Manchin bucks Biden on infrastructure – National & International News – MON 26Apr2021

Manchin bucks Biden on infrastructure. Andrew Brown’s family to see bodycam video. Russia shuts down Navalny group. Indonesian sub in pieces.

NATIONAL NEWS

Manchin proposes scaled down infrastructure bill

Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) has positioned himself as the deciding vote in the evenly divided Senate. Manchin considers himself a centrist and frequently sides with Republican priorities, such as preserving the 60-vote filibuster. His refusal to pass President Biden’s $2.3 trillion infrastructure proposal with a simple majority through reconciliation puts Manchin in a position to shape any resulting legislation. 

Speaking to CNN, Manchin said that he favors a “more targeted” infrastructure bill. In other words, he’s proposing a much-scaled-down version, closer to the Republican’s counter proposal, which has less than 1/3 the cost of Biden’s plan. Despite this, Manchin does not consider himself a “roadblock” for Biden’s agenda. Biden’s infrastructure proposal includes spending for both traditional infrastructure (energy, communications, transport) and human infrastructure (housing, health services and social supports). Manchin did not go into detail as to which parts of Biden’s proposal he supports and which he rejects, but says he favors a focus on “traditional” infrastructure. Recently, Manchin acknowledged a need for building human infrastructure, but his latest comments seem to indicate that he would prefer to tackle that in separate legislation.

The White House has not yet commented on Manchin’s statements. However, Biden has signaled that he is open to compromise with Republicans on aspects of the bill. Dissenters within Biden’s own party in the Senate, including Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ), are sure to form a substantial stumbling block for his ambitious infrastructure plan.

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Bodycam footage awaited in police shooting of black man in NC

Just days after the verdict in the Floyd case, sheriff’s deputies in Elizabeth City, NC, opened fire on a black man fleeing arrest, killing him. Police were attempting to serve an arrest and arrest warrant on Andrew Brown, 42, in connection with cocaine distribution. The community has since bene on edge, awaiting clarification from the on the circumstances of the shooting from the sheriff’s office. The department has placed 7 deputies involved in the incident on leave.

Witnesses to the shooting say that deputies shot Brown in the back as he fled the scene in his car. A car removed from the scene had multiple bullet holes and a shattered back window. Locals and activists have questioned the necessity of shooting Brown, who was fleeing the scene and was found to be unarmed. Press agencies and local government officials have petitioned for the release of bodycam footage from the incident. Under North Carolina law, a judge must approve the general release of the footage, which could take days more. Brown’s family will have a special viewing of the footage this week, but the general public will have to wait longer.

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INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Russia shuts down Navalny’s support network

Last week, thousands took to the streets across Russia to protest the prison treatment of opposition leader Alexei Navalny. Navalny is serving a 2-and-a-half-year sentence in one of Russia’s harshest prisons, and is suffering numerous health issues. The Kremin critic recently began a hunger strike to demand proper medical care. He was recently transferred to a sick ward at a nearby prison amid rumors of a tuberculosis outbreak at his facility. Navalny ended the hunger strike last week after private physicians expressed concerns about his health.

During the protests, authorities arrested at least 1800 protesters as well as several of Navalny’s key aides. A Russian prosecutor has now ordered Navalny’s Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK), to cease all activities across Russia, pending a declaration of the group as “extremist”. This declaration will give the Kremlin the authority to jail the group’s supporters and freeze their bank accounts.

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Indonesian sub found broken into pieces

The Indonesian submarine whose disappearance sparked an international rescue effort has been found. Indonesian military representatives say the sub had broken into at least three pieces before coming to rest on the sea floor. Over the weekend, searchers had begun recovering debris, including prayer mats and pieces of equipment, that suggested the submarine had suffered a lethal breach. On Saturday, a sonar scan found the sub at 2,790 feet below the ocean’s surface, well below the sub’s safe diving ranged. According to a team that completed a 2012 refit of the 44-year-old sub, the weight of the water surrounding the sub would could cause it to collapse once it sank below 656 feet.

In terms of loss of life, this is one of the worst submarine disasters in history. The sub carried a crew of 53 people, whose families have now been notified of their demise.

The cause of the accident has not been determined. The Indonesian government has said the crew was not responsible and blamed the accident on “forces of nature”. Indonesia’s navy will now begin a recovery effort with international assistance.

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