The Daily Dose
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Friday, December 13, 2019
Developing late Thursday: "House Panel Delays Vote on Impeachment Articles" – NYT
The Opening Bell 🔔
1. Team Brexit wins again
The Primary: Here comes Brexit – for REAL this time. The Conservatives (the get Brexit done party) led by Prime Minister Boris Johnson appeared on path to win a decisive majority in British Parliament over the Labour Party (the delay/rethink Brexit party).
By the numbers: Late Thursday, the Conservatives were projected to win 368 seats in the House of Commons, versus 191 for the Labour Party, according to an exit poll referenced by multiple outlets.
State of play: ⤵️
- Consequences: Elections have consequences. Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn announced late Thursday he will step down.
- Echoes of 2016: Sound familiar, America? This sounds like the 2016 election. 'The Conservative Party was projected to win dozens of Labour seats in the industrial north and Midlands, shattering the so-called red wall that has undergirded the Labour Party for generations," reports the NY Times.
- The Baseline: Expect Brexit by the end of January. Yes, the official Brexit. Johnson told voters that if his party won a majority, he would get Parliament to approve his deal by the January 31st deadline.
The Notables
Quote of the Day
The Primary: The Supreme Court of Facebook! Sounds dramatic, right? Facebook is committing $130 million towards a new independent board that will review how the company manages content.
- "They’re putting their money where their mouth is," said Kate Klonick, an assistant law professor at St. John’s University to the WSJ. “It’s a lot of money, it’s a long time, and it can’t disappear."
- Zoom out: Facebook has come under fire in recent years for how it manages misinformation and hate speech.
Pic (Tweet) of the Day
The Primary: The DNC announced the dates and hosts of the next four presidential debates Thursday.
- Changing times: It will be the first time Apple News and Twitter will co-host a debate.
Off the Beaten Path
The Primary: The NYT's lede said it best: "Two things have long obsessed President Trump: Time’s person of the year and the 16-year-old climate activist Greta Thunberg."
- One day after teen climate activist Greta Thunberg was named TIME's Person of the Year, President Trump lashed out at her on Twitter. Then Greta fired back. ⤵️
The Round Up🤠
2. Can you see pollution?
The Primary: Seeing is believing. Reporters for the New York Times traveled to a DCP Pegasus gas processing plant in West Texas and, using a special camera, were able to see methane pollution billowing out of the plant.
- Zoom out: Methane, according to the NYT, is the "main component of natural gas and a potent greenhouse gas that is helping to warm the planet at an alarming rate."
- The Baseline: "Immense amounts of methane are escaping from oil and gas sites nationwide, worsening global warming, even as the Trump administration weakens restrictions on offenders," reports the Times. ⤵️
3. What’s heating up on the Hill
The Primary: Lots of action from Congress today! Three major bills were debated and passed. Newsreel will break it down for you.
Armenian Genocide Bill: After three previous failed attempts, the Senate finally passed a bill that formally recognized Turkey’s genocide of the Armenian people, back in the early 20th century.
Go deeper: The White House is nervous about this bill, reports Axios, because of rising tensions with Turkey. Trump and Turkish President Erdogan have a tense relationship, and Trump doesn’t want to “infuriate him” even more.
Prescription Drug Bill: A Nancy Pelosi brainchild, this bill passed in the House allows the federal government to “negotiate prices on specific drugs on behalf of Medicare for all.”
Go deeper: “Practically everyone is frustrated by high prescription drug prices,” wrote NPR. This bill attempts to ameliorate that burden – but is not likely to get through either Senate or President Trump. A good try, though!
Federal Spending: Top Democrats and Republicans agreed on $1.37 trillion in federal spending for the upcoming fiscal year, effectively averting another shutdown.
Go Deeper: Everyone negotiating this funding bill is still haunted by last winter’s 35-day government shutdown, and they will do anything to avoid a repeat.
What’s in this spending bill?: Lots of talk about border funding. The New York Times wrote that the current version of the bill contains “$1.375 billion for border barrier construction.”
The Encore
"One sign that Trump is worried about impeachment? His avalanche of tweets." reports the Washington Post. ⤵️
- Worth noting...
We'll see you tomorrow!
