Senate passes budget resolution after overnight ‘vote-a-rama’

[CRAIG NIGRELLI]

IT WAS A LONG NIGHT FOR U-S SENATORS AS THEY HELD WHAT’S KNOWN AS A “VOTE-A-RAMA” IN AN ATTEMPT TO PASS THE REPUBLICANS’ 342 BILLION DOLLAR BUDGET BLUEPRINT. 

DEMOCRATS DID NOT MAKE IT EASY — FORCING G-O-P LAWMAKERS TO GO ON THE RECORD ON ISSUES LIKE THE WAR IN UKRAINE AND PROTECTING MEDICARE AND MEDICAID FROM CUTS AS REPUBLICANS SEEK TO ENACT PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP’S LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES. 

THE SENATE REPUBLICANS’ BUDGET PLAN –WHICH PASSED 52-TO-48, LARGELY ALONG PARTY LINES, EARLY THIS MORNING — WOULD INCREASE FUNDING FOR IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT, NATIONAL SECURITY AND ENERGY PRODUCTION, WHILE ALSO MAKING THE SAME AMOUNT OF OFFSETTING CUTS OVER FOUR YEARS. 

PRESIDENT TRUMP HAS ENDORSED A COMPETING PLAN FROM HOUSE REPUBLICANS THAT IS MORE EXPANSIVE. 

A BUDGET RESOLUTION — IF PASSED BY **BOTH** CHAMBERS — WOULD TRIGGER A PROCESS KNOWN AS BUDGET RECONCILIATION… WHICH ALLOWS THE SENATE TO BYPASS ITS FILIBUSTER RULES AND PASS LEGISLATION WITH A SIMPLE MAJORITY VOTE, INSTEAD OF THE 60-VOTE THRESHOLD NEEDED FOR MOST MEASURES. 

THAT COULD ALLOW REPUBLICANS TO PASS TRUMP’S FISCAL AGENDA LATER THIS YEAR WITHOUT NEEDING DEMOCRATIC HELP. 

REPUBLICANS HAVE A 53-TO-47 MAJORITY IN THE SENATE AND A 218-TO-215 MAJORITY IN THE HOUSE WITH TWO SEATS VACANT.

ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER BENJAMIN NETANYAHU HAS ORDERED HIS COUNTRY’S MILITARY TO CONDUCT AN OPERATION IN THE OCCUPIED WEST BANK — AFTER A SUSPECTED TERROR ATTACK SAW THREE EMPTY BUSES EXPLODE IN TEL AVIV LAST NIGHT. 

THE EXPLOSIONS CAME AFTER THE ISRAELI ARMY SAID ONE OF THE HOSTAGE BODIES, RETURNED TO ISRAEL BY HAMAS THIS WEEK,  WAS **NOT** WHO THE MILITANT GROUP SAID IT WAS,  IGNITING CALLS FROM SOME ISRAELI LEADERS TO END THE CEASEFIRE.  

STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS REPORTER LAUREN TAYLOR HAS MORE NOW ON THE BUS EXPLOSIONS. 

Lauren Taylor 

NO ONE WAS INJURED AFTER SEVERAL BUSES EXPLODED NEAR TEL-AVIV ISRAEL THURSDAY NIGHT IN WHAT AUTHORITIES SAY WAS A TERROR ATTACK. 

THREE EMPTY BUSES EXPLODED IN PARKING LOTS IN BAT YAM AND HOLON.  TWO OTHER DEVICES WERE FOUND ON TWO OTHER BUSES BUT DID NOT DETONATE, THE TIMES OF ISRAEL REPORTS. POLICE SAY THEY BELIEVE THE DEVICES WERE SUPPOSED TO DETONATE FRIDAY MORNING BUT THAT THE TIMERS WERE INCORRECTLY SET. 

A POLICE SPOKESPERSON SAID THE DEVICES MATCHED EXPLOSIVES USED IN THE WEST BANK. 

“WE NEED TO DETERMINE IF A SINGLE SUSPECT PLACED EXPLOSIVES ON A NUMBER OF BUSES, OR IF THERE WERE MULTIPLE SUSPECTS,” THE SPOKESPERSON SAID. 

THE TRANSPORTATION MINISTER ORDERED A HALT IN SERVICE UNTIL A THOROUGH SEARCH OF BUSES, TRAINS AND LIGHT RAILS COULD BE CONDUCTED, THE TIMES REPORTS. 

SO FAR, NO ORGANIZATION HAS TAKEN RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ATTACK. 

