Top News Stories for Today – Feb 11, 2019
Top News Stories for Today – Feb 11, 2019
Trump holds wildcard in border security battle
President Donald Trump’s planned trip Monday to the border city of El Paso, Texas comes days before US government funding is due to lapse once again and as suspense builds over Trump’s vague but persistent threat to declare a national emergency if Congress declines to pay for wall construction along the US-Mexico border.
“The president really does believe that there is a national security crisis and a humanitarian crisis at the border, and he will do something about it,” White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney said Sunday on NBC’s Meet the Press program. “He’s going to do whatever he legally can to secure that border.” Democrats insist there is still time for a politically divided Congress to forge and pass a spending bill that strengthens America’s southern border. VOA
US: Significant progress against IS in Syria
Acting US Defense chief Pat Shanahan said Monday the Islamic State group remains a “global presence,” as US-backed fighters work to clear the last enclave the militants hold in eastern Syria. Shanahan told reporters traveling with him on a trip to Afghanistan that when it comes to the degree of Islamic State’s capabilities, that varies from “residual pockets to sleeper cells.”
Last week, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo sought to reassure allies the United States would not abandon efforts to destroy Islamic State when it withdraw its troops from Syria. Shanahan said Monday he plans to discuss the situation this week with NATO allies, including support and security operations that he says are important when shifting away from a significant military operation. VOA
New US shutdown looms as talks stall
US congressional talks over a border security deal have stalled raising the chances of another government shutdown. Negotiators were hoping for a deal by Monday to give Congress time to pass legislation by Friday, when the federal funding agreement runs out. They remain divided on how many undocumented immigrants can be detained and funding for President Trump’s promised border wall with Mexico.
The previous shutdown, lasting 35 days, was the longest in US history. Hundreds of thousands of workers were furloughed while others in essential services, such as hospital care, air traffic control and law enforcement, worked without pay. The cost to the US economy was estimated at $11bn (£8.5bn). BBC
Klobuchar announces presidential bid
US Senator Amy Klobuchar entered the 2020 presidential race on Sunday, becoming the first moderate in an increasingly crowded field of Democrats vying to challenge Republican President Donald Trump. Klobuchar becomes the fifth US senator to announce her candidacy, and the fourth woman in the chamber.
Klobuchar, 58, now in her third six-year term as a senator for Minnesota, will seek to position herself as a contrast to Trump, who is expected to be the Republican candidate in the November 2020 election, focusing on both policy differences but also style and tact. Reuters
Grammys award 2019
Kacey Musgraves’ Golden Hour took home Album of the Year Sunday night during the 61st annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles. Musgraves also won the awards for Best Country Solo Performance (“Butterflies”) and Best Country Song (“Space Cowboy”). Other winners include Childish Gambino, who won Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best Rap/Sung Performance for “This is America,” and Cardi B, who won Best Rap Album for Invasion of Privacy. She is the first solo female performer to win in that category.
Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper won Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for “Shallow” from A Star is Born; Ariana Grande won Best Pop Vocal Album for Sweetener; and Brandi Carlile took home multiple awards: Best Americana Album for By The Way, I Forgive You and Best American Roots Song and Best American Roots Performance for “The Joke.” The Hollywood Reporter via The Week