Transcript

5.2.26 · Washington Post

0:00
Speaker 1: Good morning, and welcome to the reading of Today's Washington
0:04
Post for Saturday, the second of May of twenty twenty six.
0:11
Speaker 2: Your reader is Alice.
0:12
Speaker 1: Stainer, with the reminder that radioiz for those that have
0:16
difficulty reading a holding printed material, and.
0:22
Speaker 2: I am glad that you are with us.
0:25
Speaker 1: And I will start with the front page of today's Post.
0:29
On the far left side, leading AI firms signed Pentagon
0:37
agreements technology to be used in secret networks, leaving Anthropic
0:44
more isolated.
0:46
Speaker 2: Anthropic by Ian Duncan. The middle is.
0:51
Speaker 1: A picture of the White House taken from a distance.
0:56
It's the marine helicopter in the foreground of the White House.
1:02
Obviously somebody's going somewhere, and it's entitled the scene Friday
1:09
during the May Day March and rally outside the White
1:13
House before President Donald Trump's departure for Florida. And you
1:18
see a whole conglomerate of people in the very front,
1:22
just backs of heads with yellow signs that say stop
1:27
the war on Iran, fight something workers.
1:33
Speaker 2: I can't it's too small to read.
1:37
Speaker 1: A banner held across very unable to be read, flag flying,
1:46
flagpole flying both above the White House and just come
1:50
to the front of the marine helicopter, and it says
1:55
have US actions in Iran been successful? Or in ten
2:01
say military action against Iran was a mistake. On the
2:07
far right, Trump's Iran war gets low marks, disapproval rivals
2:14
Iraq Vietnam eras growing, followed as voters prepare to render
2:22
verdict by Michael Birnbaum and Scott Clement. In the middle,
2:30
just about the beginning of the fold. On the left,
2:34
Trump picks ex migrant for West Virginia leadership. Bishop is
2:39
one of two clergy elevated who have opposed Trump policies
2:45
by Michelle Borstein, and underneath the article about the Iran war,
2:53
Medicare portal exposed health providers social security data the post
3:01
informed health officials giving cms time to take down the
3:06
betabase by Dan Domond and Claire Ence Moss. And then
3:15
below the Medicare article a picture beauty in burps known.
3:21
Speaker 2: As Rooman's silios.
3:24
Speaker 1: These single celled microbes fuel methane production in the guts
3:29
of live stark, aiding digestion, but also greatly contributing to
3:35
the heating of the Earth's atmosphere. And I suppose this
3:40
is a belch that really looks like a microbe with
3:44
a long banana, red in the middle, but feathers coming
3:49
at the top of red, green, yellow, and purple down
3:53
along the sides. Kind of a very interesting picture, but
3:59
I don't think I'm going to read that article.
4:02
Speaker 2: And then to the right.
4:03
Speaker 1: Main's mills done in by Democrats after failing to catch
4:07
fire for Senate Liberals want a fighter her see you
4:12
in court retort Struck a chord what devoters want? By
4:18
Liz Goodwin and Patrick Morley. The bigger headline on the
4:24
right hand side in caps and hire poll, Trump's Iran
4:30
wall reaches Iraq and Vietnam era disapproval levels. A post
4:37
ABC ipso's poll shows most Americans call the military action
4:42
a mistake, even as Republicans remain strongly supportive. Many Americans
4:49
fear the conflict will lead to a recession. There's a
4:53
picture of both President Trump and Secretary of the Defense
4:59
Pete Hegseat speaking to reporters at a briefing last month
5:05
by Michael Bernbaum and Scott Clement. President Donald Trump's war
5:11
in Iran is as unpopular among Americans as the Iraq War.
5:17
During the year of peak violence in two thousand and
5:19
six and the Vietnam War in the early nineteen seventies.
5:24
According to a Washington Post ABC News if so's poll,
5:29
I mean growing economic pain and fears of terrorism as
5:33
a result of the military campaign. Sixty one percent of
5:38
Americans say that using military force against Iran was a mistake,
5:44
with fewer than two in ten Americans believing that the
5:49
US actions in Iran have been successful. About four in
5:53
ten say it has been unsuccessful, while another four intens
5:58
say it is too soon to tell. The polling numbers
6:03
indicate a broadly unpopular war effort and growing economic fallout
6:08
at a time when the White House has been trying
6:11
to convince Americans that they are better off under Trump
6:16
than under Democrats, but support for the war among self
6:21
identified Republicans remains high. Seventy nine percent say it was
6:26
the right decision. Independents, too lean toward the Republican Party,
6:31
are roughly split, with fifty two percent saying it was
6:35
the right decision and forty six percent saying it was
6:39
a mistake. Trump is indicated that the current impasse with
6:44
Iran could last for an extended period, saying Wednesday that
6:48
he planned to make Iranian leaders cry uncle and that
6:53
there would never be a deal unless they agree that
6:57
there will be no nuclear weapons. Iranian leaders, who have
7:02
long denied they are seeking a nuclear weapon, said they
7:06
want to reach an initial agreement to end the wall
7:10
and reopen a crucial global shipping choke point, the Strait
7:15
of Home Ows taking on nuclear talks only after that.
7:20
The President on Wednesday ruled a face to face negotiations
7:25
for now after an initial round in early April broke
7:30
without a deal. He has paused the war indefinitely, but
7:34
global oil inventory is diminishing. With the near total halt
7:39
in shipping traffic through the Strait. Brent crude features the
7:44
global oil benchmark were down three point seven percent on Thursday,
7:49
backing away from their highest level since twenty twenty two.
