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President Carter to lie in state at US Capitol ahead of National Cathedral funeral

President Carter to lie in state at US Capitol ahead of National Cathedral funeral

Former President Jimmy Carter’s body will be brought to the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday afternoon where he will lie in state for three days before a state funeral in Washington, D.C. Carter died last week on Dec. 29, at the age of 100. His death came just over a year after the passing of his wife of 77 years, Rosalynn Carter. Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and other congressional leaders announced last month that Carter would lie in state, writing a letter to his son, James Carter III.  JIMMY CARTER, 39TH PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, DEAD AT 100 “In recognition of President Carter’s long and distinguished service to the nation, it is our intention to ask the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate to permit his remains lie in state in the Rotunda of the United States Capitol,” the leaders wrote. “With your approval, we will move forward with these arrangements so that the American people have the opportunity to pay their respects to President Carter before he is laid to rest.” Carter’s ceremonial arrival to the Capitol Rotunda is expected on Tuesday afternoon, and will feature remarks from Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D. Members of the public will be able to view Carter’s casket from early Wednesday through early morning Thursday. The former Democratic commander in chief’s body arrives in Washington, D.C., Tuesday afternoon lying in repose at the Carter Presidential Center in Atlanta, Georgia. A week-long memorial began in Carter’s hometown of Plains, Georgia, on Saturday morning. Former U.S. Secret Service agents who protected Carter carried his casket as pallbearers when it left the Phoebe Sumter Medical Center. JIMMY CARTER EXPECTED TO LIE IN ROTUNDA AHEAD OF STATE FUNERAL SCHEDULED BY BIDEN “Every overpass had people on it. It was amazing and gave you goosebumps just to sit in the van and see the reactions of the people of Georgia,” his son said at the funeral in Atlanta. Carter’s state funeral service will be held at the Washington National Cathedral on Thursday morning. The former president will then end his final journey with a private funeral service in Plains, before being interred in a private ceremony at the Carter family residence.

Messy backstage jockeying in Trump transition could shape Hill strategy four years after Jan. 6

Messy backstage jockeying in Trump transition could shape Hill strategy four years after Jan. 6

