Domestic Politics: United States Archives

Despite Falling Numbers, U.S. Still Locks Up More Prisoners Than Any Other Country

18Aug

By Patti MohrNo Comments

Democracy, Domestic Politics: United States, Types of News: Brief

Despite Falling Numbers, U.S. Still Locks Up More Prisoners Than Any Other Country

Photo by Hédi Benyounes August 18, 2021--The U.S. prison population fell to the lowest level in 2019 since 1995, according to recently released data from the U.S. Justice Department. In 2019, U.S. correction facilities held 6.3 million people, about 65,200 fewer than the previous year. That represented about 1 in 40 U.S. residents under correctional supervision in America. Though the figure declined by about 3 percent over a decade, it still represents the world's largest per capita imprisonment, according to the data available by the World Prison Brief. China's Numbers Aren't A Total It's significant to note, however, that the imprisonment rate in China does not include people held in pre-trial detention – a figure that might total more than 650,000, or up to one million Uyghu...

Biden, Automakers, UAW Unite to Promote Electric Vehicles

7Aug

By Steve BerlinNo Comments

Climate Action, ESG, Sustainable Finance, Domestic Politics: United States, Energy Policy, Oil & Gas, Global Economics, Types of News: Brief, Types of News: Videos

Biden, Automakers, UAW Unite to Promote Electric Vehicles

President Biden held an event with U.S. and Dutch automakers August 5, 2021 at the White House. Executive Order Establishes New Rule-Making on Emissions Standards And Sets Goal 50 Percent Electric Vehicles by 2030 August 7, 2021--President Joe Biden signaled a new push for U.S. battery manufacturers and lower greenhouse gas emissions with an Executive Order calling for half of all new cars and trucks made in America to be electric by 2030. In addition to setting that goal, the president called for federal investment in building a national network of a half-million electric vehicle charging stations, customer incentives that will result in more manufacturing and union jobs, financing and retooling the domestic manufacturing supply chain, and developing more clean technologies. Fund...

U.S. Government To Breach $22 Trillion Debt Limit By August 1

29Jul

By Patti MohrNo Comments

Domestic Politics: United States, Global Economics, Types of News: Brief

U.S. Government To Breach $22 Trillion Debt Limit By August 1

Total Public Outstanding Debt Is $28.4 Trillion Photo by Alexander Schimmeck. July 29, 2021—The United States government is expected to run out of borrowing authority on August 1. That is two to three months sooner than expected. As a result, beginning tomorrow, July 30, the Treasury will suspend sales of certain securities. The debt limit, however, is actually not so simple. Significantly, the implications are larger than sales of securities. Already Exceeding the $22 Trillion Limit Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen wrote to Congress late last week, asking lawmakers to either increase the current limit or continue suspending it. She said that would "simply allow Treasury to pay for previously enacted expenditures." Reaching the debt limit occurs every few years. It means ...

8Jul

By Steve BerlinNo Comments

Corruption, Bribes, Illicit Finance & Money Laundering, Domestic Politics: United States, Types of News: Brief

Biden Extends Emergency Designation On Transnational Criminal Organizations

July 8, 2021—U.S. President Joe Biden extended a previous national emergency designation regarding the continued threat of transnational criminal organizations to U.S. national security and private interests. The White House’s announcement said transnational criminal organizations "continue to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States." The order allows the U.S. government to block property of organizations involved in criminal activities in two or more countries. Extension of Obama Executive Order The declaration is actually a continuation of executive order 13581 first issued by President Barack Obama in 2011 and continued in 2016. That order named the following organizations: The Brothers' Circle, Camorra...

Biden Orders Review of Supply Chain, Promises to Increase Domestic Production

27Feb

By Patti MohrNo Comments

Domestic Politics: United States, Global Trade, Types of News: Brief

Biden Orders Review of Supply Chain, Promises to Increase Domestic Production

Feb. 27, 2021--Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, businesses and consumers around the world have faced shortages of food, medical supplies and prescriptions, industrial parts, and consumer staples. Supply chain interruptions, manufacturing delays and export restrictions have all impacted the way the world trades its goods. Policymakers are taking note, and the United States is no exception. Executive Order on Supply Chains This week, President Joe Biden ordered an administration-wide review of supplies for multiple industries, including semiconductors, high-capacity batteries, critical minerals and materials, such as rare earth elements, and pharmaceuticals. "We shouldn’t have to rely on a foreign country — especially one that doesn’t share our interests or our v...