7:55
Tromp on Thursday said he had decided to accept short
7:58
term economic consequence, instance as the price of preventing a
8:02
nuclear weapon in Iran. When we hit fifty thousand on
8:09
the Dow and seven thousand on the standard in poor
8:13
s and P, I said to myself, we got to
8:17
do something about Iran, Trump told reporters in the Oval Office,
8:21
adding and I hated to do it to my people,
8:25
dot dot dot then I said to National Economic Councilor
8:29
Director Kevin Hassett. Sorry about this, Kevin, but we have
8:33
to We have to put out a fire, and the
8:36
fire is taking place in the lovely country of Iran,
8:40
and they want to have a nuclear weapon. Despite the
8:45
skepticism about the war, Americans also remain suspicious of Iran,
8:51
with a close split about whether or not to accept
8:54
the peace deal. Rights Now, Forty eight percent prefer to
8:59
make good peace deal with Iran, even if it results
9:03
in a worse deal for the US, while forty six
9:07
percent want to push Iran for a better deal even
9:11
if it means resuming US military action against Iran. Political
9:18
independence are willing to accept a peace deal that's worse
9:23
for the US by fifty percent to thirty nine percent,
9:26
as do seventy six percent of Democrats. A seventy nine
9:32
percent majority of Republicans want to push for a better
9:36
deal even if it means resuming military action against Iran.
9:42
Trump's April seventh threat that a whole civilization will die
9:47
to night, never to be brought back again if Iran
9:51
did not make an agreement with the US, which preceded
9:54
the ceasefire agreement, was broadly unpopular. The sin had a
10:00
positive reaction to the post, while seventy six percent had
10:04
a negative view. The statement split Republicans, with fifty seven
10:09
percent of self identified MAGA Republicans having a positive reaction,
10:15
while seventy nine percent of non MAGA Republicans reacted never negatively.
10:22
The historical comparison to the wars in Iraq and Vietnam,
10:27
conflicts that polarized Americans in the moment and ultimately came
10:32
to be seen as failures, is especially notable. It took
10:37
years for the Iraq War, which was launched in March
10:40
of two thousand and three, to reach the level of
10:43
disapproval that Trump's war has in just two months. Fifty
10:48
nine percent of Americans in mid two thousand and six
10:51
said the roar in Iraq was a mistake, while similar
10:55
numbers felt the same about the war in Vietnam. In
10:57
the early nineteen seventies, According to Gallop Poles, Americans were
11:04
dying and getting wounded in far higher numbers in those eras,
11:08
making the current opinions all the more striking. More than
11:12
fifty thousand Americans had died in Vietnam by nineteen seventy one,
11:17
when Gallop found that sixty one percent of Americans said
11:20
sending troops to fight there was a mistake, and by
11:24
April two thousand and six, the month before, Washington Post
11:29
ABC News poll found that fifty nine percent of Americans
11:33
said the Iraq war was a mistake. Twenty four hundred
11:37
and two US troops had died there, and the US
11:40
military was embroiled in some of the bloodiest fighting of
11:44
the conflict. The Pentagon has announced the deaths of thirteen
11:49
American service members so far in the war against Iran.
11:54
Nor do Americans have convenance that the war will succeed
11:58
in preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons, Trump's main goal.
12:03
Speaker 2: When nunching the attack.
12:06
Speaker 1: A sixty five percent majority of Americans are not confident
12:09
that an agreement to end the war will prevent Iran
12:12
from developing nuclear weapons, similar to sixty four percent who
12:17
said this about Obama's administration's twenty fifteen agreement that impose
12:22
limits on Iran's nuclear program. Trump said Thursday that a
12:27
deal would soon be reached. Iran is dying to make
12:32
a deal. I can only tell you that Trump said
12:36
they cannot be nuclear. The decision to attack Iran surprised
12:41
some Americans who think it is out of step with
12:44
Trump's pledges on the twenty twenty four campaign trail to
12:48
keep the United States out of foreign wars. Twenty two
12:52
percent of Americans say Trump's actions against Iran are consistent
12:57
with his twenty twenty four campaign positions. What forty six
13:00
percent say they are inconsistent, and thirty percent are not sure.
13:06
About half of Republicans say Trump's actions are consistent with
13:11
his campaign positions, while two in ten say he has
13:15
been inconsistent and about three and ten are not sure.
13:21
The war has sparked concerns within the Trump administration too.
13:26
Speaker 2: Vice President J. D.
13:27
Speaker 1: Vance and Iraq veteran, who has been especially critical of
13:31
past US deployments to the Middle East, acknowledged in a
13:35
Fox News interview on Wednesday that he had been concerned
13:38
about dwindling US munition stockpiles that are a result of
13:43
the war, even as he'd downplayed broader divisions within the administration.
13:49
Speaker 2: Of course, I'm concerned about.
13:51
Speaker 1: Readiness, because that's my job to be concerned, Vance said.
13:56
The economic consequences of the war meanwhile driving Americans to
14:01
change their behavior, as an increasing number feels the pinch.
14:06
Sixty percent of Americans say the US military action has
14:10
increased the risk of the economy going into a recession.
14:15
More than four intens say gas prices are causing them
14:18
to drive less and cut household expenses, while more than
14:22
three intents say they have changed travel of vacation plans.
14:26
Six in ten Americans report at least one of these impacts.
14:32
Few Americans expect gas prices will improve within the next year,
14:37
potentially a morning signed for Republicans who are hoping to
14:41
move beyond the pain by the November mid term elections.
14:45
Half of Americans think gas prices will get worse over
14:48
the next year, while twenty one percent think they will
14:52
get better and fifteen percent think they will stay about
14:55
the same. Since February, the share of people saying they
15:00
are falling behind financially has grown from seventeen percent to
15:06
twenty three percent, while the chiers saying they are not
15:10
as well off as when Trump took office has jumped
15:14
from thirty three percent to forty percent. The attack on
15:18
Iran started on February twenty eighth, people who said they
15:23
are not as well off grew by nine points among
15:27
non college white respondents and about thirteen points among Republican
15:32
leaning independents groups that supported Trump's election but expressed mixed
15:38
support for his.
