Government Funding Passes The House & Fake Online Reviews
November 15, 2023
Continuing To Down The Road Of Continuing Resolutions
Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy opted to pass a continuing resolution with help from Democrats, keeping the government funded until November 17 – this Friday. New Speaker Mike Johnson earned himself his first victory when, on Tuesday, a stopgap bill passed the House on a bipartisan basis with a vote of 336 to 95 – 209 of the votes came from Democrats, while 93 Republicans and two Democrats opposed it.
Johnson’s spending bill is “clean,” meaning it doesn’t have any poison pills that would grant Republicans any political victories. Instead, it maintains government spending at current levels without any increased funding for Ukraine, Israel, or the southern border – all politically-charged spending topics.
“The House Freedom Caucus opposes the proposed ‘clean’ Continuing Resolution as it contains no spending reductions, no border security, and not a single meaningful win for the American People,” said the far-right Republican bloc. “Republicans must stop negotiating against ourselves over fears of what the Senate may do with the promise ‘roll over today and we’ll fight tomorrow.’ While we remain committed to working with Speaker Johnson, we need bold change.”
To keep the government funded through the next fiscal year (which actually began in October), Congress will need to pass a total of 12 appropriations bills in both chambers. The Democrat-held Senate has passed three such bills while the Republican-held House has passed seven. None of these appropriations bills have been passed by both chambers.
“The bill will stop the absurd holiday-season omnibus tradition of massive, loaded-up spending bills introduced right before the Christmas recess,” said Speaker Johnson about his plan. The resolution keeps certain federal agencies funded through January 19, 2024, and funds others through February 2.
Some Good News
- Arkansas man receives the world’s first whole eye transplant plus a new face (NPR)
- Obesity drug Wegovy cut risk of serious heart problems by 20%, study finds (AP)
America’s Military Runs On Russian Crude (Not Dunkin’)
- Last year, the U.S. and other Western nations banned the importation of Russian oil after Moscow invaded Ukraine. The ban was part of a wider effort to reduce Russian incomes in response to its war effort. Now, according to analysis by the Washington Post, that Russian oil has found its way back into the U.S. supply chain, even being used by the Pentagon to fuel its military operations.
- One way Russian oil has evaded U.S. sanctions is through a Greek refinery, which has signed almost a billion dollars worth of contracts with the Pentagon since last March. The refinery gets millions of barrels of oil from a shipping terminal in Turkey, which employs the industry-standard practice of mixing oil from various sources in each barrel. This shipping terminal sources the majority of the oil it receives by ship from Russia, totaling 2.7 million barrels of Russian crude since last February. It’s able to get away with this because the oil is relabeled at some point during its journey, with companies claiming it’s sourced from a non-sanctioned nation.
- Since last March, the Greek refinery has provided over a million barrels of jet fuel to U.S. allies in Europe as well. Russia has remained surprisingly resilient to sweeping efforts to economically isolate in part due to similar sanction-evading schemes like this, and experts say that the West will need to devote many more resources to the problem. “I would like to be able to say at least the part about the Department of Defense buying this fuel surprises me, but it doesn’t,” said one sanctions expert.
Additional World News
- Biden and Xi to announce deal cracking down on fentanyl export (Guardian)
- Jesús Ociel Baena Saucedo: Mexico’s first openly non-binary magistrate and prominent LGBTQ activist found dead (CNN)
- Suella Braverman accuses Rishi Sunak of betrayal in scathing resignation letter (BBC)
- Organizer of Russian journalist’s murder pardoned after enlisting to fight in Ukraine (CNN)
- Liberia votes in tight presidential run-off as many voters seek change (CNN)
- Palestinians call for evacuation of hundreds of patients and newborns from Gaza’s largest hospital (AP)
- UN mourns the deaths of more than 100 aid workers in Gaza, the highest number killed in any conflict in its history (CNN)
“Think in the morning. Act in the noon. Eat in the evening. Sleep in the night.” – William Blake
Some Conveniently-Timed Pre-Trial Leaks
- Portions of proffer videos – the legal term for videotaped conversations co-defendants have with prosecutors – were leaked to several news outlets on Monday in former President Trump’s Georgia election subversion case. On Tuesday, the Fulton County district attorney’s office filed an emergency motion for a protective order to prevent any more leaks from occurring.