‘America Is Back,’ Biden Says, Promising Renewed Global Ties

11Nov

By Patti MohrNo Comments

Diplomacy, Domestic Politics: United States, Types of News: Brief

‘America Is Back,’ Biden Says, Promising Renewed Global Ties

November 11, 2020--A week after the U.S. national election, Joe Biden, the presumptive president-elect, said he is beginning to renew U.S. ties with global partners and institutions and is confident he can work with a bipartisan Congress on achieving results. Biden won victories in a high enough number of states to reach the magic 270 electoral votes needed to make the election official in December. Since most media outlets named Biden the president-elect over the weekend, he has taken calls from at least six foreign leaders, including those representing the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Canada and Turkey. New Tone in Washington Biden said he is telling his counterparts the United States will reengage with the world under a Biden presidency. "First of all, I'm letting them kno...

As US-China Digital Battle Begins, Global Tech Firm Tencent Holdings Hires U.S. Lobbyist

18Aug

By Patti MohrNo Comments

Big Tech, Digital Economy, Domestic Politics: United States, Globalization, Disintegration, Types of News: Brief

As US-China Digital Battle Begins, Global Tech Firm Tencent Holdings Hires U.S. Lobbyist

August 18, 2020--As the United States and China begin to battle over the use digital technologies by consumers, Tencent Holdings, a Chinese-based multinational technology company that owns the social media app WeChat, hired a law firm to lobby the U.S. government. Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison a global law firm headquartered in New York, filed a lobbying disclosure filed on August 7 with the Senate. According to the disclosure, the firm intends to represent Tencent, its largest shareholder Naspers Limited, and WeChat in the areas of consumer issues/safety/protection, media and trade. The firm's chief lobbyist on behalf of Tencent is Roberto Gonzalez, an attorney specializing in high-stake litigation, economic sanctions and export controls. Gonzalez has held senior posi...

15May

By Patti MohrNo Comments

Domestic Politics: United States, Finance, Currency, Debt, National Budgets & Interest Rates, Types of News: Brief

U.S. House Primed to Vote on Massive $3 Trillion Stimulus

May 15, 2020-The U.S. House is scheduled to vote today on a new supplemental spending bill for the current fiscal year. It's the fifth in a series of COVID-19 related stimulus bills, and it is massive in both physical size and its $3 trillion expense. Called the HEROS Act, the 1,815-page bill would extend unemployment benefits to furloughed workers for an additional six months, provide direct payments to businesses, give additional checks worth up to $1,200 for individuals, provide health care to unauthorized immigrants, financial support to farmers, renters and workers and $1 trillion for states and local governments. The Congressional Budget Office, which normally provides estimates for spending bills, has not published a report on the bill. Partisan Support Democrats are sp...

16Jan

By Patti MohrNo Comments

Domestic Politics: United States, Global Trade, Types of News: Brief

Congress Clears US-Mexico-Canada Trade Deal

January 16, 2020-It's a big week for trade. A day after the United States and China agreed to a phase one of a trade deal, the U.S. Senate approved a trade agreement that replaces NAFTA. Only nine senators voted against it while 89 voted for it. Since the House has previously passed it with a bipartisan 385-41 vote, the agreement is cleared for the White House. The deal, the USMCA, is a massive three-way agreement that covers goods worth about $1.3 trillion. Leaders of Mexico, Canada and the United States signed the deal in late 2018. Mexico's Senate voted for the agreement on June 20, 2019 and a revised treaty on Dec. 12, 2019. It's up to the Mexican president to ratify it. Canada is expected to consider implementing legislation when the new Parliament begins its session. For...

NAFTA Replacement to Move Forward in U.S. Congress

10Dec

By Patti MohrNo Comments

Domestic Politics: United States, Global Trade, Types of News: Brief

NAFTA Replacement to Move Forward in U.S. Congress

December 10, 2019-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and fellow House Democrats announced support for the U.S. -Mexico-Canada Trade Agreement today. Pelosi said the trade agreement is better than NAFTA and "infinitely better" than what President Donald Trump had initially proposed. "It's a victory for America's workers and one we take great pride in advancing." It's been a year since the leaders of Canada, the United States and Mexico signed the trade agreement. The deal covers agriculture, intellectual property, digital trade and financial services. The legislatures in all three countries need to ratify the deal before it takes effect. Democrats said the key to winning their support was working out enforcement mechanisms, particularly in the areas of labor and environment.