15:39
Speaker 2: Handling of the war.
15:42
Speaker 1: Americans also worried that Trump's actions may have made them
15:46
less safe. Sixty one percent think US military action in
15:51
Iran has increased the risk of terrorism against Americans, more
15:56
than the forty eight percent who said this after Trump's
15:58
assassination of Cosum Soleimani, a top Iranian general, in twenty twenty,
16:06
and fifty six percent say US actions increase the risk
16:10
of weakening relationships with US allies, as Trump has lashed
16:14
aired at European allies who have questioned the strategy behind
16:18
the action against Iran and as Persian Gulf allies have
16:23
suffered from Iranian retaliation. Medicare Portal database exposed health providers'
16:34
social security numbers. It is the latest technical problem related
16:39
to the Trump administration's pushed to create a national directory.
16:43
Speaker 2: Of health providers.
16:45
Speaker 1: And there's a picture of a social security card by
16:49
Dan Dimond and Clara N.
16:51
Speaker 2: SMOs.
16:52
Speaker 1: And by the way, there are no numbers on this
16:54
social security card. The Trump administration inadvertently expose the social
17:00
security numbers of healthcare providers in the database, providing a
17:06
powering a new medicare portal. The Washington Post found the
17:11
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services CMS last year created
17:18
a directory to help seniors look up which doctors and
17:22
medical providers accept which insurance plans, framing it as an
17:26
overdue improvement and part of the Trump administration's initiative to
17:31
modernize healthcare technology.
17:35
Speaker 2: But a publicly.
17:36
Speaker 1: Accessible database used to populate the directory contains some of
17:41
the provider's social security numbers linked to their names and
17:46
other identifying information. For at least several weeks, CMS made
17:52
the database available for public use as part of its
17:56
data transparency efforts.
17:59
Speaker 2: The files and immediately.
18:00
Speaker 1: Visible to users who visit the Provider Deck directory. The
18:06
Post downloaded the database and identified at least dozens of
18:10
social security numbers belonging to health care providers while reviewing
18:14
a sample of rose. CMS did not respond to questions
18:20
about how many providers social security numbers were exposed, whether
18:25
it had notified the individual providers, and other details about
18:29
the incident. The Post informed health officials on Tuesday that
18:35
the numbers had been exposed, giving the agency time to
18:38
take down the database and contacted some of the affected providers,
18:45
who said they were confused and concerned. I don't even
18:51
know how Medicare officials would get my social Security number,
18:56
said one physician, who spoke on the condition of anonym
18:59
day to avoid the risk of identity theft. CMS officials
19:04
said they are working to fix the problem that led
19:07
to the exposure. A spokesperson said the problem stems from
19:12
incorrect entries of provider or provider representative supplied information in
19:18
the wrong places. Essentially that providers entered information in the
19:23
wrong place and left their own social Security numbers exposed.
19:28
The agency has taken steps to address it promptly and
19:32
reinforced safeguards around information and validation.
19:37
Speaker 2: CMS said in a statement.
19:39
Speaker 1: After this article published, several Democrats said fighting that they
19:44
had concerns about the agency's handling of sensitive data and
19:48
demanded answers.
19:51
Speaker 2: Representative Richard E.
19:53
Speaker 1: Neil of Massachusetts, the top Democrat on a host committee
19:57
that oversees CMS, called on Republicans who control the Chamber
20:02
to launch an investigation. The more we learn about how
20:06
the Trump administration handles the people's most sensitive data, the
20:11
clearer their incompetence becomes, Neil said.
20:15
Speaker 2: In a statement, adding.
20:17
Speaker 1: Do House Republicans need to see their own data exposed
20:21
before they do right by their constituents and act. The
20:26
directory is part of a broader initiative that includes plans
20:30
for a new national directory of health care providers, led
20:34
by Amy Gleeson, the acting administrator of the US Doze
20:39
Service and senior CMS official. The project has faced several setbacks.
20:45
The Post last year reported that an early version of
20:48
directory was rife with errors, including misidentifying which health care
20:54
providers were covered by which healthcare plans.
20:58
Speaker 2: The Trump administration of Fishier.
21:00
Speaker 1: Have said the directory will simplify the process for patients
21:04
searching for healthcare practitioners by tapping the reach.
21:08
Speaker 2: Of the federal government.
21:10
Speaker 1: We feel like this is a good use case of
21:14
the government actually doing something, Gleason said in remarks last year.
21:20
Some Democrats have raised concerns about its launch. We are
21:24
concerned that this rushed roller will mislead millions of seniors
21:29
as they compare plans, and may cause seniors in people
21:32
with disabilities to incur medical bills they reasonably believed to
21:37
be covered. Senators Jeff Merkley, Democrat of Oregon, and Ron
21:43
Wyden also Democrat of Oregon wrote in November to CMS officials,
21:49
CMS administrator met Mahmet Oz and his deputies have defended
21:55
the project.
21:57
Speaker 2: We remain committed to continue.
22:00
Speaker 1: Improving the services we provide through Medicare dot gov and
22:04
plan Finder, and to ensuring that all people with Medicare
22:09
can make informed choices about their health coverage with confidence
22:13
and transparency, Oz wrote to merkley En Whyden.
22:18
Speaker 2: Last month.
22:21
Speaker 1: Pope Leo picks formerly undocumented immigrant to lead West Virginia Catholics.
