Biden to pitch $1.8 trillion family plan – National & International News – WED 28Apr2021

Biden to pitch $1.8 trillion family plan. FBI probes Andrew Brown killing. India COVID crisis grows. China intensifies surveillance.

NATIONAL NEWS

Biden to pitch $1.8 trillion family plan

In his first joint address to Congress, President Biden will promote another ambitious spending plan aside from his $2.3 trillion infrastructure plan. Biden will pitch an investment of $1.8 trillion in children, families and education. Among other things, the plan would expand childcare,  make a 2-year community college education tuition-free, extend benefits for families with children, and establish universal preschool. The plan would also give $250 monthly to parents.

The plan allocates $300 billion for education, $225 billion for a national childcare program, and $225 billion subsidy for paid family leave. Worldwide, the US is the only wealthy nation with no federal policy for paid maternity leave, and one of a minority of wealthier countries with no provision for paid paternity leave. The White House says that by expanding these protections, the US can increase labor force participation and strengthen its economic base.

The administration says it would pay for the plan by rolling back Trump tax cuts, raising capital gains taxes for wealthy Americans and closing tax loopholes for the wealthy.

Biden’s plan addresses the inequalities of the US economic system that deepened during the pandemic. Other major drains on Americans’ finances in the form of healthcare and prescription drug costs have not yet been addressed. The US is also alone among the world’s wealthy countries in not offering universal health coverage. White House officials do say a plan regarding drug costs and Medicare eligibility is in the pipeline.

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FBI to probe Andrew Brown killing

The FBI has announced a civil rights investigation into the killing of Andrew Brown last week by sheriff’s deputies in North Carolina. The deputies in Pasquotank County opened fire on Brown in a residential area, shooting out the back window of his car and killing him as he attempted to flee. Brown’s family, who has seen a 20-second clip from one bodycam, says that even after the shooting started, Brown still had his hands on the steering wheel and was attempting to comply with instructions. He then attempted to drive away, apparently in fear for his life, before he was fatally shot and crashed into a tree. 

Brown’s family and other local community leaders applauded news of the FBI investigation. Local clergy were especially supportive of the federal probe, having expressed little confidence in local and state authorities to handle the investigation and deliver justice in the case. 

News of the FBI probe comes after Brown’s family released the results of an independent autopsy of Brown. The independent autopsy by Dr. Brent Hall shows that Brown suffered five gunshots, including one “kill shot” to the back of his head. The county’s medical examiner, a paramedic services instructor, has released a death certificate, but not a full autopsy report.

A hearing today should decide whether bodycam footage of the incident will be released to the public. Based on previous cases, even if the judge approves release, it could be weeks before the footage is made public.

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INTERNATIONAL NEWS

India records 200,000 COVID deaths as international aid arrives

India has just crossed a threshold of 200,000 COVID deaths since the outbreak of the pandemic. Experts say the true number of deaths is likely much higher. In India, deaths in rural areas are generally poorly reported and recorded. New COVID infections have remained above 300,000 for the 6th straight day.

Reports of round-the-clock cremations, oxygen and equipment shortages in hospitals have made news in recent weeks. In response, the US and UK have dispatched aid in the form of oxygen refiners and other equipment. 

The WHO says that the surge in cases in India are the result of a “perfect storm” of unchecked mass religious gatherings, emerging variants, and low vaccination rates. In recent weeks, India’s Hindu fundamentalist government has allowed unrestricted mass gatherings for religious festivals, which routinely draw millions of adherents from across the country. The emergence of a more contagious “double mutant” strain has also increased the spread. 

India is a global hub for vaccine production. Despite this, the country’s vaccination program lags well behind other populous countries. The US is apparently considering a proposed intellectual property waiver that would allow accelerated vaccine production worldwide.

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China orders companies to increase monitoring of foreigners

The Chinese Communist Party is drafting greater private and public assets to expand its surveillance capabilities. China’s ministry of state security has ordered that private companies, public entities and social groups must step-up their monitoring of foreigners as part of an expanding counterespionage campaign. The ministry will provide these newly-responsible organizations with “guidance, supervision and inspection”. This will include more stringent vetting, training, monitoring and debriefing for staff trips overseas.

The surveillance expansion targets those working in tech, diplomacy, defense and finance-related fields. But the CCP is also creating a climate of increased vigilance among private citizens. The state has launched a propaganda campaign urging everyday people to report any questionable or subversive statements or activity among their personal and business contacts.

The decision comes amid growing tensions with the US and other Western powers. However, China has been increasing detentions of foreign nationals for “national security violations” in the country for some time.

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