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☆ Biden Administration Advances $1 Billion Arms Sale to Israel
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-14 | by ( Robert Jimison | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The Biden administration has told Congress that it intends to move forward with a plan for the United States to sell more than $1 billion in new weapons to Israel, according to three congressional aides familiar with the deal. The notification of the sale, which would include new tactical vehicles and ammunition, comes as President Biden has withheld a shipment of bombs to Israel, hoping to prevent U.S.-made weapons from being used in a potential invasion of the southern Gaza city of Rafah. The potential arms transfer illustrated the narrow path the Biden administration is walking with Israel, trying to prevent an assault on Rafah and limit civilian casualties in Gaza but continuing to supply a longtime ally that the president has said has a right to defend itself. One congressional aide said Congress had been aware of the arms deal for months, and suggested that the administration had simply waited for a foreign aid package with more aid for Israel to pass before moving forward with the required congressional notification process. When asked about the package, which was reported earlier by The Wall Street Journal, the State Department referred to recent comments from Jake Sullivan, the White House national security adviser, citing a continued commitment to supply Israel with military assistance to defend itself from threats in the region.

Persons: Biden, Jake Sullivan Organizations: Wall Street Journal, State Department, White House Locations: United States, Israel, Gaza, Rafah

☆ Greene Says She Will Demand Vote Next Week on Removing Johnson
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-01 | by ( Robert Jimison | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia said on Wednesday that she would demand a vote next week on a motion to remove Speaker Mike Johnson, moving forward in the face of all but certain defeat with a second attempt during this Congress to depose a Republican speaker. In a morning news conference at the Capitol, Ms. Greene excoriated Mr. Johnson for working with Democrats to push through major legislation and said it was time for lawmakers to go on the record about where they stood on his speakership. “I think every member of Congress needs to take that vote and let the chips fall where they may,” Ms. Greene said. “And so next week, I am going to be calling this motion to vacate.”The move comes just over a week after Mr. Johnson pushed through a long-stalled $95 billion package to aid Israel, Ukraine and other U.S. allies over the objections of Ms. Greene and other right-wing Republicans who staunchly opposed sending additional aid to Kyiv.

Persons: Marjorie Taylor Greene, Mike Johnson, Greene excoriated Mr, Johnson, “, ” Ms, Greene Organizations: Capitol, Republicans Locations: Georgia, Israel, Ukraine, Kyiv

☆ After Ukraine Aid Vote, Republicans Braced for Backlash Find Little
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-30 | by ( Annie Karni | Robert Jimison | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

A week after he broke with the majority of House Republicans and voted to send $60.8 billion in aid to Ukraine, Representative Max Miller took the stage at a performing arts center in his Ohio district bracing for backlash. Instead, Mr. Miller, a first-term congressman who spent four years in the White House as a top aide to former President Donald J. Trump, was greeted at a town hall-style meeting on Saturday in the city of Solon with a sustained round of applause. Several attendees stood to publicly thank him for his vote, and a line of locals queued up afterward to shake his hand. “Anything we can do to support the Ukrainian victory over the Russian invasion would be a positive thing for the world,” said Randy Manley, a retiree from Strongsville, Ohio, who said he planned to vote for Mr. Trump in November. More than 500 miles west, in Iowa City, Representative Mariannette Miller-Meeks, a vulnerable Republican who won her district by six points in 2020, had a similar experience.

Persons: Max Miller, Mr, Miller, Donald J, Trump, ”, Randy Manley, Mariannette Miller, Meeks Organizations: House Republicans, Mr, Republican Locations: Ukraine, Ohio, Solon, Strongsville , Ohio, Iowa City

☆ After Israel Aid Vote, Pocan Seeks to Show Biden Liberal Dismay on Gaza
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-27 | by ( Robert Jimison | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

During a town hall-style meeting a short drive from her home in rural southwestern Wisconsin, Elizabeth Humphries asked her congressman how a 66-year-old woman like her could get the message to President Biden that she and her peers are deeply dissatisfied with his administration’s approach to Israel’s war in Gaza. Representative Mark Pocan, the Democrat who has held the district’s seat in Congress since 2013, assured her that he was working to pass along those very concerns. “We’re videotaping this to share with the White House,” he said, gesturing to the iPhone set up on a nearby tripod to capture the event with two dozen or so voters seated in a room in Dodgeville’s City Hall. “They can hear me say this ad nauseam, but you all saying this is, I think, very helpful.”