22:29
Bishop Evilo men Hivar Aliyah was one of two clergy
22:36
elevated who have vocally opposed Trump administration policies. Bishop of
22:44
Bilio me Hivara Ayala seen in September, and he has
22:49
got on the purple cloak of a cardinal of a
22:54
bishop with the cross hanging down, the white vestment underneath,
22:59
and the red had road below that with his purple
23:04
Yamaica by Michelle Bornstein. Pablion Friday announced the promotions of
23:12
a bishop and a priest who have spoken out against
23:15
Trump administration policies on immigration and racial equity, showcasing the
23:21
gap between the Vatican's agenda and the presidents. Bishop Evilia
23:27
minivar Ayala fifty five, who has smuggled in the United
23:31
States in a car trunk and has publicly called for
23:34
Catholics to speak out against President Donald Trump's treatment of immigrants,
23:40
was elevated from auxiliary bishop of the Washington Archdiocese to
23:44
Bishop of West Virginia. He will replace retiring West Virginia
23:50
Bishop Mark Brennan, who, at a twist of face, helped
23:53
many of our secure green card years ago. At the time,
23:58
Brennan headed the priest recruiting office for the Washington Archdiocese
24:02
and saw many of are as a promising candidate who
24:05
needed to fix his immigration status. The Reverend Robert Bosey,
24:10
the third six forty six, who had been a chaplain
24:13
at Howard University, becomes the country's youngest bishop. The Harvard
24:19
Law School graduate has called a tax on diversity Unamerican
24:24
and Unchristian, and expressed concern about the Trump administration's efforts
24:30
to eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion programs. It's really frustrating,
24:37
especially this moment that we're living in.
24:39
Speaker 2: The attacks on de e A.
24:42
Speaker 1: I don't even know what that means anymore. It's a
24:45
term that's been hijacked. It means a lot of things
24:48
to a lot of different people, Boxy told the Catholics
24:52
News Agency OSB, adding, we are a diverse nation with
24:57
people from all over the world. Diversity is a good thing.
25:01
Diversity is of God. Friday's appointments underscore and continue Leo's
25:08
efforts to elevate US clergy who are vocal on areas
25:12
where the Church conflicts with Trump policies. Since becoming Pope
25:17
last May, Leo and some of his highest ranking allies
25:21
in the US have become more direct in challenging the
25:23
White House on topics including immigration crackdowns and the around War.
25:30
Greg Erlandson, a longtime columnist for major Catholic outlets and
25:35
former director of the Catholic News Service, wrote in a
25:39
text message to the Washington Post, though while he hasn't
25:43
met men of Ar or Boxy, he believes these appointments
25:49
are no accident.
25:51
Speaker 2: The men are well.
25:52
Speaker 1: Qualified, of course, but at this time of tension caused
25:57
by Trump administration policies arting immigration in Diei, Pope Leo
26:03
has quietly affirmed the church's position concerning both immigrants and
26:09
racial justice. Leo's message is clear, shepherds don't run from
26:16
the challenges to the gospital. They don't hide from controversies either,
26:22
Erlandson wrote the Vatican Press Office did not immediately respond
26:27
to her request for comment on the topic. Masimo Fagioli,
26:33
a professor in ecclesiology at Trinity College Dublin, recalled clashes
26:39
between the papacy and the Holy Roman Empire in the
26:42
early second millennium over whether bishops had to tow the
26:46
lines of the emperor or the pope. The most important
26:51
thing is the pope, asserting here is this power to
26:55
appoint bishops that are not on the same page as
26:59
the government, Vagili said.
27:03
Speaker 2: Men of Bar in.
27:05
Speaker 1: Twenty three, became the first Salvadorian born bishop in the
27:09
United States, serving as an auxiliary bishop for the Archdiocese
27:13
of Washington. When he was selected, Minivar described his three
27:18
failed attempts to flee violence and civil war in El
27:22
Salvadoor and reached the United States as a teenager. He
27:26
eventually made it to Los Angeles to reunite with his sister,
27:30
working janitorial construction and other jobs before migrating to Maryland
27:36
and realizing he was called to the priesthood. Evilio you
27:42
became a manual labor as you adapted to your new
27:46
home in the United States of America. Like countless others
27:50
before you, you earned your upkeep with demanding work, Cardinal
27:55
Wilton Gregory said at Minnavar's twenty twenty three ordination.
28:01
Speaker 2: The Cardinal added, you.
28:03
Speaker 1: Know very well the countless gifts that our immigrant brothers
28:06
and sisters continue to bring to our nation as hard workers.
28:12
Minivar became a US citizen in two thousand and six.
28:16
In the column last spring in the National Catholic Reporter,
28:20
he denounced the Trump administration's crackdown and urged asked readers
28:24
to support migrants and refugees who were being targeted. He wrote,
28:31
to those of you are silent or think this does
28:34
not involve you, To those of you who are not
28:37
troubled by this, or worse, who applaud it, particularly those
28:42
who are Catholic, I ask you, do you not see
28:46
the suffering of your neighbors. Do you not realize that
28:50
pain and misery and very real of fear and anxiety
28:55
these unjust government operations and policies are causing. Is your
29:01
conscience not disturbed? How can you stay quiet? Also named
29:08
an auxiliary bishop for Washington on Friday was the Reverend
29:12
Gary R. Sudinouski. He served in various assignments for the U. S.
29:18
Army in the nineteen eighties before becoming a priest in
29:22
Washington in nineteen ninety five. He then returned to the
29:26
Army for an eighteen year stint as a chaplain and
29:30
was a colonel by the time he returned to the
29:33
archdiocese in twenty fourteen. Sudinuski most recently has served as
29:39
pasta at the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament. At
29:45
a Friday morning news conference, Boxy choked back tears several
29:50
times as he spoke about the significance of his promotion.
29:54
The Black Catholic Messenger, an outlet that covers African am
30:00
American Catholics, said he is the first black bishop to
30:03
be appointed in the United States in nearly a decade.
30:08
Disappointment represents something bigger than me, much bigger than me.
