United States | News & Politics

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ml/post/24550668

By Jennifer Schuessler
Published Jan. 6, 2025
Updated Jan. 7, 2025, 10:14 a.m. ET

https://archive.ph/MGVHC

Thread from Ro Khanna announcing Democrats completely fucked the recent vote for the NLRB, leading to loss of a Democratic majority that could have continued for 2 years into the Trump admin.

Due to an unforced error by Democrats, we lost the National Labor Relations Board majority two years earlier than expected. This is a huge setback for the hundreds of thousands of workers across this country organizing for a better contract. Let me explain.

The NLRB is America's leading labor law enforcement agency. In the last 3 years, union petitions have doubled because we have a strong NLRB that supports workers who choose to form unions, ensures that corporations allow free and fair union elections, and protects union workers

The term of our previous NLRB Chair, Lauren McFerran, just expired on December 15th. She was eligible for reconfirmation alongside a Republican, who'd be paired with her. This would've secured a 3-2 Democratic majority on the NLRB for the first two years of Trump's second term. @BernieSanders did the right thing. He cleared her nomination on August 6, but the Dems fumbled it.

On the morning of the 11th, Senate Democrats had a chance to move McFarren's nomination vote through – which would've led to a secondary vote to confirm. Senator Vance, Roberts, and Manchin were absent that morning. But we delayed the vote (for what I'm hearing described as "no reason") until Vance and Manchin returned, deadlocking the vote at 49-49.

We then failed to get word to Vice President Harris quickly enough to come and deliver the tie-breaking vote. In the 90 minutes that transpired, Senator Manchin returned first, swinging the vote in the other direction and ceding the NLRB to MAGA control two years earlier than necessary. These procedural blunders have massive implications for the American people, who deserve better from their elected officials. American workers deserve an explanation.

It will hurt the young folks organizing at Starbucks and the workers organizing at Amazon. It’s inexcusable and inexplicable that we did not prioritize confirming the NLRB appointees like we do federal judges and have ceded the Board two years before we needed to.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ml/post/24509847

from #DropSiteNews [you may get a request to sign up for free subscription]

" As we reported earlier, Amazon workers at seven locations around the country organized a strike timed for the holidays to try to force Amazon to the bargaining table. These are workers who have already voted and decided to form a union, yet Amazon is simply refusing to recognize them or meet with them. Public pressure and striking is the only route left for those workers.

The #union has organized a petition calling on Amazon to recognize the union and enter into contract negotiations."

Ryan Grim Jan 06, 2025

The Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR) said in a press release shared with Middle East Eye that Shaqawi al-Hajj, 51, was flown to Oman this week after spending nearly 21 years in prison. He also spent two years at CIA sites.

The transfer was initially slated for October 2023 but the 7 October 2023 Hamas-led attack on southern Israel and Israel's subsequent war on Gaza delayed the transfer, according to an admission from US officials in May last year.

"He was part of a transfer of a group of 11 Yemenis cleared for release, bringing the Guantanamo population to 15 men, six of whom are uncharged, including three men also cleared for transfer," the press release said.

The CCR says that Hajj was never charged with a crime and was subject to "physical and psychological coercion" at CIA sites before transferring to Guantanamo in 2004. He attempted to hurt himself multiple times during his incarceration, according to the centre.

“Our thoughts are with Mr Al Hajj as he transitions to the free world after almost 23 years in captivity. His release is hopeful for him and for us. We are grateful to Oman and to the individuals in the administration who made this transfer happen, and to the many people over the years whose work and advocacy paved the way for this moment,” said Pardiss Kebriaei, a senior staff attorney at CCR who represents Hajj.

The Palestinian Authority (PA) asked the United States to approve a four-year $680m plan to boost the training of its special forces and bolster its supply of ammunition and armoured vehicles, an American source and a source close to PA revealed to Middle East Eye.

The request was made in mid-December at a meeting with US security officials at the PA's Ministry of Interior in Ramallah in the occupied West Bank.

At the meeting, PA security officials expressed frustration over what they believed was the US’s failure to fulfil its commitments to the authority by replenishing arms supplies and training special forces.

"Authority officials requested in the meeting that their needs for armoured vehicles and ammunition be met urgently in light of the difficulty of the clashes and their inability to resolve the situation in the Jenin camp," a source told MEE.

Kamala Harris has just announced Donald Trump’s victory in the presidential election, following Congress’s certification of the result.

“The state of the vote for the president of the United States as delivered to the president of the Senate is as follows: the whole number of the electors appointed to vote for president of the United States is 538. Within that whole number, the majority is 270. The votes for president of the United States are as follows: Donald J Trump of the state of Florida has received 312 votes,” Harris said.

Loud applause broke out from Republicans. Harris watched for a while, then gaveled for quiet.

“Kamala D Harris of the State of California has received 226 votes,” she then said, prompting cheers from Democrats.

https://archive.ph/QDwPe

WASHINGTON ― President Joe Biden on Saturday named former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and billionaire political activist and philanthropist George Soros recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, part of a group of 19 people selected for the nation's highest civilian honor.

Others presented the medal by the outgoing president at a White House ceremony included U2 frontman Bono, actor Michael J. Fox, actor Denzel Washington, chef José Andrés and William Sanford Nye, better known as television's "Bill Nye the Science Guy."

From the sports world, decorated professional soccer player Lionel Messi of Argentina and retired NBA legend Earvin "Magic" Johnson also received the medal. Messi did not attend the ceremony because of a scheduling issue.

According to Brown University’s Watson Institute, the U.S. has provided 22.76 billion in military aid to Israel from October 7, 2023 to September 30 2024, including 22.76 billion in military aid to Israel from October 7 2023 to September 30 2024, including 17.9 billion in direct military assistance and $4.86 billion for regional operations.