Persons: Elizabeth Humphries, Biden, Mark Pocan, “, ”, gesturing Organizations: Democrat, White Locations: Wisconsin, Gaza, Dodgeville’s

☆ Middle East Crisis Israel Welcomes Senate Passage of Aid Bill
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-24 | by ( Matt Surman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

An additional $2.4 billion is directed to U.S. military operations in the Middle East. Another $9 billion would go to “worldwide humanitarian aid,” including for civilians in Gaza. The package bars any of the funding from going to UNRWA, the main United Nations agency that provides aid to Palestinians in Gaza. The aid that is getting into Gaza is falling far short of the needs of its desperate population. Countries including the United States have tried to find air and sea routes to get more relief supplies in.

Persons: Israel Katz, “, Biden, Catie Edmondson, Robert Jimison Organizations: Wednesday, U.S . Senate, Ukraine, UNRWA, United Nations, United, Democrats, Democratic, U.S Locations: Israel, Gaza, United States, Rafah, U.S

☆ Here’s What’s in the Foreign Aid Package That Is Headed Toward Becoming Law
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-23 | by ( Robert Jimison | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The Senate on Tuesday was moving toward approving a $95.3 billion foreign aid package for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan that has been stalled for months. The legislation, a version of which passed the Senate in February with bipartisan support, scaled a critical procedural hurdle earlier Tuesday by a vote of 80 to 19, reflecting widespread backing in both parties. In order to steer around opposition from right-wing Republicans in the House, Speaker Mike Johnson, Republican of Louisiana, used a convoluted plan to pass it over the weekend. After passage, all four were folded together into one bill and sent to the Senate. Final approval by the Senate, in a vote expected as early as Tuesday night, would send it to President Biden for his signature.

Persons: Mike Johnson, Biden Organizations: Republicans, Republican, Senate Locations: Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan, Louisiana, Iran, United States

How the House Voted on Foreign Aid to Ukraine, Israel and TaiwanVotes on the Foreign Aid Bills Source: Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of RepresentativesThe House passed a long-stalled foreign aid package on Saturday that gives funding to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, with a majority of lawmakers backing money for American allies across the globe. A majority of Republicans voted against Ukraine aid on Saturday, in a reflection of the stiff resistance within the G.O.P. to continuing to aid Ukraine against President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia’s invasion. While all Democrats voted in favor of aid to Ukraine and all but Ms. Tlaib supported funding to Taiwan, 37 left-leaning Democrats defected to vote against the Israel aid bill. The opposition to the Israel aid represented a minority of Democrats, but reflected the deep resistance to unconditional aid and the divisions in the party on Gaza.

Persons: Mike Johnson, Kevin McCarthy’s, Mr, McCarthy, Vladimir V, Putin, Elise Stefanik, Rashida Tlaib, Bob Good, Good, “, Tlaib, Jamie Raskin, Donald S, Beyer Jr, Earl Blumenauer of, John Garamendi of Organizations: Foreign Aid, Foreign, House, Senate, House Progressive Caucus, Fund, Caucus, Republican, Republicans, ”, Maryland, Democrats Locations: Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan, New York, Michigan, Virginia, Gaza, Earl Blumenauer of Oregon, John Garamendi of California, United States

☆ Here’s How Johnson’s Jigsaw Puzzle of a Foreign Aid Plan Would Work
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-18 | by ( Robert Jimison | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The House is set to vote this weekend on a foreign aid package for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan that has been stalled for months. The strategy is designed to capitalize on the distinct bases of political support for the various pieces of the foreign aid package, worth $95.3 billion, without allowing opposition to any one element defeat the whole thing. Mr. Johnson regards it as a necessity given his vanishingly slim majority and the large number of Republicans who staunchly oppose sending aid to Ukraine. He will need to rely on support from Democrats not only to win passage of the funding for Kyiv, but also to prevail on a procedural vote needed to bring the package to the floor. On Thursday, Mr. Johnson was working to get that procedural measure through the House Rules Committee, where three Republicans have said they will block it, meaning that Democratic support would be needed just to get it out of committee.

