting for unionism and economic rights. More than 7,000 nurses have walked out of their jobs to go on strike. It started on Monday morning at New York City's largest private hospitals of Mt. Sinai in Manhattan and Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx. This is the first major American strike of 2023. NYC now is one of the most expensive cities on Earth, and living costs continue to rise. The nurses are protesting understaffing and the very imperfect state of the health care system in America. This year is the fourth year of the global pandemic. Nurses have spoken their minds that conditions make it impossible for patients to help patients safely and adequately. Some nurses have to care for as high as 20 or more patients in a shift. The brutal work conditions are very real in nursing. Nursing shortages have grown before and after the start of the pandemic in the world. Health care is treated by some as profit instead of concern for human life. About 3,607 people have died in the pandemic who are medical workers. At least 1.1 million Americans have died from the pandemic including more than 44,127 New Yorkers. Now, we have the reality that the pandemic is not over. The new XBB.1.5 variant is spreading fast in America. This is the new immune-resistant variant. We face the flu, RSV, and this new variant. While CEOs of private hospitals have salaries in the millions per year, many are suffering because of economic injustice, lax infrastructure, and other problems in the for-profit healthcare system. Therefore, health care is a human right, and we must act like it. 

By Timothy