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Calista241's JournalBiden says he supports filibuster carve-out for voting rights
Source: CNN
President Joe Biden says he supports making an exception to the Senate filibuster rules in order to pass voting rights legislation.
"If the only thing standing between getting voting rights legislation passed and not getting passed is the filibuster, I support making the exception of voting rights for the filibuster," Biden told ABC News' David Muir in an interview that aired Thursday morning.
It's the most direct answer Biden has given on his position on the filibuster and voting rights.
CNN's Anderson Cooper asked Biden at a CNN town hall in October, "When it comes to voting rights, just so I'm clear though, you would entertain the notion of doing away with the filibuster on that one issue, is that correct?"
"And maybe more," Biden responded.
Since Democrats won a slim majority in Congress, Republicans have blocked several Democratic-sponsored bills that seek to expand voting access and aim to end voter suppression, arguing that the proposals are a federal power grab. That's led some progressive Democrats and activists to demand an end to the filibuster rule, which requires 60 votes to advance most legislation, in order to pass federal voting rights protections. But Democrats also don't have the votes they need in the Senate to change the filibuster due to opposition from members of their own party, including from Sens. Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona.
Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2021/12/23/politics/joe-biden-filibuster-voting-rights/index.html
CNN Exclusive: US intel and satellite images show Saudi Arabia is now building its own ballistic mis
Source: CNN
US intelligence agencies have assessed that Saudi Arabia is now actively manufacturing its own ballistic missiles with the help of China, CNN has learned, a development that could have significant ripple effects across the Middle East and complicate the Biden administration's efforts to restrain the nuclear ambitions of Iran, the Saudis' top regional rival.
Saudi Arabia is known to have purchased ballistic missiles from China in the past but has never been able to build its own -- until now, according to three sources familiar with the latest intelligence. Satellite images obtained by CNN also suggest the Kingdom is currently manufacturing the weapons in at least one location.
US officials at numerous agencies, including the National Security Council at the White House, have been briefed in recent months on classified intelligence revealing multiple large-scale transfers of sensitive ballistic missile technology between China and Saudi Arabia, according to two sources familiar with the latest assessments.
The Biden administration is now confronted with increasingly urgent questions about whether Saudi's ballistic missile advancements could dramatically change regional power dynamics and complicate efforts to expand the terms of a nuclear deal with Iran to include restraints on its own missile technology -- a goal shared by the US, Europe, Israel and Gulf countries
Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2021/12/23/politics/saudi-ballistic-missiles-china/index.html
I would bet money they're all aimed squarely at Iran.
Senate parliamentarian rejects Democrats' third attempt to include immigration in economic bill
Source: CNN
The Senate parliamentarian on Thursday rejected Democrats' third attempt to include immigration in President Joe Biden's economic bill, delivering a major blow to Democrats who have repeatedly sought to include immigration provisions in the Build Back Better bill.
It's the latest hit to the Biden administration's immigration agenda and likely marks the end of the road for providing protections to millions of undocumented immigrants through the budget process known as reconciliation, which would not require GOP votes.
Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough advises the chamber on how its rules, protocols and precedents should be applied as Democrats and the White House figure out what they can include in the massive spending bill.
Democratic aides had pushed for the third attempt, dubbed "Plan C," before MacDonough and her staff weeks ago after she struck down two other attempts to include more extensive immigration provisions in the bill.
Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2021/12/16/politics/immigration-senate-democrats-parliamentarian-build-back-better/index.html
Better.com CEO is taking time off after laying off 900 employees via Zoom
Source: CNN
Better.com CEO Vishal Garg, who laid off 900 employees over a Zoom meeting that lasted less than three minutes, is taking time off from the company, Vice reported.
"If you're on this call, you are part of the unlucky group that is being laid off," Garg said on the December 1 webinar. "Your employment here is terminated, effective immediately," he told them.
Garg's leave is also effective immediately, according to a Friday email from the company's board of directors. Day-to-day operations will be taken over by the company's CFO, Kevin Ryan. Better.com added that it is hiring a third party firm to do a "leadership and cultural assessment," whose recommendations "will be taken into account to build a long-term sustainable and positive culture at Better."
CNN Business has viewed the email and has asked Better.com for comment.
"The recommendations of this assessment will be taken into account to build a long-term sustainable and positive culture at Better," the email said.
The online mortgage company's mass layoff affected about 9% of its staff. Just days later, three of the company's top communications executives resigned, according to multiple media reports.
Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2021/12/10/business/better-com-ceo-vishal-garg-time-off/index.html
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