- On-camera statements from those who have accepted plea deals – former pro-Trump attorneys Jenna Ellis, Sidney Powell, and Kenneth Chesebro, as well as Atlanta-based bail bondsman Scott Hall – were all leaked. Fulton County DA Fani Willis said that the “release of these confidential video recordings is clearly intended to intimidate witnesses in this case” by subjecting them to “harassment and threats prior to trial.”
A March For Israel And … Denouncing Muslims?
- On Tuesday, the National Mall in Washington, D.C. was flooded with tens of thousands of protesters calling for Hamas to release hostages and denouncing antisemitism in the so-called “March for Israel.” The Department of Homeland Security deemed the march a “Level 1” security event – the highest possible level, and an unprecedented label for a march or protest.
- Israeli President Isaac Herzog addressed the crowd through a live video feed, and celebrities like Van Jones and Debra Messing gave speeches. In footage of Jones’ speech, he can be heard saying to “denounce Muslims” before the crowd erupts into chants of “no ceasefire.” Hamas launched an attack on Israel on October 7, killing an estimated 1,200 people. In their counterattack, Israel has killed nearly 11,000 people in Gaza, almost all of them civilians and many of them children.
Additional USA Reads
- At least 3 dead, 15 injured after semitrailer crashes into bus carrying students in Ohio (NBC)
- Ex-Trump lawyer says ‘boss’ was not going to leave White House (Guardian)
- ‘March for Israel’ rally to condemn rising antisemitism at D.C.’s National Mall (NBC)
- House stalls impeachment of Homeland Secretary Mayorkas for handling of immigration (NPR)
- Investigation into NYC Mayor Adams focused on campaign money and possible foreign influence (CNN)
- Ex-Fox News reporter sues network, saying he was fired for challenging lies about 2020 election (NBC)
- 19-year-old Michigan man pleads guilty to threatening a mass shooting targeting Jewish people in Instagram messages (CNN)
Reviewing Fake Reviews
- You’ve probably thought to yourself while looking through Amazon reviews for a new trinket or Yelp reviews for a dinner spot, “Are these reviews even real?” and “How can I even tell?” Well, hopefully, you won’t have to ask that question anymore – the Federal Trade Commission has begun waging a war against fake reviewers, proposing a new rule allowing it to investigate and punish businesses who sell fake reviews.
- Amazon claims that last year alone, it removed over 200 million suspected fake reviews from its site. Google posted similar numbers, removing over 115 million fake reviews of Google Maps businesses. Things have gotten so bad on established review platforms that sites including Expedia and Amazon have banded together to form the Coalition for Trusted Reviews, a group aimed at helping companies establish standards and swap tips for regulating reviews.
- The FTC’s new rule will also allow the federal agency to charge fake review-selling businesses $50,000 or more, putting a real punishment on the table for review spoofers. Last month, New York Attorney General Letitia James also issued a statement saying that fake reviews are “illegal and unacceptable.” Together with efforts from private companies like Amazon, some experts hope that these government actions will make a dent in the billion-dollar fake review industry.
Additional Reads
- Mysterious flash, boom near Bemidji believed to be meteor (CBS)
- Why villagers haven’t left a mudslide prone mountain — and how a novel plan might help (NPR)
- ‘Woman with the flower tattoo’ killed in Antwerp in 1992 is identified as Briton (Guardian)
- One of Japan’s most elegant hotels is actually a treehouse (CNN)
- Taller cars and trucks are more dangerous for pedestrians, according to crash data (NPR)
- “World’s most dangerous bird” emerges from ocean, stunning onlookers (CBS)
- US stamp sells for a record-breaking $2m (BBC)