30:13
It's an acknowledgment of the community I come from, the
30:17
community that has formed me in my faith, especially my
30:21
family and my home parish, he said, a reference to
30:25
Lake Charles, Louisiana. It recognizes the community that I now
30:31
serve Boxy continued, I told our community at Howard you
30:35
made your chaplain, a bishop and a holy mother church.
30:38
Speaker 2: Thanks you.
30:39
Speaker 1: I am sorry that yes, it is boxing. Sudanuski said
30:45
at the news conference that what makes the archdioces so
30:48
spirit filled is this diverse population of folks who were
30:53
so united in Christ.
30:56
Speaker 2: He took out the card priests.
30:58
Speaker 1: Received their ordinations and read the scripture he had selected.
31:03
The Lord said to me, my grace is enough for you.
31:08
It is in weakness that power reaches perfection.
31:12
Speaker 2: That will be my motto.
31:16
Speaker 1: I'm now going into the paper first article. A longstanding
31:21
Senate tradition is being quietly undermined. Senate Majority Leader John
31:28
Thune has resisted Trump's please to kill the filibuster, but
31:32
Republicans circumvented it in trying to fund immigration enforcement agencies.
31:39
A theodoric mayor. For months, Senate Majority Leader John Thune,
31:46
Republican of South Dakota, has resisted pressure from President Donald
31:50
Trump to get rid of the filibuster, the long standing
31:54
rule that requires sixty votes to advance most legislation through
31:59
the chain, but goop. Senator's support for the rule is
32:04
beginning to fracture, and even some Republicans who once supported
32:08
the filibuster now want to end it. Senator Mike Lee,
32:14
Republican of Utah, warned in twenty twenty one that scrapping
32:19
the filibuster would be bad for the Senate and bad
32:22
for the country, but he indorsed the idea last month
32:27
after a Republican voting bill that he has championed, the
32:32
Save America Act, stalled in the Senate after narrowly passing
32:37
the House. Senator John Cornyan, Republican of Texas, who once
32:42
defended the filibuster, now also supports getting rid of it.
32:47
The filibuster gives Democrats the power to block much of
32:51
Trump's agenda, creating a strong incentive for them to defend
32:56
the rule while they are in the minority. Many Democrats
33:00
want to scrap it if they regained control of Congress
33:04
and the White House. A Senate vote last week to
33:09
take a first step to circumvent the filibuster to fund
33:13
two federal agencies, Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol
33:20
with out Democratic votes, only added to democrats frustrations with
33:26
the sixty vote threshold.
33:29
Speaker 2: The Senate has reached.
33:30
Speaker 1: The point that the sixty vote requirement has really shut
33:34
down most of our legislative activity. I can't see how
33:39
we continue to respect the sixty vote requirement unless we
33:43
find better ways to work together, said Senator Dick Durbin,
33:48
Democrat of Illinois, who is retiring next year after three
33:53
decades in the chamber.
33:56
Speaker 2: Republicans are seeking.
33:57
Speaker 1: To bypass the sixty vote threshold to fund ice and
34:01
border patrol by using reconciliation, a special process that allows
34:07
the Senate to evade the filibuster as long as legislation
34:11
conforms with complicated budget rules. Senator Chris Murphy, Democrat of Connecticut,
34:18
said the move could help lead to the filibuster's eventual demise.
34:23
It feels like Republicans are just putting us on a
34:27
path to fifty votes, Murphy said. Republicans have shown no
34:32
willingness to scrap the filibuster in the short term.
34:36
Speaker 2: Thones pledged that he.
34:38
Speaker 1: Will preserve it as long as he is majority leader.
34:42
Doing away with it would require a majority vote in
34:45
the Senate, including all but a handful of Republicans, many
34:50
of whom have said they want to preserve it. Changing
34:54
Senate rules without the consent of the minority party is
34:58
considered so at a klismo that it is known as
35:02
the nucular option, though both parties have done it. Democrats
35:08
scrapped the filibuster con for confirming the most presidential nominees
35:13
in twenty thirteen. Republicans did the same phenomenees to the
35:17
Supreme Court four years later, allowing Trump to put three
35:21
justices on the court, even though none of them.
35:25
Speaker 2: Won sixty votes.
35:28
Speaker 1: The consequences of doing away with the filibuster entirely would
35:32
be enormous. If they controlled the Senate, Democrats could take
35:38
up bills to ban gerrymandering of congressional districts and restore
35:43
aspects of the Voting Rights Act of nineteen sixty five
35:47
struck down by the Supreme Court. Democrats tried and failed
35:52
to weaken the filibuster in twenty twenty two to pass
35:55
such legislation. Many Democrats renewed calls to pass it this
36:00
week after the Supreme Court further limited the Voting Rights Act.
36:06
Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Humer, Democrat of New York,
36:11
suggested in twenty twenty four that Democrats could also weaken
36:15
the filibuster to restore Roe versus Wade, the landmark abortion
36:20
rights ruling the Supreme Court struck.
36:23
Speaker 2: Down in twenty twenty two.
36:25
Speaker 1: Republicans meanwhile, could pass their voting bill, which Trump bragged
36:30
would guarantee the midterms for his party if the filibuster disappeared.
36:38
Trump has argued that Democrats will get rid of the
36:40
filibuster the next time they controlled Congress and the White House.
36:44
Some Republicans should beat them to the punch. Senator Ron Johnson,
36:50
Republican of Wisconsin, who agrees with Trump, said some Republican
36:55
senators are holding out hope that Democrats won't dismantle the
36:59
filibuster if they retake the chamber. Some Republicans who support
37:04
the filibuster just don't want to be responsible for destroying
37:08
the Senate, he said. Johnson said, my point is, I
37:13
don't know. It could be much more broken. While Thoon
37:18
has resisted pressure to get rid of the filibuster, he
37:21
has made other moves that Democrats argue have weakened the
37:24
sixty vote threshold, including last week's maneuver to fund ice
37:29
and border patrol with only Republican votes. What's happening right
37:35
now just shows how stupid the supermajority requirement for the
37:39
filibuster is, said Senator Chris Van Holland, Democrat of Maryland.
