President Biden and the White House have been vocal in their criticism of Republican senators Mike Lee, Rick Scott, and Ron Johnson over their proposals that could affect retirement and health care programs. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has been particularly vocal in his criticism of Scott's "Rescue America" plan, which proposed that all federal legislation sunsets in 5 years. The Republican senators have responded forcefully, accusing Biden of deceiving the public about where they stand, and the debate between the White House and Republican senators is likely to continue in the coming weeks.
News Mash
Congressman George Santos of New York has been caught in another lie, this time involving United States Senator Kyrsten Sinema. Santos falsely claimed that Sinema had consoled him after a tense exchange with Senator Mitt Romney, but Sinema's office has denied this. Santos has previously been embroiled in controversy for lying about major parts of his life story, and it remains to be seen if he will face any consequences for his false claims.
The Pentagon, at the direction of President Biden, shot down a "high altitude object" over Alaska airspace on Friday. A fighter aircraft was dispatched to carry out the task, and the object fell on ice. The incident comes several days after the Pentagon took down a Chinese spy balloon, and it is unclear if the object was related to it.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) has been met with a lawsuit alleging that the state misled dozens of migrants, but this has not stopped the passing of a bill that expands a program used to fly migrants to Democratic-led cities and states. The bill grants the state authority to move asylum seekers around the country with little oversight, and has been met with criticism from Democrats who argue it is a political stunt. The bill is now awaiting DeSantis' signature, and if signed, will go into effect July 1.
A new study published in Nature Aging has found that people of normal weight may be able to extend their life span by restricting calories. The study found that eating fewer calories appears to slow the pace of aging and increase longevity in healthy adults. The study's main take-home message is that it is possible to slow the pace of biological aging and that it may be beneficial for people of normal weight to restrict their calorie intake.
The U.S. military shot down an unidentified object flying at 40,000 feet in Alaskan airspace and Arctic waters on Friday, at the recommendation of the Pentagon and on the orders of President Joe Biden. The object was shot down and came inside U.S. territorial waters, but no further information has been released. The National Security Council coordinator for strategic communications, John Kirby, did not confirm or deny rumors of a Chinese surveillance balloon.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has agreed to apologize and pay $3.3 million in taxpayer money to four former staffers who accused him of bribery and abuse of office in 2020. The settlement does not resolve the ongoing FBI investigation into the accusations, and Paxton has denied them, calling them politically motivated. The agreement requires Paxton to apologize to the four former staffers and pay their legal fees in addition to the $3.3 million.
Amsterdam is taking steps to improve the quality of life for its residents by banning the use of marijuana on the street and discouraging alcohol in its red light district. The city is introducing a ban on cannabis smoking, increasing police presence, imposing fines for public drinking, and increasing the number of public toilets. The new rules will come into effect from mid-May.