A Republican senator was expressing his unhappiness to Susie Wiles, the incoming White House chief of staff. “I texted you three days ago,” the lawmaker said. Wiles, who ran Donald Trump’s campaign, said she got it and would respond, without sounding like she was in a rush. There’s little doubt that her phone must be flooded with messages from people who want a job – or influence – in the incoming Trump administration. DONALD TRUMP’S TOUGH TALK—BUY GREENLAND! TAKE BACK PANAMA CANAL!—SPARKS DEFIANCE FROM MANY REPUBLICAN REBELS But the jockeying sheds light on a dilemma that Trump may face in a city that he controls, with both houses of Congress under Republican management (and Kamala Harris peacefully certifying the transfer of power yesterday, four years to the day after the Capitol riot). The flip side of nearly unlimited clout is that when things go wrong, there’s no one else to blame. And then there’s the black hole known as Congress. Having dragged Mike Johnson across the finish line in the election for speaker, by making calls even from his golf course, Trump now faces a dilemma after the Christmas debt ceiling battle that just delayed the budget fight until March. Using a process known as reconciliation, which lowers the threshold from 60 Senate votes to 51 – both parties have used this for party-line dominance – Trump favors “one big beautiful bill.” That would include budget cuts, energy deregulation, tax cuts, the border crackdown and other presidential priorities. But many on the Hill support two separate bills, and some in Trump World believe Congress simply doesn’t have the bandwidth to take the kitchen-sink approach. So the big beautiful bill might not get passed until June, depriving the 47th president of an early win.  TRUMP MAKES A BLIZZARD OF NEWS, SHOWS RESTRAINT AT PRESSER, EVEN WHILE SLAMMING THE MEDIA Johnson will have just a 1-vote margin, making it hard for him to deliver the deep spending cuts that the hardliners want in an echo of the battle that toppled Kevin McCarthy. In the meantime, the Homeland Security Department would have difficulty mounting a major initiative because, like other agencies, it’s operating on the stopgap spending budget that nearly shut down the government at Christmas. The risk of pushing two bills is that once the first one passes, the momentum may dissipate for approving a second measure, even if it contains such Trump priorities as tax cuts. Trump hedged his bets yesterday, telling radio host Hugh Hewitt: “I would prefer one, but…I’m open to either way, as long as we get something passed as quickly as possible.” Washington is a city obsessed with titles and perceived influence, and that will impact the way the White House is run. Wiles has helped downgrade some jobs that have always been assistant to the president titles to deputy assistant to the president–something no sane outsider would care about but which is a major deal for the insiders. That’s because after reaching the limit for assistant jobs, the only alternative was to create a bunch of deputy slots. Wiles, for her part, has told Axios: “I don’t welcome people who want to work solo or be a star… My team and I will not tolerate backbiting, second-guessing inappropriately, or drama. These are counterproductive to the mission.” Karoline Leavitt, the incoming press secretary, is also being deprived of the big office that has been used by her predecessors for at least three decades. That’s going to another communications aide. I can remember being in that second-floor office when Mike McCurry was press secretary, and Bill Clinton walking in and chatting while I was working on my book “Spin Cycle.” The reason for the large office was the gaggles taking place with the press, and sometimes interviews, which could not be accommodated by most smallish West Wing offices. Anyone in Wiles’ sensitive position would invariably upset some officials during a process that determines winners and losers. But Trump views her as a grandmother and doesn’t yell at her the way he might at other officials over a disagreement.  As for Elon Musk’s powerful role, Trump enjoys the company of wealthy people, and the X owner is the richest person on the planet. So he has influence until he doesn’t, if there is a future falling out.  MUSK RENEWS HARSH REBUKE OF DEMS WHO REJECTED DEPORTING SEX OFFENDERS: VOTE OUT ‘EVERY ONE’ Besides, it will be harder for Musk to hang around once Trump moves from Mar-a-Lago to the White House, unless he wants to give Elon the Lincoln Bedroom. For now, the transition is organized chaos. But as Trump knows all too well, having done this job before, when there’s a terror attack or border incident or rising grocery prices on his watch, he owns it. Meanwhile, with Kamala Harris certifying her own defeat in routine fashion yesterday – drawing live coverage considering the history of Jan. 6 – Donald Trump posted this: “Biden is doing everything possible to make the TRANSITION as difficult as  possible, from Lawfare such as has never been seen before, to costly and ridiculous Executive Orders on the Green New Scam and other money wasting Hoaxes. Fear not, these ‘Orders’ will all be terminated shortly, and we will become a Nation of Common Sense and Strength. MAGA!!!” Is that worse than what happened on Jan. 6, 202? SUBSCRIBE TO HOWIE’S MEDIA BUZZMETER PODCAST, A RIFF ON THE DAY’S HOTTEST STORIES It’s true that the outgoing president has, among other things, issued orders to stop oil exploration along 625 million acres offshore, but there’s no reason the “drill, baby, drill” president can’t reverse that, although it could slow him down. Harris gave a short talk yesterday about the peaceful transfer of power, and Biden made the case in a Washington Post op-ed that we must never forget what happened on that dark day. No matter who you agree with, I think it’s fair to say that issue was litigated in the election, and

How to end the conflict in eastern DRC?

How to end the conflict in eastern DRC?

M23 rebel fighters have taken control of two towns in North Kivu province. The eastern region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has been in conflict for more than 30 years. The lives of millions of people have been affected because of the dozens of armed groups active in the area. The most prominent among them is the March 23 Movement (M23), which is widely believed to be backed by neighbouring Rwanda – allegations that the Rwandan government has denied. And M23 fighters have stepped up their offensive in recent months. They’ve captured two towns in recent days and are believed to be just 80km (50 miles) away from Goma, the capital of North Kivu province. So, will regional leaders be able to broker peace to stop this conflict? Presenter: Cyril Vanier Guests: Reagan Miviri – Researcher who specialises in the conflict in the DRC Solomon Dersso – Founding director of Amani Africa, a Pan-African think tank that works on peace, security policy and diplomacy in Africa David Munkley – Director of World Vision’s response to the conflict in eastern DRC Adblock test (Why?)

