White House announces $13.5 billion to help with winter heating costs – National & International News – WED 2Nov2022

White House announces $13.5 billion to help with winter heating costs. Pelosi attack: Capitol Police weren’t monitoring cameras that caught break-in. Brazil election: Bolsonaro supporters call for military coup.

NATIONAL NEWS

White House announces $13.5 billion to help with winter heating costs

The Biden administration announced it was making $13.5 billion available to help defray heating costs for low-income households through two separate programs. Firstly, the Department of Health and Human Services is providing $4.5 billion through its Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). Secondly, the Department of Energy is putting up $9 billion in funds from the Inflation Reduction Act to help up to 1.6 million households make energy-saving upgrades to their homes.

The Energy Information Administration forecasts that on average, households that use gas heat will spend 28% more to heat their homes than last year. Those using heating oil will also see a major increase, about 27% more than last year. Households using electric and propane heat can expect an average increase of 10% and 5% respectively.

While $13.5 billion will help a lot of people, the National Energy Assistance Directors Association says US households are already about $16.1 billion behind on their utility bills, with 1 in 6 households in arrears.

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Pelosi attack: Capitol Police weren’t monitoring cameras that caught break-in

Last Friday, when David Depape broke into House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s home before grievously assaulting her husband Paul, a live camera feed to Capitol Police captured the break-in. However, sources say that no one at the Capitol Police nerve center was watching the feed at the time. The first Capitol Police even knew of the break-in was when an officer noticed the lights of an SFPD squad car in front of the house on the camera feed and alerted superiors. Capital Police only saw the footage of the break-in when they rewound the tape. It’s unclear whether someone was supposed to be watching the monitor at the time.

New details about the sequence of events have emerged since the attack. After breaking in just before 2am, Depape went upstairs to find 82-year-old Paul Pelosi asleep. Depape demanded to see Nancy. Paul said Nancy wasn’t home and wouldn’t be for several days. Undeterred, Depape reached into his backpack for zip ties to restrain Paul, saying he would wait for the Speaker’s return. Paul then asked to go to the bathroom before being restrained and Depape allowed it. It was then Paul called 911, leaving the line open so the operator could hear what was going on. SFPD arrived minutes later, finding Paul and Depape struggling over a hammer. Depape wrested the hammer away and struck Paul on the head in front of the officers.

In Depape’s backpack, police found zip ties, tape, rope, and a pair each of rubber and cloth gloves. Depape later told police he’d intended to break Nancy’s knee caps if she didn’t “tell the truth” about the 2020 election. Depape faces both state and federal charges. He’s since pleaded not guilty to the state charges.

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INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Brazil election: Bolsonaro supporters call for military coup

Following the narrow defeat of Brazil’s right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro, Bolsonaro’s supporters have called on the military to intercede to keep him in power. Bolsonaro addressed his supporters yesterday and acknowledged that his supporters felt that the election result was unjust but said he would respect the constitution. However, he didn’t formally concede to or even mention the winner, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Bolsonaro’s chief-of-staff did say he would be leading the transition of power.

Throughout the country, angry Bolsonaro supporter have led demonstrations and protests, calling on the military to prevent the transition. Bolsonaro supporters have also set up hundreds of roadblocks across the country, some of them using big trucks. The police have broken up over 300 roadblocks, but hundreds of others have yet to disperse despite an order from the Supreme Court.

The military has become more powerful under Bolsonaro’s presidency but its leadership has been notably quiet since the first round of elections over a month ago.

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