37:46
Some Republicans expressed qualms. Even some Republicans expressed qualms. Senator
37:54
Shelley Moore Kapito, Republican of West Virginia, said Hugh supported
37:59
the move but was concerned that it would undercut the
38:02
bipartisan appropriations process in the future. It just needs it
38:08
just further feeds a dysfunctioning system, and I think it
38:12
roads what's been successful for two hundred and fifty years.
38:15
Carpedo said Democrats could use the same strategy to bypass
38:21
the appropriations process to fund their priorities if they recapture
38:25
the Senate majority. Senator Brian Schottz, Democrat of Hawaii, a
38:30
member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, said he hoped it
38:34
won't come to that, but other Democrats acknowledged it could happen.
38:39
Speaker 2: I think there's a.
38:40
Speaker 1: Good change that Democrats would wrestle with that idea, said
38:45
Senator Jeff Berkeley of Oregon, the top Democrat on the
38:49
Senate Budget Committee. Dune has said Democrats gave Republicans no
38:55
choice but to fund ice and border patrol without their votes.
38:59
Democratcrats demanded new restrictions from federal immigration agents in exchange
39:05
for funding the agencies, but the two sides failed to
39:08
reach a deal after weeks of negotiations.
39:12
Speaker 2: This is not ground I want to be on. We
39:15
tried to avoid this.
39:17
Speaker 1: We did everything we could to avoid this, Tune told reporters.
39:22
Schumer has blamed Republicans for walking away from negotiations. Shin
39:27
said in his statement, sure Schumer said in respeatement s
39:33
Chuck Schuma has said in a statement, Republicans have proven
39:37
they can't govern and won't compromise. Democrats argue that Dune
39:43
has eroded the sixty vote threshold in other ways too.
39:47
Republicans have used the Congression and Will React, which lets
39:51
Congress overturn some actions by federal agencies without the threat
39:55
of a filibusto in more aggressive ways. The Senate voted
40:00
fifty to forty nine along party lines last month to
40:03
overturn an order by President Joe Biden's administration banning mining
40:08
on federal lands in Minnesota, despite Democratic complaints that the
40:14
law cannot be used to overrise such orders. Senator Tom
40:18
Tillis of North Carolina, one of two Republicans who voted note,
40:23
said his parties should expect Democrats to use the law
40:26
in the same way in the future. Don't be surprised
40:30
if you are shocked and angry someday because you've made
40:33
it easy to reverse something that you happen to light
40:36
by enabling this mechanism. Tillis said, not every Democrat is
40:42
on board with torpedoing the filibuster entirely. Some want to
40:47
weaken the filibuster by requiring senators to speak on the
40:50
floor to block legislation, sometimes known as a talking filibuster.
40:56
The change would make it harder, but not impossible, for
41:00
the minority block party to block legislation. Senate Democrats tried
41:07
to change the rules to adopt a talking filibuster in
41:11
twenty twenty two to pass their voting bill, but came
41:15
up two votes short. Then, when then Senators Kirsten Cinema,
41:21
Democrat of Arizona, and Joe Manchin, the third Democrat of
41:25
West Virginia, joined with Republicans to block them. One potential
41:30
obstacle to any future effort by Democrats to move to
41:35
a talking filibuster. Senator Angus Mane of Democrat, an independent
41:40
who caucuses with Democrats. King supported Democrats to push to
41:45
change the rules in twenty two twenty twenty two, but
41:49
he said recently that he had changed his mind and
41:52
praised Cinema and mansion. They were right and I was wrong,
41:57
King said in an interview.
41:59
Speaker 2: In his office.
42:00
Speaker 1: Republicans unsuccessful recent push to use a talking filibuster to
42:05
pass their voting bill, the Save America Act, demonstrated the
42:10
perils of changing the rules. King said the Republican bill
42:14
would require Americans to prove their citizenship of the birth
42:18
certificate or a passport when they register to vote, and
42:21
to show photo identification when voting. Republicans saved the bill
42:26
would premit undocumented immigrants from voting, while Democrats have warned
42:31
it would make it harder for Americans to vote. If
42:34
we didn't have the sixty vote requirement, we'd have the
42:38
Save Act or something worse, King said, adding we'd have
42:43
a national abortion ban. We'd have a lot of things
42:46
that my progressive friends who always talk about how they
42:49
hate the filibuster dot would certainly not like the philipbuster.
42:55
As frustrating as it can be, in many cases, is
42:58
worth preserving.
43:01
Speaker 2: He added, Well, here's an interesting.
43:06
Speaker 1: FEMA aims to re hire most of the disaster Response
43:12
employees it fired months ago. The agency is planning to
43:18
bring back most of the staffers from the Cadre of
43:21
On Call Response and Recovery who were terminated as part
43:26
of Christy nomes plans to cut the agency.
43:30
Speaker 2: By Brianna Sachs.
43:33
Speaker 1: The Federal Emergency Management of Agency is working to rehire
43:38
in time for hurricane season more than a hundred disaster
43:43
response employees who had been fired months ago. According to
43:47
FEMA officials, the agency is planning to bring back most
43:52
of the staffers from the Cadre of On Call Response
43:55
and Recovery Corps, FEMA's largest workforce, who were suddenly turned
44:00
dominated this past winter as part of then Homeland Security
44:05
Secretary Christiellnomes plans to cut the agency by fifty percent.
44:11
These employees are among the first on the ground after
44:14
a disaster and often stick around for years to help
44:17
communities recover. They work under two to four year contracts
44:22
that are usually renewed barring any performance issues, because disaster
44:27
recovery efforts can span years, if not decades.