IT COMES JUST HOURS AFTER THE BODIES OF FOUR CAPTIVES HELD IN GAZA WERE HANDED OVER TO ISRAELI AUTHORITIES AS PART OF THE ONGOING CEASEFIRE BETWEEN ISRAEL AND HAMAS. 

THE REMAINS INCLUDED THOSE OF THE BIBAS BROTHERS – JUST 5 AND TWO YEARS OLD – WHO WERE QUOTE “BRUTALLY MURDERED” BY HAMAS IN NOVEMBER 2023, ACCORDING TO THE ISRAEL DEFENSE FORCES. 

THE BODY – BELIEVED TO BE THAT OF THE YOUNG BOYS’ MOTHER – WAS ALSO SUPPOSED TO BE TURNED OVER, HOWEVER, ISRAELI AUTHORITIES SAY THE REMAINS GIVEN ARE NOT HERS. 

IN A VIDEO MESSAGE, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER BENJAMIN NETANYAHU  SAID: 

“WE WILL BRING BACK ALL OUR HOSTAGES, DESTROY THE MURDERERS, ELIMINATE HAMAS, AND TOGETHER — WITH GOD’S HELP — WE WILL SECURE OUR FUTURE,” HE PLEDGED. 

Craig Nigrelli 

THAT WAS OUR LAUREN TAYLOR REPORTING. 

ISRAEL HAS STEPPED UP SECURITY AND HALTED BUS AND TRAIN OPERATIONS ACROSS THE COUNTRY IN THE WAKE OF THE BLASTS — WHICH NETANYAHU’S OFFICE SAYS WAS AN “ATTEMPT TO PERPETRATE A CHAIN OF MASS BUS BOMBINGS.” 

MEANWHILE, HAMAS IS ACCUSING ISRAEL OF STALLING THE SECOND PHASE OF THE CEASEFIRE — SAYING TALKS HAVE NOT YET BEGUN. 

THE TERROR GROUP ALSO SAYS ISRAEL HAS **NOT** COMPLETELY HELD UP ITS END OF THE BARGAIN FOR THE FIRST PHASE OF THE CEASEFIRE — WHEN IT COMES TO HUMANITARIAN AID IN GAZA.

TODAY — LEADERS FROM ACROSS THE MIDDLE EAST WILL MEET in Saudi Arabia today TO TRY TO COME UP WITH A UNITED RESPONSE TO PRESIDENT TRUMP’S PLAN FOR THE U-S TO TAKE OVER THE WAR-RAVAGED GAZA STRIP AND TRANSFORM IT INTO WHAT HE SAYS WOULD BE THE “RIVIERA OF THE MIDDLE EAST.” 

THE MEETING WILL INCLUDE EGYPT, JORDAN, THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES, SAUDI ARABIA, QATAR, AS WELL AS OTHER GULF ARAB NATIONS — AND COMES AHEAD OF A LARGER ARAB SUMMIT SET FOR MARCH 4-TH.  EGYPT IS FAST-TRACKING THE MEETINGS AND INSISTS IT HAS A LONG-TERM PLAN FOR GAZA. MIDDLE EAST EXPERTS SAY IT MIGHT TAKE 5 YEARS TO IMPLEMENT.. 

PRESIDENT TRUMP’S PROPOSAL LAST MONTH TO NOT ONLY TAKE OVER GAZA, BUT PERMANENTLY DISPLACE PALESTINIANS FROM THE ENCLAVE WAS MET WITH IMMEDIATE OPPOSITION FROM MIDDLE EASTERN COUNTRIES. EGYPT AND JORDAN HAVE REJECTED THE NOTION OF TAKING IN NEARLY 2 MILLION PALESTINIAN REFUGEES. 

NOW, AS STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS REPORTED LAST WEEK, ARAB COUNTRIES ARE WORKING TO COME UP WITH A PLAN THAT WOULD  FUND AND OVERSEE RECONSTRUCTION IN GAZA,  WHILE ALSO KEEPING THE PALESTINIANS IN PLACE **AND** PRESERVING THE POSSIBILITY OF A PALESTINIAN STATE. 

PRESIDENT TRUMP CONTENDS THAT THE ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR HAS DEVASTATED THE 25-MILE STRIP SO BADLY, THAT IT IS UNLIVABLE.

ONE FEDERAL JUDGE HAS A WARNING FOR PRESIDENT TRUMP REGARDING ONE OF HIS EXECUTIVE ORDERS, WHILE ANOTHER ORDER HAS RECEIVED THE GREEN LIGHT FROM A DIFFERENT JUDGE. 

