Trump ally Jim Jordan lost the first round of voting in the House of Representatives. The House of Congress remains without a president at the moment. News Ticker.
Update from October 18, 2:45 a.m.: Jim Jordan, the current Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, wants to try to break the party’s internal resistance after its failure in the first round and thus take the third highest office in the United States. The next round of elections in the council, which has been paralyzed for two weeks, was scheduled to take place on Wednesday at 11am (5pm local CET).
The absence of a majority also became clear in Jordan in the period leading up to the vote on Tuesday. Many moderate Republicans have major reservations about Jordan, who is known for his strident right-wing positions and aggressive political style.
“I would encourage people not to be surprised if it takes a few rounds,” Republican Rep. Austin Scott told the right-wing news channel Fox News, referring to the election of a leader. Deputy Scott Perry said Jordan had many bouts in his previous career as a wrestler. “I think he can keep going until the end.”
US House of Representatives elections: Jordan fails in the first round
Update from October 17, 8:31 p.m.: American conservative Republican Jim Jordan initially failed to elect a new Speaker of the House of Representatives. In the first vote in the House of Representatives on Tuesday, the ally of former President Donald Trump clearly missed the required majority of 217 votes. In addition to Democrats, 20 Republicans also voted against the 59-year-old hardliner, who was running to succeed President Kevin McCarthy, who was ousted two weeks ago. Jordan announced that he would nominate himself for a second round of voting. It took his predecessor, McCarthy, 15 attempts to be elected Speaker of the House of Representatives.
First report from October 17: WASHINGTON, DC – Jim Jordan, the ultra-conservative representative of the US Republican Party, wants to be elected the new Speaker of the House of Representatives on Tuesday, October 17. However, his chances of success are uncertain. The vote is scheduled for 12:00 noon local time (6:00 p.m. CEST) in the Congress hall, which has been largely paralyzed for two weeks. However, many moderate Republicans have major concerns about the right-wing hardliner Jordan, who is close to former President Donald Trump.
Republicans have only a small majority in the House of Representatives, with 221 members. Therefore, it is unclear whether Jordan will be able to achieve the required majority of 217 votes in the plenary session. If all 212 Democrats for President Joe Biden vote against the Judiciary Committee chairman, Jordan could allow a maximum of four deviations from his ranks.
US House of Representatives: Searching for a successor to Kevin McCarthy
The Trump-backed Jordan was nominated on Friday (Oct. 13) as part of Republicans’ chaotic search for a successor to House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, who was ousted at the beginning of October. The day before, Majority Leader Steve Scalise, initially nominated by the Republican faction, surrendered after it became clear that he would lack the majority needed for the state’s third-highest office in the general session.
However, Jordan, known for his aggressive political style, is more controversial than Scalise. After Jordan’s nomination, according to media reports, 55 Republicans indicated in a secret vote that they would not support Ohio’s representative in the House. Over the weekend, the hardliner and those around him put heavy pressure on opponents within the party to get them to stand behind Jordan.
“We all need to keep working together and get back to work,” Jordan wrote on Monday on SMS X (formerly Twitter). The Republican faction wanted to meet for consultation in the evening.
The US House of Representatives is currently unable to act
The conflict between Republicans has far-reaching consequences: without a speaker, the House of Representatives is largely paralyzed. This means, among other things, that Congress cannot decide to provide any further military aid to Israel, which is under attack by the Palestinian Islamist extremist group Hamas, or Ukraine, which is under attack from Russia. The United States is also threatened by a so-called lockdown in mid-November without a budget solution.
That is why pressure is increasing on Republicans to reach a quick agreement. If Jordan fails in his attempts to rally the conservative faction behind him almost completely, he may withdraw his presidential candidacy, as Scalise did. But he can also hold on to the plenary vote despite all resistance – for example, trying to break his opponents’ resistance with a series of successive votes.
In January, McCarthy, who was head of the office at the time, went through a record 15 rounds of voting to confirm his appointment as “chief,” as the office is called in the United States. But just nine months later, the California state representative was ousted from the House throne in a historic coup by right-wing hardliners in his party. This decrease was the result of a budget dispute over additional support for Ukraine.
Jordan is considered a staunch supporter of Trump
Jordan, McCarthy’s potential successor, has been a member of the House of Representatives since 2007. He began his political career on the right-wing fringe of Republicans, but has evolved over the years into a central figure in the party, which is drifting further and further to the right. Jordan is one of the main players behind the efforts to isolate US President Joe Biden due to allegations of his son Hunter Biden’s involvement in controversial foreign dealings.
Former wrestler Jordan, who likes to appear without a jacket, has been an ardent supporter and defender of Donald Trump for years. He is a founding member of the influential right-wing parliamentary group Freedom Caucus. Jordan is also a welcome guest in right-wing media, including Channel News Fox News. (Sugar/AFP)
The day after the controversial NGO law was passed, tens of thousands protested again in Georgia. The foreign ministers of European Union countries also participated. Meanwhile, Türkiye announced a similar proposed law.
In Georgia, tens of thousands of people took to the streets again to protest a recently passed law on “foreign influence.”
An Agence France-Presse journalist reported that about 30,000 people gathered in front of Parliament in the capital, Tbilisi, on Wednesday alone. Demonstrations also took place in the cities of Kutaisi and Zalinghikha in the west of the country.
European ministers demonstrate
The foreign ministers of Estonia, Iceland and Lithuania, who were visiting Georgia, also participated in the protests in Tbilisi. Senior diplomats addressed the demonstrators.
Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis told AFP that he and his colleagues participated in the protest „to support the desire of the Georgian people to become part of the European Union and NATO.” The Georgian national anthem and the European anthem „Ode to Joy” were played at the demonstration.