44:33
Speaker 2: As we approach the.
44:34
Speaker 1: Twenty twenty six hurricane season and the FIVEFO World Cup,
44:39
FEMA is taking targeted steps to stabilize our workforce and
44:44
strengthen readiness. Under new leadership, FEMA is addressing outstanding personnel
44:50
actions to ensure workforce stability and a strong, deployable surge
44:55
force for upcoming national events and potential disaster, said Victoria Barton,
45:03
FEMA's Associate Administer Administrator of the Office of External Affairs,
45:10
adding despite the ongoing lapse in DHS appropriations, FEMA remains
45:16
committed to operational readiness for all major challenges. In twenty
45:20
twenty six, in an email obtained by The Washington Post,
45:25
FEMA officials said they wanted to promote transparency and update
45:30
employees on steps the agency was taking to ensure it
45:35
was suited to meet mission requirements. This included beefing up
45:39
the workforce that has significantly dwindled since the start of
45:43
President Donald Trump's second term. The rehiring of these employees
45:48
is the latest example of how Secretary markqwain Mullen is
45:52
differation in differentiating himself from known, who greatly threw rold
46:00
FEMA's autonomy and ability to function quickly during disasters and
46:05
day to day operations. The recalls also come after Trump,
46:09
who last year made remarks about wanting to get rid
46:12
of the agency, is expected to nominate a leader who
46:15
became a starch defender of FEMA after a brief stint
46:19
as its acting administrator.
46:22
Speaker 2: Cameron Hamilton, who at.
46:24
Speaker 1: First was on board with the administration's goals to drastically
46:28
cut the agency, was fired after testifying against nome's desire
46:33
to abolish the agency. Hamilton has been seen at headquarters
46:37
several times and has been working with Department of Homeland
46:41
Security officials. According to two officials for knowledge of the situation, who,
46:47
like everyone interviewed for this article, spoke on the condition
46:50
of anonymity because they are not authorized to speak publicly
46:55
on the matter. Hamilton was involved in the agency's move
47:00
to bring back the core employees. One senior official said
47:05
the corp firings took place over the winter holidays, with
47:09
some employees finding they no longer had the job. On
47:12
Christmas and New Year's Day, the group of responders was
47:17
terminated despite supervisors submitting justifications and explaining why their roles
47:23
were critical to ongoing disaster work. These employees got an
47:30
unfair shake, said a senior current official with knowledge of
47:36
this situation. The Post previously reported on documents that outline
47:42
nomes plans for drastic reductions. At the time, Hamilton said
47:47
that losing a large number of disaster specific workers over
47:51
a short period would mean greater delays in processing and
47:55
survivors not being dealt with as quickly as they had
47:58
been before.
48:00
Speaker 2: A group of employees.
48:02
Speaker 1: Who also signed what was dubbed the Katrina Declaration in
48:07
an open letter sent to Congress in August that sounded
48:11
the alarm over Femour's ability to handle a large scale disaster,
48:15
have also been reinstated. According to an e mail obtained
48:19
by The Post and a staffer, the fourteen whistleblowers received
48:23
a notice Thursday informing them that the investigation has been
48:27
closed and they were approved to return to work.
48:32
Speaker 2: I do feel vindicated.
48:34
Speaker 1: I know I did the right thing, said Abby Mackelrith,
48:38
an emergency management specialist. She added, but being reinstated doesn't
48:43
erase the fact that we were on administrative leave for
48:47
eight months. Over eight months we couldn't work, couldn't help
48:51
disaster survivors. Anyone who pays taxes in this country should
48:55
be mad about this. The core firing sparked a rage
49:00
across the agency and triggered a lawsuit alleging that NOME
49:04
had been involved in making the decision to not renew
49:07
core contracts, which would violate the post Katrina Emergency Management
49:12
Reform Act, provisions that prevent DHS from making sweeping changes
49:17
to FEMA. Attorneys for a coalition of civil servant and
49:22
government unions have been deposing officials, including Karen Evans, FEMA's
49:28
top acting official, over the core firings. Nome is also
49:32
set to be deposed. So far, the interviews have revealed
49:36
had DHS officials had been involved in decisions to terminate
49:41
the employees by the date of their contract renewal as
49:44
part of targeted reductions of FEMA staffing. According to court documents,
49:51
a current FIRMA official said the agency has been contacting
49:56
some of the people who had been fired, asking if
49:59
they returned to their old roles. Other employees across the
50:04
agency expressed elation at the move, saying it signifies a
50:08
welcome change in direction. The agency has also been bringing
50:13
back employees who have been on administrative leave, according to
50:17
two officials with knowledge of the situation, Glimmers of Hope.
50:22
One official said, however, some staffers, including Michaelreth, said they
50:28
are still concerned and frustrated over the reduced size of
50:32
the agency. Staffers say FEMA lost nearly a quarter of
50:36
its workforce and Trump took office last year, FEMA is
50:42
arguably in a worse state than it was back in
50:45
August when I signed the Contrina Declaration. A hiring freeze
50:50
is still in effect. FEMA still has no legal qualified administration.
50:56
Money isn't getting the states that needed. We have wildfire
50:59
and hurricane seasons coming up. Mackelreath said, and this really
51:08
affects Kentucky. UK whiskey tariffs eased after Trump met with
51:15
King Charles the Third. The move could boast boost trade
51:19
between Scotch whisky and Kentucky bourbon producers.
51:25
Speaker 2: By Rachel Lherman.
51:27
Speaker 1: President Donald Trump posted online Thursday that he would remove
51:31
tariffs on some whiskey, a move that could ease trade
51:35
tensions for Scotch whiskey and Kentucky bourbon producers. Trump met
51:40
with King Charles the Third and Queen Camilla at the
51:43
White House this week in a state visit during which
51:46
the King urged citizens of both countries to defend democratic values.