Persons: Mike Johnson, Johnson Organizations: Republican, Kyiv, Democratic Locations: Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan, Louisiana

☆ Cotton Urges Citizens to Forcibly Confront Pro-Palestinian Protesters
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-16 | by ( Robert Jimison | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Senator Tom Cotton, Republican of Arkansas, on Monday urged people whose routes were blocked by pro-Palestinian protesters to “take matters into your own hands” and confront the offenders, endorsing the use of physical force against peaceful demonstrators. In a series of social media posts after protesters shut down traffic in cities across the country including major roads in Oakland, Calif., the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco and near O’Hare International Airport in Chicago, Mr. Cotton called those responsible “pro-Hamas” and “criminals.”He also shared a clip of himself during a recent interview in which he said that if protesters had disrupted public roads in his home state of Arkansas, they would have been met with force from citizens. “Let’s just say I think there would be a lot of very wet criminals that would have been tossed overboard — not by law enforcement, but by the people whose road they are blocking,” he told Fox News in the interview. “If they glued their hands to their car or pavement, it’d probably be pretty painful to have their skin ripped off.”

Persons: Tom Cotton, Cotton, ”, “ Let’s Organizations: Republican, Hamas, Fox News Locations: Arkansas, Oakland, Calif, San Francisco, O’Hare, Chicago

☆ Outrage Over Slain Aid Workers Deepens Democratic Resistance to Arming Israel
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-05 | by ( Robert Jimison | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Outrage over a strike by the Israel Defense Forces that killed seven aid workers in Gaza has supercharged resistance among congressional Democrats to sending arms and fresh military funding to Israel. The mounting concern has added uncertainty to a pending foreign aid package for Ukraine and Israel that has been stalled in the House for months. It has also fueled calls by Democrats for the administration to stop sending Israel offensive weapons already in the pipeline, some of them for many years. But that dynamic appears to have shifted substantially in recent days, particularly after the killing on Monday night of aid workers for the anti-hunger organization World Central Kitchen. A group of House Democrats is circulating a letter to Mr. Biden and Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken expressing displeasure with their approach to Israel.

Persons: Biden, Mr, Antony J, ” Organizations: Israel Defense Forces, Republicans, U.S Locations: Gaza, Israel, Ukraine

☆ The Market May Have Finally Hit a Real Record, But It Could Be a Problem
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-05 | by ( Jeff Sommer | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

It’s been a splendid run for the market — so emphatically great that in just the first three months of the year, the S&P 500 climbed to record highs on 22 separate days. But what most reports and commentary haven’t pointed out is that because inflation has also climbed sharply over the last few years, the value of stock prices has eroded, along with nearly everything else in the economy. When you factor in inflation, the stock market did not actually reach new heights. That’s finally changing, with the market’s gains outpacing the ravages of inflation sufficiently to push real stock valuations close to a new peak, according to calculations by Robert J. Shiller, the Yale professor and Nobel laureate in economics. In a phone conversation, he said, “On a monthly, inflation-adjusted basis, it does appear that the S&P 500 now is right around a record high.”