US Steel, Nippon sue Biden administration over decision to block merger

US Steel, Nippon sue Biden administration over decision to block merger

Nippon Steel and US Steel have filed a federal lawsuit in the United States challenging the Biden administration’s decision to block Nippon’s proposed $15bn acquisition of the Pittsburgh company. The companies say the head of the United Steelworkers union and a rival steelmaker worked together to scuttle the buyout. The lawsuit, filed on Monday, alleges US President Joe Biden prejudiced the decision of the Committee on Foreign Investment in the US (CFIUS) which scrutinises foreign investments for national security risks, and violated the companies’ right to a fair review. In moving to block the transaction on Friday, Biden said US companies producing a large amount of steel need to “keep leading the fight on behalf of America’s national interests”, though Japan, where Nippon is based, is a strong ally. This is the first time a US president has blocked a merger between a US and Japanese firm. In separate lawsuits filed in the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia and the US District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania, the steelmakers allege that it was a political decision made by the Biden administration that had no rational legal basis. Advertisement “Nippon Steel and US Steel have engaged in good faith with all parties to underscore how the Transaction will enhance, not threaten, United States national security,” the companies said in a prepared statement Monday. Nippon Steel had promised to invest $2.7bn in US Steel’s aging blast furnace operations in Gary, Indiana, and Pennsylvania’s Mon Valley, and had said it is best positioned to help the US compete in an industry dominated by the Chinese. US Steel has warned that, without Nippon Steel’s cash, it will shift production away from the blast furnaces to cheaper non-union electric arc furnaces and move its headquarters out of Pittsburgh. In a separate lawsuit filed in the District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania, the companies accused steel-making rival Cleveland-Cliffs Inc and its CEO, Lourenco Goncalves, in coordination with David McCall, the head of the United Steelworkers (USW) union, of “engaging in a coordinated series of anticompetitive and racketeering activities” to block the deal. McCall on Monday called the allegations baseless. In 2023, before US Steel accepted the buyout offer from Nippon, Cleveland-Cliffs offered to buy US Steel for $7bn. US Steel turned down the offer and later accepted an all-cash offer from Nippon Steel which has now been nixed. Politicised merger The merger had become highly politicised ahead of the November US presidential election, with both Democrat Biden and Republican President-elect Donald Trump pledging to kill it as they wooed voters in the swing state of Pennsylvania, where US Steel is headquartered. USW President McCall opposed the tie-up. Advertisement Trump and Biden both asserted the company should remain American-owned even after the Japanese firm offered to move its US headquarters to Pittsburgh, where the US steelmaker is based, and promised to honour all agreements in place between US Steel and the USW. Biden sought to kill the deal to “curry favor with the USW leadership in Pennsylvania in his bid for reelection”, the companies allege. “As a result of President Biden’s undue influence to advance his political agenda, the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States failed to conduct a good faith, national security-focused regulatory review process,” the companies said in a statement announcing the litigation. A White House spokesperson said “A committee of national security and trade experts determined this acquisition would create risk for American national security. President Biden will never hesitate to protect the security of this nation, its infrastructure, and the resilience of its supply chains.” The prospects are unclear for the lawsuit, which also targets Attorney General Merrick Garland and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, who oversees CFIUS. Courts generally give great deference to CFIUS to define national security, experts say. The US Department of Justice declined to comment, and the Treasury Department did not respond to a request for comment from Reuters news agency. Trump, in a post on his social media platform, asked “Why would they want to sell US Steel now when Tariffs will make it a much more profitable and valuable company?” Advertisement Trump has promised to impose tariffs on imports across the board. US Steel, founded in 1901 by some of the biggest US magnates, including Andrew Carnegie, JP Morgan and Charles Schwab, became intertwined with the nation’s industrial recovery following the Great Depression and World War II. The company has been under pressure following several quarters of falling revenue and profit, making it an attractive takeover target for rivals looking to expand their US market share. ‘Manipulated’ review Nippon Steel’s December 2023 bid for US Steel faced headwinds from the start. Biden came out against the deal on March 14, before the CFIUS review had even begun, prejudging the outcome and depriving the companies of due process, guaranteed by both the Constitution and CFIUS regulations, the companies said. McCall endorsed Biden a week later. Biden was later replaced on the ticket by Vice President Kamala Harris, who also opposed the deal and was endorsed by the USW. Following a review, CFIUS normally approves a deal, or recommends the president block it. In rare cases, when the agencies that make up CFIUS cannot agree, they can refer the matter to the president, as they did with the Nippon Steel deal on December 23, setting the stage for Biden’s block. Before that, CFIUS staff were barred from negotiating with the companies on a proposed agreement to address the committee’s national security concerns, the statement alleges, a marked deviation from normal practice. “It is clear that the review process was being manipulated so that its outcome would support President Biden’s predetermined decision,” the companies said. “That cannot be, and is not, the due process to which parties before CFIUS are entitled.” Advertisement Adblock test (Why?)

