Live coverage: Senate sends bill to avert shutdown to Biden’s desk

The Hill

21 December 2024 at 12:44 am

The Senate has sent a stopgap government funding bill to President Biden’s desk, averting a shutdown.

The bill passed the House earlier in the day, wrapping up a whirlwind week on Capitol Hill.

Catch up on all the developments below.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.

The Independent
Trump tells Danish PM he’s serious about taking over Greenland in ‘fiery’ call that has Danes in ‘crisis mode’
President has wanted the U.S. to obtain Greenland since his first term
The Independent
Trump says Ukraine should have surrendered to Russia and blames Zelensky for war
Trump claims that the Ukrainian leader decided he ‘wanted to fight’ when it was actually Russia who started hostilities between the two countries
CNN
US freezes almost all foreign aid
The US State Department has frozen nearly all foreign assistance worldwide effective immediately days after President Donald Trump issued a sweeping executive order Monday to put a hold on such assistance for 90 days.
The Daily Beast
Top DOGE Official Quickly Exits and Snubs Musk on Way Out the Door
Well, that’s not very efficient. Elon Musk’s much-hyped White House panel is losing its top lawyer to the private sector mere days into its existence, a Wall Street Journal report revealed Thursday. Bill McGinley, whom Donald Trump tapped to be the Department of Government Efficiency’s lead counselor last month, no longer wishes to continue in the role. His departure comes after Vivek Ramaswamy was pushed out earlier this week.
The Independent
The fatal lengths North Korean soldiers will go to to avoid capture by Ukraine
SPECIAL REPORT: The North Korean troops fighting for Russia are highly trained and will stop at nothing to avoid surrender, Ukrainian sources tell Sam Kiley, The Independent’s World Affairs Editor, in Sumy
NewsWire
‘Most inappropriate’: Dutton slams Wong trip
The Opposition Leader has taken aim at the decision for Foreign Minister Penny Wong to lead Australia’s delegation to the commemoration of Auschwitz.
The Hill
White House says migrant deportation flights with military aircraft have begun
The Trump administration has started flying immigrants who entered the U.S. illegally out of the country using military aircraft, a White House spokesperson said Friday. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt shared photos on the social platform X of individuals in handcuffs boarding a military plane. “Deportation flights have begun,” Leavitt said. “President Trump is…
HuffPost
Here's What JD Vance's Body Language Said During THAT Sermon, According To Experts
Body language experts also had thoughts on second lady Usha Vance's reaction to the Episcopal bishop's sermon.
The Daily Beast
Trump Met By Very Handsy Gavin Newsom on L.A. Runway
Mere hours after saying he would consider curtailing disaster aid to California and scrap the Federal Emergency Management Agency, President Donald Trump on Friday touched down in California to meet with Gov. Gavin Newsom and tour damage from the Los Angeles wildfires. After Trump deplaned Air Force One, he engaged in another of his tug-of-war handshakes with Newsom, and the two talked for a moment on the tarmac out of microphone range. They then approached nearby reporters, and First Lady Melan
Yahoo Finance Video
Trump scraps $2 drug plan for Medicare patients in first week
In his first week back in office, President Trump rolled back a Biden-era executive order aimed at reducing prescription drug costs for Medicare patients, including a proposed $2 drug list for common generics. Yahoo Finance Senior Reporter Jordan Weissman joins Wealth to explain that the program, meant to save US seniors a combined $2 billion annually, was never implemented and is now scrapped. Trump’s decision reflects ideological differences over Medicare management, leaving questions about how his administration will handle upcoming drug price negotiations with Medicare. To watch more expert insights and analysis on the latest market action, check out more Wealth here. This post was written by Josh Lynch
Evening Standard
Oil refinery 120 miles south east of Moscow 'hit in mass drone attack' by Ukraine on Russia
Footage shared online showed people fleeing an enormous explosion
CNN
Taiwan’s divided politics undermine defense resolve as Trump returns
Hours after Donald Trump’s chilly inauguration in Washington, Taiwan’s parliament voted to freeze billions of dollars in defense spending, in a move some worry could frustrate the famously transactional president, who has already demanded Taipei pay “more” for US protection.
Evening Standard
Kim Kardashian loses nearly 250,000 followers in just a week after posting Melania Trump photo
The reality TV star is facing backlash from furious fans vowing to end their support of her business ventures
The Daily Beast
Trump Yanks Security Detail for Fauci—Who’s Now Paying Himself
The Trump administration removed Dr. Anthony Fauci’s security detail on Thursday night, the latest former top official to lose protection. “You can’t have it forever,” Trump said on Friday. Fauci, who was the nation’s top infectious disease expert and worked alongside Donald Trump during the pandemic, has received several threats against his life. In May 2022, a man pleaded guilty to sending emails to Fauci and other government officials threatening to kill them and their families.
The Hill
McConnell opposes Hegseth on final confirmation vote
Former Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.), who stepped down from the leadership at the end of last year, cast a surprise vote Friday night against Pete Hegseth, President Trump’s controversial nominee to head the Department of Defense. His vote came as a surprise after he voted Thursday night to advance Hegseth’s nomination to a final…
CNN
A Chicago elementary school turned away agents they feared were from ICE. They turned out to be from the Secret Service
Fearing federal agents asking to search a Chicago elementary school Friday morning were from Immigration and Customs Enforcement, school officials denied them entry. But it turned out they were US Secret Service agents pursuing an investigation.
The Independent
Ukraine-Russia latest: Putin ‘ready’ for Trump negotiations as Kyiv sets oil refinery ablaze with drone strike
Comes as South Korea’s military says North Korea is preparing to send more troops to join Russia’s war in Ukraine
Yahoo News Australia
Dodgy camping tactic ruining Aussies' summer holidays: 'Infuriating'
One state in particular has copped the brunt of this trend.
The Hill
Bloomberg charity to cover UN funds revoked with Paris Agreement withdrawal
Businessman and former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg said this week his philanthropic foundation will contribute the U.S.’s financial obligations under the Paris Climate Agreement to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) after President Trump announced he would withdraw the U.S. from the agreement. In a statement Wednesday through Bloomberg Philanthropies, Bloomberg…
HuffPost
The U.S. Is Already Losing Manufacturing Jobs, And Not Just Because Of Trump
Donald Trump’s anti-wind orders dealt the final blow, but Joe Biden’s permitting reform failure started the death spiral.

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