Persons: It’s, Robert J, Shiller, “, ” Organizations: Yale

☆ DJ Burns Jr.: March Madness star is leading a surprising Final Four run and earns praise from Nikola Jokić
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-04 | by ( Ben Morse | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

11 NC State to the Final Four of the 2024 NCAA men’s tournament, beating a host of highly-seeded teams on the way to a semifinal spot. The NC State star grew up around people from different backgrounds, with his grandmother running a foster home and his parents taking in other children from unstable homes. But, with Burns at center and the team’s underdog mentality, they have shocked the college basketball scene. “I was raised in a happy environment,” the NC State told reporters. While becoming an internet sensation throughout March Madness, Burns' competitve nature has helped NC State to some impressive victories.

Persons: DJ Burns Jr, it’s, – Burns, Duke, Burns, Nikola Jokić –, Burns –, ” Jokić, “, That’d, ” It’s, Jim Nagy, Peter Schrager, Robert Jennings, Tim Nwachukwu, Burns wasn’t, Takela, ”, Dwight Sr, ” Burns, ” Takela, Andy Hancock, Marquette, Duke –, Carmen Mandato, “ He’s, Joe Sargent Organizations: CNN, State, NCAA, NFL, Senior Bowl, Fox Sports, Texas Tech Red Raiders, North, York Preparatory Academy, WRAL, NC State, Rock, Rock Hill Herald, University of Tennessee, Winthrop University, Big South, NC, Wolfpack, Texas Tech, Oakland, Duke, CBS Sports, Getty, Devils, Purdue Locations: North America, Hill , South Carolina, South Carolina, York County, Rock Hill, Oakland

☆ Opinion: Trump Media’s billion-dollar valuation makes no sense
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-02 | by ( Opinion Jill Filipovic | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —At Trump Media, it was the best of times, and it looks like it’s headed for the worst of times. Courtesy Jill FilipovicLast week, Trump Media was valued at nearly $11 billion, an astronomical sum for a money-losing company with a few million in revenue. Truth Social, Trump Media’s answer to Twitter/X, has fewer than 500,000 monthly active US users, compared to X’s 75 million. The Trump Media story, though, is a fascinating one because it is an amplified example of so much of the Trump playbook. “The first rule of cults is: you’re never in a cult,” cult expert Daniella Mestyanek Young told Jennifer Rubin of the Washington Post.

Persons: Jill Filipovic, Donald Trump’s, Trump, Michael Ohlrogge, he’s, MAGA, there’s, Rick Ross, Robert Jay Lifton, ”, —, “, you’re, Daniella Mestyanek Young, Jennifer Rubin Organizations: Twitter, CNN, CNN —, Trump Media, Trump, NYU, Washington Post, Republican, Republican Party, RNC Locations: New York, America

☆ The politics of religion as Trump sells Bibles and Biden is criticized over Easter eggs
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-01 | by ( Zachary B. Wolf | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —Former President Donald Trump is literally selling religion to his followers in the form of commemorative Bibles, while President Joe Biden is being criticized by Republicans for allegedly disrespecting the Easter holiday. The version of the Bible Trump is selling also includes the US Constitution and other founding documents. “The Biden White House has betrayed the central tenet of Easter—which is the resurrection of Jesus Christ,” House Speaker Mike Johnson wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. More than 30% of Americans might qualify as sympathetic to Christian nationalism when it is defined within the idea that America was meant by God to be a Christian nation. People sympathetic to Christian nationalism are also more likely to condone the idea that political violence may be justified.

Persons: Donald Trump, Joe Biden, Biden, Trump, ”, CNN CNN’s AJ Willingham, Jemar Tisby, Willingham, “, ” Tisby, Sen, Raphael Warnock, CNN’s Dana Bash, Warnock, Feedback Sen, CNN Biden, Wilton Cardinal Gregory, Gregory, ’, ” Gregory, “ The, Jesus Christ, Mike Johnson, Easter, ” Johnson, Johnson, MAGA, Robert Jones Organizations: CNN, Bible Trump, Georgia Democrat, Ebenezer Baptist Church, “ The Biden White, Conservative, Pew Research Center, PRRI, ”, Republican Party Locations: Ebenezer, Atlanta, Washington, America, Massachusetts, Oregon, North Dakota, Mississippi