U-S DISTRICT COURT JUDGE AMIR ALI SAYS THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION IS STILL WITHHOLDING FOREIGN AID — DESPITE A COURT ORDER NOT TO — AND SAID THE ADMINISTRATION MUST **AT LEAST TEMPORARILY** RESTORE FUNDING TO PROGRAMS WORLDWIDE. 

HOWEVER, ON A REQUEST BY NON-PROFIT GROUPS DOING BUSINESS WITH THE U-S AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT, TO FIND TRUMP ADMINISTRATION OFFICIALS IN CONTEMPT OF HIS ORDER — THE JUDGE PASSED.  

MEANWHILE, ANOTHER DISTRICT JUDGE SAID THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION **CAN** CONTINUE WITH MASS FIRINGS OF FEDERAL EMPLOYEES. 

WHILE JUDGE CHRISTOPHER COOPER SIGNALED IN HIS RULING THAT HE’S SYMPATHETIC TO THE FIVE LABOR UNIONS THAT WERE SEEKING A RESTRAINING ORDER TO TEMPORARILY HALT THE LAYOFFS.  HE RULED, THE FEDERAL COURT IS **NOT** THE APPROPRIATE VENUE FOR THEIR LAWSUIT. 

INSTEAD — COOPER SAID THOSE TYPES OF CLAIMS SHOULD GO BEFORE THE FEDERAL LABOR RELATIONS AUTHORITY. 

THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION AND ITS DEPARTMENT OF GOVERNMENT EFFICIENCY HAVE LAID OFF TENS OF THOUSANDS OF FEDERAL WORKERS AND HALTED FUNDING TO VARIOUS ORGANIZATIONS IN AN EFFORT TO SHRINK THE SIZE OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.   IN THE FIRST FOUR WEEKS OF THE NEW ADMINISTRATION,  DOGE CLAIMS TO HAVE CUT $55 BILLION DOLLARS IN GOVERNMENT SPENDING.

THE U-S MARSHALS SERVICE HAS REPORTEDLY DEPUTIZED MEMBERS OF ELON MUSK’S PRIVATE SECURITY TEAM,  GIVING THEM THE SAME RIGHTS AND PROTECTIONS AS SOME FEDERAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENTS. 

THE TECH BILLIONAIRE — WHO CHAIRS PRESIDENT TRUMP’S DEPARTMENT OF GOVERNMENT EFFICIENCY — DOES **NOT** HAVE A SECRET SERVICE DETAIL. 

UNTIL NOW, HIS PRIVATE SECURITY GUARDS WERE LIMITED IN WHAT THEY COULD DO IN WASHINGTON, D-C. 

MULTIPLE OUTLETS REPORT THE MOVE COMES OVER HEIGHTENED SAFETY CONCERNS FOR ELON MUSK — AFTER HE RECEIVED DEATH THREATS IN RECENT WEEKS. 

THE MARSHALS SERVICE OFTEN DEPUTIZES **POLICE** WHO BOLSTER SECURITY AT BIG EVENTS, SUCH AS PRESIDENT TRUMP’S INAUGURATION. 

DEPUTIZING PRIVATE SECURITY OFFICERS IS UNCOMMON. 

IT’S NOT YET CLEAR EXACTLY WHAT AUTHORITY MUSK’S SECURITY WILL HAVE — BUT SPECIAL DEPUTIES ARE USUALLY ALLOWED TO CARRY GUNS ON FEDERAL GROUNDS AND MAKE ARRESTS.

A GREAT NIGHT FOR THE SPORT OF HOCKEY AS THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA BATTLED FOR THE CHAMPIONSHIP IN WHAT WAS CALLED THE ** 4 NATION’S FACE-OFF**.  THE BEST PLAYERS IN THE NHL, REPRESENTING THEIR RESPECTIVE COUNTRIES. 

THE UNITED STATES HAD BEATEN CANADA IN MONTREAL IN THE ROUND ROBIN LAST SATURDAY.   SO THIS REMATCH IN BOSTON HAD INTENSITY WRITTEN ALL OVER IT.  NATHAN MCKINNON GAVE CANADA THE LEAD IN THE FIRST PERIOD,  THE U-S THEN SCORED TWICE IN A ROW ON GOALS BY BRADY TKACHUK AND JAKE SANDERSON TO TAKE A 2-1 LEAD.   CANADA TIED IT IN THE SECOND PERIOD.  AND THE GAME WENT TO OVERTIME,  WITH CANADA’S CONNOR MCDAVID SCORING THE GAME-WINNING GOAL,  AFTER THE UNITED STATES HAD A COUPLE OF CHANCES TO WIN IT ALL. 

CANADA WINS THE INAUGURAL 4 NATIONS FACE-OFF TOURNAMENT 3-TO-2.