The demonstrators waved the flags of Georgia and the European Union.
Parliament in Tbilisi approved the controversial law on Tuesday. According to this, organizations and media that receive at least 20% of funding from abroad must in the future be registered in the former Soviet republic as bodies “pursuing the interests of foreign powers.”
Similarities with Russian law
Critics see similarities with the law against „foreign agents” in Russia, which enables authorities there to take wide-ranging measures against critical media and organizations. There have been massive protests against the law in Georgia for weeks.
The adoption of the law sparked international criticism. The European Union, the United Nations and NATO called on the government in Tbilisi to change course. It also called on the federal government to withdraw the law. Georgia has been an official candidate for European Union membership since December. With the new law, it has become difficult to imagine the European future of this Caucasian country.
Türkiye plans to issue a similar law
On the other hand, a draft law has been introduced in neighboring Turkey requiring the imprisonment of journalists and scholars who work for foreign “interests”. The proposed amendment to the Turkish Penal Code stipulates prison sentences ranging from three to seven years, according to the text obtained by Agence France-Presse.
The draft law applies to “any person who conducts or orders the conduct of research on (Turkish) citizens or institutions on behalf of or for the strategic interest of a foreign organization or state in order to act against the security, political, internal or external interests of the state.” „.
Björn Blaschke, ARD Moscow, now Tbilisi, Tagesschau, May 15, 2024 at 7:13 am
The life of Slovak Prime Minister Fico is in danger after he was shot
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Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico was shot
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico was shot after a cabinet meeting in the town of Handlova. The Slovak News Agency reported that he was taken to hospital.
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Shooting in Slovakia: Prime Minister Robert Fico shot after a cabinet meeting. The government said his life was in danger. According to media reports, the attacker was arrested. Chancellor Schultz speaks of a „cowardly assassination attempt.”
DrSlovak Prime Minister Robert Fico is in mortal danger after being attacked. This was announced by the government office in Bratislava, TASR news agency reported.
Fico was shot after a cabinet meeting at the House of Culture in the town of Handlova. He was taken to hospital. Handlova is located about 150 kilometers northeast of the capital, Bratislava. The exact background was clear at first.
TASR reported that Deputy Speaker of Parliament Lobos Blaha confirmed the attack during a parliamentary session and postponed it until further notice. A Reuters employee said he heard several gunshots and saw police arresting a man. Security forces took the arrested man to a car and took him away.
Security guards bring Vico to his car and run towards the shooter
Source: Reuters
Emergency services told TASR that a helicopter carrying an emergency doctor was sent to Vico after the accident. The police evacuated the House of Culture, where the government meeting was being held.
Slovak President Zuzana Caputova condemned the “brutal and brutal attack.” She added: “I hope Robert Fico has a lot of strength at this critical moment to recover from the attack.”
A suspect has been arrested
Source: Reuters
A few days ago, Fico himself accused the liberal opposition of creating a climate of hostility against the government. It cannot be ruled out that violence will occur at some point in such a climate.
Schulz and von der Leyen comment on the attack
Chancellor Olaf Scholz strongly condemned the attack. He wrote on the online platform “X”: “I am shocked by the news of the cowardly assassination attempt on Slovak Prime Minister Fico. Violence should have no place in European politics. During these hours, my thoughts are with Robert Fico, his relatives and the citizens of Slovakia.”
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European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen described the attack as “abhorrent.” “Such acts of violence have no place in our society and undermine democracy, our greatest common good,” she wrote on X. Her thoughts were with Vico and his family.
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European Council President Charles Michel was also shocked. “Violence and such attacks cannot be justified by anything,” he wrote on X.
Fiko has been the Prime Minister of Slovakia again since 2023. He was Prime Minister from 2006 to 2010 and from 2012 to 2018.
Fico is one of the founders of his party Samir. Their policies fall into „socialist internationalism”, and their policies are also criticized as populist. Recently, Fico angered people by saying that Ukraine is a country controlled by the United States. Slovakia will prevent Kiev from joining NATO. During a visit to Uzhhorod, right on the Slovak-Ukrainian border However, Fico said afterwardsHe said that his country would continue to provide humanitarian aid despite differences of opinion and would not prevent private arms deals. Regarding domestic politics, Fico is accused of restructuring the state to serve his own interests, similar to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.
Boeing could be sued over two plane crashes. According to the US government, the company violated regulations. The next steps are still under study.
According to the US Department of Justice, plane manufacturer Boeing could be sued over two fatal crashes of two 737 MAX planes about five years ago. The ministry said in a letter that the company violated its obligations under an agreement protecting Boeing from criminal prosecution over the two incidents.
Court documents said Boeing failed to implement a program designed to prevent violations of U.S. fraud laws, as agreed. The US government is still considering how to proceed with this case. Boeing now has until June 13 to provide an official response. In an initial reaction, the company confirmed that, from its point of view, it adhered to the agreement.
Boeing must implement a compliance and ethics program
A total of 346 people died when two 737 MAX planes crashed in October 2018 and March 2019 in Indonesia and Ethiopia, respectively. According to investigations, one of the causes of the accident was the software in the plane that was supposed to support the pilots, but it interfered with the control devices more than they expected.
Boeing has been criticized because the aircraft manufacturer declared special training on the software unnecessary when the type was certified by US authorities. Under the agreement concluded with the US government, Boeing paid a fine of $243 million (225 million euros).
The allegations regarding the plane crashes were not followed up. However, there is something of a test bed in place with the central requirement that Boeing implement a compliance and ethics program. The Ministry of Justice has now stressed that breaching this could lead to criminal prosecution of the company.