☆ Gold, bitcoin and stocks hit record highs this week. Then came inflation data
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-15 | by ( Krystal Hur | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

The S&P 500 declined 0.7% and the Nasdaq Composite fell 1%. Turbulence for airline stocksAirline stocks have also been pummeled this week, as years of safety issues at Boeing continue to plague the industry. The NYSE Arca Global Airline index, which tracks the performance of major American and overseas airlines, is on track to end the week 2.2% lower. But Liz Young, head of investment strategy at SoFi, notes that the S&P 500 hasn’t seen a one-day decline of 2% or more since last February. AI up-and-comer Super Micro Computer will join the benchmark S&P 500 index on Monday.

Persons: New York CNN — Stocks, shrugged, Gold, Bitcoin, Dow, Price, ”, Ken Tjonasam, Max, Robert Jordan, Liz Young, Young, “ It’s, What’s, Jensen Huang Organizations: New, New York CNN —, Federal Reserve, Nasdaq, Dow, Global, Airline, Boeing, Latam, Wall, Southwest Airlines, Airbus, “ Boeing, ”, JPMorgan Chase, NYSE Arca, Nvidia, Computer, Investors, Federal, Market Committee, Fed, National Association of Home Builders, Census Bureau, National Association of Realtors Locations: New York, Australia, New Zealand, Wells Fargo

☆ Alaska Airlines passenger accused of trying to open cockpit door has been charged in federal court
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-14 | by ( Rashard Rose | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —A passenger on an Alaska Airlines flight this month repeatedly tried to open the cockpit door, prompting flight attendants to barricade the door and have the man restrained until landing, court documents filed in federal court allege. Jones got up from his seat several times during the flight and made three attempts to go to the front of the plane and open the cockpit door, an air marshal wrote in an affidavit. When a flight attendant asked why he tried to access the cockpit, Jones replied that he “was testing them,” the affidavit reads. The cockpit was locked down and barricaded with a beverage cart for the remainder of the flight, according to the affidavit. The passenger had tried to access the cockpit in a “nonviolent manner” and “appeared confused,” Alaska Airlines said on Wednesday.

Persons: Nathan Jones, Jones, “, Robert Jenkins, ” Jenkins, Anne Zalewski, CNN’s Elizabeth Wolfe Organizations: CNN, Alaska Airlines, Dulles International, Federal Aviation Administration, FAA, United Airlines Locations: San Diego, Virginia, Alaska, Alexandria , Virginia

The decision by Mr. Buck, a Republican, to resign next week rather than at the end of the year complicated what was already a rocky path for Ms. Boebert to secure his seat. The state’s Democratic governor, Jared Polis, quickly announced a special election would be held on June 25 to fill Mr. Buck’s seat. That left Ms. Boebert with a conundrum: If she resigned from her current seat in order to run in the special election, she would risk reducing the Republicans’ already razor-thin House majority by teeing up a special election in her current district, where a Democrat has a chance of winning. In 2022, Ms. Boebert nearly lost her district, which is on the Rockies’ western slopes, to Adam Frisch, a Democrat. If she had resigned by May 14, it would have given Mr. Frisch a shot at winning her seat in a special election.

Persons: Lauren Boebert, Ken Buck, Buck, Boebert, Jared Polis, Buck’s, Republicans ’, Mike Johnson, Adam Frisch, Frisch Organizations: firebrand Republican, Republican, Democratic, Republicans, Rockies, Democrat Locations: Colorado

Their November collision began to look even more likely after Mr. Trump scored a decisive win in Iowa in January. Already, Mr. Trump and Mr. Biden had shifted their focus away from the primaries. But Mr. Biden has already been using the political and financial apparatus of the Democratic National Committee. Mr. Biden is viewed unfavorably by a majority of Americans — a precarious position for a president seeking re-election — although so is Mr. Trump. Mr. Biden and his allied groups also have a significant financial advantage over Mr. Trump, whose legal bills are taking a toll.