President Biden, first lady attend memorial service for Bourbon Street attack victims in New Orleans

President Biden, first lady attend memorial service for Bourbon Street attack victims in New Orleans

President Biden and first lady Jill Biden attended a Monday memorial service for the victims of the Bourbon Street terrorist attack in New Orleans, paying their respects to the 14 victims who died. The event, which was an interfaith prayer service, was hosted at the Cathedral-Basilica of Saint Louis, King of France, in the French Quarter. The church is located less than a mile away from the scene of the attack, where terrorist Shamsud-Din Jabbar drove a pickup truck into a crowd of celebrants on New Year’s Day. Biden made short remarks toward the end of the service, expressing sympathy for the victims and their families. “The shock and pain is still so very raw,” Biden, who leaves office in exactly two weeks, said. “My wife Jill and I are here to stand with you, grieve with you, pray with you, [and] let you know you are not alone — the rest of the nation is looking at you as well.” WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT VICTIMS OF NEW ORLEANS TERRORIST ATTACK The president also noted that he recently met two officers who were injured during the attack, and commended the first responders who saved lives amid the chaos. “New Orleans defines strength and resilience,” Biden said. “You define it. Whether it’s in the form of this attack, from this attack or hurricanes or superstorms, this city’s people get back up. That’s the spirit of America as well.” The service came less than a week after the terrorist attack stunned the Big Easy. Jabbar died at the scene, bringing the total number of deaths to 15 as of Jan. 6, and over 30 injuries. Many of the decedents were in their 20s and visited New Orleans from across the U.S., including Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, New York and New Jersey. The youngest victim who died was 18 years old, and the oldest was 63.  NEW ORLEANS TERRORIST, MAN IN LAS VEGAS CYBERTRUCK EXPLOSION SHARED MORE LINKS IN ATTACKS JUST HOURS APART The incident is still under investigation, and federal and local officials are continuing to gather evidence about the terrorist attack. On Sunday, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) said its National Response Team had completed its investigation of Jabbar’s Airbnb in New Orleans. Jabbar, who rented a house on Mandeville Street and left it hours before unleashing his attack, set a fire at the rental house to destroy evidence, but the fire eventually smoldered by the time authorities arrived. Accelerants that Jabbar strategically placed ended up not catching fire, allowing authorities to gather evidence. Officials also found traces of the explosive RDX, or cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine, at the rental. The agency noted that Jabbar unknowingly foiled his plans by using an electric match to ignite explosive material that is typically set off by a detonator.  “Jabbar used explosive material better suited for a detonator, but he didn’t have access to one, so he used an electric match to set the explosives off,” the ATF’s statement explained. “Jabbar’s lack of experience and crude nature of putting the device together is the reason why he used the wrong device to set the explosives off.” Fox News Digital’s Michael Dorgan contributed to this report.