51:52
Trump posted on truth social following the visit that he
51:55
would remove the tariffs and restrictions on whiskey having to
51:59
do with Scotland's ability to work with the Commonwealth of
52:02
Kentucky on whiskey and bourbon in honor of the King
52:06
and Queen. The King and Queen got me to do
52:09
something that nobody else was able to do without hardly
52:12
even asking, he wrote, adding a wonderful honor to have
52:16
them both in the US. The White House did not
52:19
immediately clarify whether the removal applies to all UK whiskey
52:23
and related goods and when it will take effect. US
52:27
Trade Representative Jamison Greer issued a statement after Trump's post
52:32
saying that the US will allow preferential duty access for
52:36
whiskey made in the UK. A significant amount of Scotch
52:41
exports goes to the US, and Trump specifically called it
52:44
American bourbon. Wooden barrels used by Scotch producers to age
52:49
their products, a common practice in Scotland. Imports from the
52:54
UK have been largely subjected to ten percent tariffs for
52:58
the last year as part of Trump's widespread global tariff policies.
53:03
The UK and US signed a trade pact agreeing to
53:06
the ten percent rate for most goods last May.
53:10
Speaker 2: After the U s.
53:11
Speaker 1: Supreme Court ruled most of Trump's tariffs in Ballid In February,
53:15
the President imposed a universal ten percent tariff using a
53:19
different law. Whiskey tariffs suggests the latest examples of countries
53:24
and industries that have approached Trump to try to negotiate
53:27
a deal to get out from under aggressive tariff policies.
53:31
Speaker 2: Countries around the.
53:32
Speaker 1: Globe bargained trade agreements with the US over the past year.
53:37
After Trump put his reciprocal tariffs in effect. Last April, Perrin,
53:42
those reciprocal tariffs were thrown out by the High Court
53:46
in Perrin. Some of those trade agreements remain unfinished, but
53:51
some are advancing. The European Parliament last month approved major
53:56
provisions of the agreement that blocked reached with the US
54:00
last year. The Distilled Spirits Council of the United States,
54:05
which has been pushing for a return to zero percent
54:08
tariffs on imports and exports of spirits, applauded Trump's announcement Thursday.
54:14
The removal of the ten percent tariff on UK whisky
54:18
would be a major victory for American hospitality businesses that
54:21
are deeply impacted.
54:24
Speaker 2: By international trade.
54:26
Speaker 1: President and CEO Chris Swanga said in a statement still
54:31
a deal with the UK would not on its own
54:34
restore American spirit exporting to pre tariff levels. US spirits
54:39
exports declined nearly four percent last year, according to the Council,
54:45
in large part because trade with Canada and the European
54:49
Union dropped. Exports of American whiskies specifically plummeted nineteen percent
54:56
last year, and considering yesterday oaks in today's Derby, freezing
55:07
air will soon make May feel more like March. See
55:12
where late season freezes could damage or killed sensitive vegetation.
55:17
During the first half of the month of May by
55:20
Ben Noel two weeks ago, it reached ninety degrees in.
55:24
Speaker 2: The nation's capital.
55:26
Speaker 1: This week, the highest temperature was seventy, and during the
55:30
first few days of May it will dip even lower,
55:33
topping out around sixty. Despite the calendar reaching deeper into spring,
55:39
which typically coincides with warmer conditions, the weather will be
55:44
going in the opposite direction. During the first half of May.
55:48
Air from Canada will chill the eastern two thirds of
55:51
the United States, at times transported into the US by
55:55
a particularly wavy jet stream pattern, causing late season five
56:00
freezes that could damage or kill sensitive vegetation following an
56:04
unusually early spring bloom. Frost could kill sensitive outdoor vegetation
56:10
if left unprotected, wrote the National Weather Service in Buffalo.
56:16
The office in Twin Cities, Minnesota added that these conditions
56:20
could also possibly damage unprotected at door plumbing. This cold
56:26
interlude also follows the warmest March on record for the
56:30
contiguous US, which was also the most amnomously warm month
56:37
on record.
56:38
Speaker 2: Overall.
56:39
Speaker 1: According to the temperature data analyzed by The Washington Post,
56:43
this April was the third warmest on record for the country.
56:47
The data also shows one way but unseasonably cold air
56:53
will cause freezes across the Midwest, parts of the Plains,
56:57
Rockies and interior, Northeast and New England on Saturday morning,
57:02
that's today. That chill will expand to the Appalachians on
57:06
Sunday morning, affecting about seventeen million people into early next week.
57:13
After a brief warm up or even stronger shot of
57:17
chilly air later next week into next weekend will affect
57:21
many of the same places. The second cold pulse could
57:26
bring widespread feezing temperatures to many northern states, as well
57:31
as the potential for scattered wet snow made harsher by
57:35
blustery winds. For some places it will feel more like March.
57:40
While this cold is hitting the East, rounds of record
57:44
warmth are possible in the Northwest, with Portland, Oregon, forecast
57:49
to reach eighty seven degrees on Sunday. That warmth will
57:53
also extend into British Columbia and Alberta in Canada. The
57:58
second half of May doesn't look as cold as the
58:02
first half in the East, but an abrupt spring to
58:06
summer like warmth looks unlikely. And with that I finished
58:12
today's reading of The Washington Post for Saturday, the second
58:15
of May of twenty twenty six. If you are listening
58:19
to the Derby, I hope it goes the way you
58:22
want it to. I watched The Cold Oaks last night.
58:27
Speaker 2: I didn't win.
58:28
Speaker 1: Have a good weekend, get outside if you can, enjoy
58:34
the rest of it, and stay tuned to Radio Y bye.