Debate is underway on the $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure package. The Senate voted to advance it Wednesday night after President Joe Biden and a bipartisan group of senators agreed on major parts of the package. Seventeen Republican senators joined Democrats in voting to launch the debate. The lead Republican negotiator says it’s an important first step, even though there are challenges ahead. But it’s unclear if the 57-page bill will get enough senators backing it to pass. The final deal could run into trouble if it isn’t fully paid for when the Congressional Budget Office looks at the details.
Republicans around the country are pushing back against a new wave of virus mandates and lockdowns. The conflict set off a war of words between House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy. Pelosi accused Republicans of going against science on vaccines and mask-wearing. McCarthy says the new mask rules for the House don’t match CDC guidance, and they aren’t about science. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is also pushing back against mandates. He says governments shouldn’t take away the freedom of Americans to make decisions for themselves, calling it “a Faucian dystopia.”
New details emerge about a ransomware attack tied to a Russia-based criminal syndicate. It affected roughly two dozen Texas communities two years ago. This comes as Biden says ransomware attacks are causing more damage in the real world now and their threat is growing. He says Russia is a serious cyber security threat to the United States, partly because they have a weak economy.
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