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Ukraine aid in limbo as Congress begins two-week recess

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Washington — Congress’ two-week recess kicked off Monday after lawmakers resolved the government funding drama that had stretched on for months. But the fate of U.S. aid to Ukraine, which is running low on ammunition in its war with Russia, remains unsettled. 

Though the Senate last month approved a supplemental funding package that includes aid to Ukraine, along with other U.S. allies, Speaker Mike Johnson had refused to bring up the legislation for a vote in the lower chamber, saying that the House would find its own path forward.

But as the government funding fight came to a close last week, Johnson said that the House’s attention would turn to supplemental issues after a shutdown threat had been averted, saying that the conference is exploring “a number of avenues” to address the aid. Then on Sunday, Rep. Michael McCaul, a Texas Republican who leads the House Foreign Affairs Committee said Johnson had committed to putting Ukraine aid on the House floor after Easter. 

McCaul noted on “Face the Nation” that the situation in Ukraine is “dire,” stressing the urgency around approving aid. The Texas Republican said that Johnson understands the urgency as well, adding that the speaker is in a “very difficult spot,” especially with a new effort that’s emerged threatening his removal as speaker.  

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson makes remarks during a Congressional Gold Medal ceremony to honor World War II veterans known as the Ghost Army on Thursday, March 21, 2024.
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson makes remarks during a Congressional Gold Medal ceremony to honor World War II veterans known as the Ghost Army on Thursday, March 21, 2024. 

Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images


Last week, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Georgia Republican, filed a motion to vacate, the same type of maneuver that was used to oust former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy last year. Greene teased the effort to oust Johnson while expressing frustrations with the government funding package and how he’d approached it. Greene called the move a warning, and it’s not yet being called up for a vote, though one could occur after the House return from recess. But so far no other House Republicans have publicly backed the effort, which House conservatives used to remove Johnson’s predecessor last year.

Still, the Ukraine funding threatens to further complicate things for Johnson. Though some House Republicans support providing aid to Ukraine, others are staunchly opposed, or see domestic border security as a prerequisite for any additional help to the U.S. ally.

“I can promise you, if you put a Ukraine bill on the floor and you haven’t secured the border, there’s going to be a problem,” Rep. Chip Roy, a Texas Republican said on CNN’s “State of the Union” on Sunday, calling the issue “the big decision point for the speaker.”

Any maneuvering of the House GOP conference is made more difficult by the dwindling size of the Republican majority. Rep. Mike Gallagher, a Wisconsin Republican, announced on Friday that he will step down in April, bringing the House to a one-seat Republican majority down from a five-seat majority just six months ago.

On the other side of the aisle, allowing a vote on Ukraine aid could help secure a commitment from Democrats to oppose a motion to oust Johnson should it come up, opting to save his speakership — with a price to do so.

Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s removal from the post last year, which was backed by a group of eight Republicans who joined with Democrats, led to a weeks-long process to elect a replacement that effectively shut down the House. 

“We don’t need dysfunction right now,” McCaul said of a possible repeat with Johnson’s ouster. “And with the world on fire the way it is, we need to govern. And that is not just for Republicans, but in a bipartisan way. Get things done for the country that’s in the national security interest of the United States.”

The developments come as House lawmakers have launched multiple efforts to go around leadership and bring the supplemental funding package to the floor, where it’s expected to garner bipartisan support. 



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Former New York Gov. David Paterson, stepson attacked while walking in New York City

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NEW YORK — Former New York Gov. David Paterson and his stepson were attacked in New York City on Friday night, authorities said.

The incident occurred just before 9 p.m. on Second Avenue near East 96th Street on the Upper East Side, according to the New York City Police Department.

Police said officers were sent to the scene after an assault was reported. When officers arrived, police say they found a 20-year-old man suffering from facial injuries and a 70-year-old man who had head pain. Both victims were taken to a local hospital in stable condition.

In a statement, a spokesperson for the former governor said the two were attacked while “taking a walk around the block near their home by some individuals that had a previous interaction with his stepson.” 

The spokesperson said that they were injured “but were able to fight off their attackers.” 

Both were taken to Cornell Hospital “as a precaution,” he added. 

Police said no arrests have been made and the investigation is ongoing.

The 70-year-old Paterson, a Democrat, served as governor from 2008 to 2010, stepping into the post after the resignation of Eliot Spitzer following his prostitution scandal. He made history at the time as the state’s first-ever Black and legally blind governor. 



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Teen critically wounded in shooting on Philadelphia bus; one person in custody

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Biden to travel to disaster areas afffected by Hurricane Helene | Digital Brief


Biden to travel to disaster areas afffected by Hurricane Helene | Digital Brief

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A 17-year-old boy was critically injured and a person is in custody after a gunman opened fire on a SEPTA bus in North Philadelphia Friday evening, police said.

At around 6:15 p.m., Philadelphia police were notified about a shooting on a SEPTA bus traveling on Allegheny Avenue near 3rd and 4th streets in North Philadelphia, Inspector D F Pace told CBS News Philadelphia.

There were an estimated 30 people on the bus at the time of the shooting, Pace said, but only the 17-year-old boy was believed to have been shot. Investigators said they believe it was a targeted attack on the teenager and that he was shot in the back of the bus at close range.

According to Pace, the SEPTA bus driver alerted a control center about the shooting, which then relayed the message to Philadelphia police, who responded to the scene shortly.

Officers arrived at the scene and found at least one spent shell casing and blood on the bus, but no shooting victim, Pace said. Investigators later discovered the 17-year-old had been taken to Temple University Hospital where he is said to be in critical condition, according to police.

bullet-holes-in-septa-bus.png
Officers arrived at the scene and found at least one spent shell casing and blood on the bus, but no shooting victim, Pace said  

CBS Philadelphia


Through their preliminary investigation, police learned those involved in the SEPTA shooting may have fled in a silver-colored Kia.

Authorities then found a car matching the description of the Kia speeding in the area and a pursuit began, Pace said. Police got help from a PPD helicopter as they followed the Kia, which ended up crashing at 5th and Greenwood streets in East Mount Airy. Pace said the Kia crashed into a parked car.

The driver of the crashed car ran away but police were still able to take them into custody, Pace said. 

Investigators believe there was a second person involved in the shooting who ran from the car before it crashed. Police said they believe this person escaped near Allegheny Avenue and 4th Street, leaving a coat behind. 

According to Pace, police also found a gun and a group of spent shell casings believed to be involved in the shooting in the same area.

“It’s very possible that there may have been a shooting inside the bus and also shots fired from outside of the bus toward the bus,” Pace said, “We’re still trying to piece all that together at this time.”

This is an active investigation and police are reviewing surveillance footage from the SEPTA bus.



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