Persons: Biden, Donald J, Trump, Mr, Nikki Haley, Biden’s, “, Joe Biden, ”, Haley, Trump’s, California’s, Robert F, Kennedy Jr, Dean Phillips, Marianne Williamson, Juan M Organizations: Tuesday, Associated Press, Democratic, Republican, Mr, Washington State, Democratic National Committee, Republican National Committee, D.C, Dean Phillips of Minnesota, Manhattan Locations: Iowa, Georgia, Georgia , Mississippi, Hawaii, Vermont, Washington, Gaza, New York

☆ Ken Buck Cuts Short House Term, Leaving Republicans Down Yet Another Member
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-12 | by ( Robert Jimison | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Representative Ken Buck, Republican of Colorado, announced on Tuesday that he would leave Congress at the end of next week, cutting short his final term in office in a move that will further shrink his party’s already tiny majority. The decision, which caught House Republican leaders by surprise, is the latest in a long string of losses for Speaker Mike Johnson and his party, who will control just 218 out of the chamber’s 435 seats after Mr. Buck departs. In a brief statement, Mr. Buck, a veteran conservative, thanked his constituents and said he hoped to remain involved in the political process while also getting to spend “more time in Colorado with my family.”Last year Mr. Buck said he would retire at the end of this term, citing his party’s election denialism and the refusal by many Republicans to condemn the Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the Capitol. His plans were seen as unlikely to affect the ultimate balance of power in the House, given that Republicans would be all but certain to hold his solidly conservative district in eastern Colorado.

Persons: Ken Buck, Mike Johnson, Buck, ”, denialism Organizations: Republican, Capitol Locations: Colorado

☆ Senators Urge Biden to Stop Arming Israel, Citing Violation of U.S. Aid Law
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-12 | by ( Robert Jimison | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

A group of Democratic senators urged President Biden on Monday to stop providing offensive weapons to Israel for the war against Hamas until it lifts restrictions on U.S.-backed humanitarian aid going into Gaza. In a letter to Mr. Biden, Senator Bernie Sanders, independent of Vermont, and seven Democrats argued that by continuing to arm Israel, Mr. Biden was violating the Foreign Assistance Act, which bars military support from going to any nation that restricts the delivery of humanitarian aid. It was the latest bid by members of his own party to intensify pressure on Mr. Biden to use his leverage to demand that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu change his tactics and mitigate the suffering of Palestinians as the offensive in Gaza drags into its fifth month. “We urge you to make it clear to the Netanyahu government that failure to immediately and dramatically expand humanitarian access and facilitate safe aid deliveries throughout Gaza will lead to serious consequences, as specified under existing U.S. law,” the group wrote.

Persons: Biden, Mr, Bernie Sanders, Benjamin Netanyahu, Netanyahu Organizations: Foreign Assistance Locations: Israel, Gaza, Vermont

☆ Cardi B doesn't like Filipino Balut eggs. TikTok commenters are thanking her for not playing into stereotypes about Asian food.
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-09 | by ( Hannah Getahun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Cardi B tried Balut eggs, a popular Filipino dish, on TikTok. Balut eggs are fertilized duck eggs popular in Asia — especially in the Philippines — that have become a popular food item for TikTokers to try. While wearing a burnt-orange updo and stunning blue eyeshadow, Cardi B presented a bowl of Balut eggs she made in a TikTok post on Wednesday. Cardi B explained that the duck tasted like raw chicken but said she liked the liquid inside the egg. The stereotypes live on in the form of TikTok taste tests, where many creators share videos gagging over Asian cuisine with millions of likes.

Persons: Cardi, Benny Blanco's, —, Keith Lee, TikTok, I'm, gagging, benny blanco, Blanco, James Corden's, Corden, James Corden, Kim Saira, Robert Ji, influencers Organizations: Service, BI, Activists, New York Times, Food Studies, Daily Locations: TikTok, Asia, Philippines

☆ The Essential James Baldwin
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-28 | by ( Robert Jones Jr. | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

James Baldwin would have turned 100 on Aug. 2 this year. Baldwin never went to college, but he read, by his own count, every book in the library. Hollywood made it into a documentary instead and then never released it, leaving Baldwin to publish it himself in book form, as “One Day When I Was Lost.”Few people are as eloquent with the pen as Baldwin was. In the documentary short “Meeting the Man: James Baldwin in Paris,” he says: “Love has never been a popular movement and no one’s ever wanted, really, to be free. The world is held together — really it is held together — by the love and the passion of a very few people.”

