When the far-right activist Tommy Robinson emerged from a London courtroom this week after a judge cleared him of a terrorism charge, he gave thanks to the man he said had bankrolled his defense. Elon Musk, I'm forever grateful. If you didn't step in and fund my legal fight I'd probably be in jail, Robinson said. Thank you, Elon.
The federal government has been shut down since Oct. 1, after the Senate could not agree on a bill to keep the government funded beyond September. While the GOP controls the chamber 53-47, 60 votes are necessary to invoke cloture to break filibusters and advance legislation. In exchange for the requisite votes, Democrats are demanding that Republicans agree to extend healthcare premium subsidies under the Affordable Care Act, which are set to expire at the end of the year. Republicans have refused.
The agency, which handles employment authorization renewals, said its current processing time is four months in 80% of cases. But immigration experts said the agency will likely take longer than that in certain cases. And because visa holders can only apply for work permits a maximum of six months in advance, some H-4 holders may not get their permits re-approved before they expire. Foreign workers must immediately stop working if their employment authorizations lapse.
The U.S. economy seems immune to the turbulence created by Donald Trump. The first year of his second term in the White House has been fraught with upheaval due to his eagerness to impose a headlong agenda with a marked protectionist approach. Businesses are now inoculated against the vertigo and the uncertainty surrounding the Republican president. Since winning the election against Democrat Kamala Harris exactly one year ago, he has changed the world trade order in one fell swoop;
During a Friday appearance on CNN, former Senator Jeff Flake (R-AZ) deemed President Donald Trump completely out of touch with how Americans feel about the economy, adding that prices really aren't down everywhere, and people know that. Speaking to CNN's Erin Burnett, Flake referenced his recent op-ed in The Washington Post, in which he argued we're starting to see a great GOP migration away from Trump, promising it will only accelerate as we get closer to the midterms.
The Energy Department has named Dawn Zimmer as its newest permanent chief information officer - the third such official to serve in the role since the start of the Trump administration. Zimmer was brought on as Energy's principal deputy CIO last November, and first served as the acting CIO during the presidential transition. She has subsequently served as Energy's acting CIO in between a carousel of permanent - albeit short-lived - officials under Trump 2.0.
Today in history: On Nov. 8, 2000, a statewide recount began in Florida, which emerged as critical in deciding the winner of the 2000 presidential election between Republican George W. Bush and Democratic Vice President Al Gore. The recount would officially end on Dec. 12 upon orders from the U.S. Supreme Court, delivering Florida's electoral votes and the presidency to Bush. Also on this date: In 1864, President Abraham Lincoln won reelection as he defeated Democratic challenger George B. McClellan.