Persons: James Baldwin, Baldwin, Malcolm X, Hollywood, ” Locations: Harlem, United States, France, America, Paris

This confidence is echoed by other recent metrics, including a survey by Morgan Stanley showing that consumer sentiment hit a five-month high in January. Economists who spoke to CNBC Make It say it's likely the cumulative effect of wage growth, low unemployment and slowing inflation. "But with slowing inflation and strong wage growth, adjusted-for-inflation incomes are increasing, giving consumers more buying power," he says. Wages increased 5% in January 2024, a three-month moving average of nominal wage growth for individuals, as measured by the Atlanta Fed's Wage Growth Tracker. Wage growth, slowing inflation and low unemployment are the main factors for improved optimism among Americans, Ernest says.

Persons: Morgan Stanley, what's, Robert Johnson, Here's, Gus Faucher, Johnson, Jonathan Ernest, Ernest Organizations: of Michigan, Consumers, New York Federal Reserve, CNBC, Creighton University's Heider College of Business, PNC Financial Services Group, U.S . Department of, Treasury, Federal Reserve, Stock, Case Western Reserve University Locations: New, Atlanta

Yet large numbers of Americans believe the founders intended the U.S. to be a Christian nation, and many believe it should be one. The idea of a Christian America means different things to different people. Robert Jeffress, pastor of First Baptist Church of Dallas, said he doesn’t identify as a Christian nationalist, but does believe America was founded as a Christian nation. Six in 10 U.S. adults said the founders intended America to be a Christian nation, according to a 2022 Pew Research Center survey. About 45% said the U.S. should be a Christian nation.

Persons: Donald Trump, God, it’s, Trump, ”, Eric McDaniel, McDaniel, “, ” Trump, Mike Johnson, Thomas Jefferson, Johnson, Steve Bannon, Jerusalem ”, Charlie Kirk, Robert Jeffress, “ I’m, I’m, shouldn’t, John Jay —, —, ” Jeffress, doesn’t, ” Anthea Butler, Butler, John, Joe Biden, John Jay, Patrick Henry, Samuel Adams, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Jesus, George Washington Organizations: U.S, Republicans, Constitution, Pew Research Center, University of Texas, America, Republican, Washington Metropolitan Area, Vocal, Trump, Kentucky Republican, Baptist Church of, Supreme, University of Pennsylvania, Blacks, Native, John Fea, Messiah University, Democratic, Religion Research Institute, Fea, Lilly Endowment Inc, AP Locations: Independence, U.S, America, Washington, Jerusalem, ” Recent Texas , Oklahoma, Baptist Church of Dallas, Mechanicsburg , Pennsylvania, Brookings

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — California cities and counties still don't know how much they'll have to pay for Gov. Gavin Newsom's pandemic program to house homeless people in hotel rooms after the Federal Emergency Management Agency said in October that it was limiting the number of days eligible for reimbursement. Homeless advocates heralded it as a novel way to safeguard residents who could not stay at home to reduce virus transmission. FEMA agreed to pay 75% of the cost, later increasing that to full reimbursement. Robert J. Fenton, the regional administrator for California who wrote the October letter, told CalMatters, which was first to report on the discrepancy last week, that the policy was not new.

Persons: Newsom's, —, Gavin Newsom, ” Newsom, Robert J, Fenton, CalMatters, ”, Brian Ferguson, Cal OES Organizations: FRANCISCO, —, Gov, Federal Emergency Management Agency, FEMA, Emergency Services, Associated Press, Cal Locations: — California, California

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