Author: WTX News

Under the Constitution, the vice president serves as the president of the Senate and presides over the Senate’s daily proceedings. President of the Senate  As the President of the Senate the VP has the responsibility to manage and maintain the relationship between the Senate and The United States President. It is paramount that he /she are able to garner bipartisan rapport, without which the position will become untenable. Over the course of the nation’s history, the vice president’s influence evolved but principally today the VP has the responsibility to advise the President. President pro tempore The Constitution instructs the Senate…

The Democratic Party in the United States of America The Democratic Party is one of two major political parties in the United States. The party was founded in 1828.  The Democratic Party’s philosophy of modern liberalism blends notions of civil liberty and social equality with support for a mixed capitalist economy. Since the 2010s the Democrats have shifted significantly to the left on social issues. Democratic Party beliefs Democratic Party color The Democratic Party color is blue.

The Republican Party in the United States of America The Republican Party is one of two major political parties in the United States. The party was founded in 1854.  The Republican party is often referred to as the GOP (Grand Old Party). The Republican Party’s dominant ideology has been conservatism since the 1980s. There have been more Republican presidents than Democratic. Republican party beliefs: A handful of key beliefs from the Republican base. Republican Party color The Republican Party’s color is red.

What is the Minority Leader? The Minority Leader is the leader of the political party that has the least members in the U.S. Senate or House of Representatives — compared to the majority leader. The upper and lower house both have a similar structure to – leadership of the parties in both houses is designated to minority and majority leader. A minority leader is elected for each chamber by the respective party caucuses. The caucus being the party with the second most members. What does the minority leader do? The minority leader: develops the minority position; negotiates with the majority…

Who is the Majority Leader The Majority Leader is the leader of the political party that has the most members in the U.S. Senate or House of Representatives — compare minority leader. What does the Majority leader do? The Majority Leader schedules legislation to be considered on the House floor; organizes daily, weekly, and yearly legislative plans; consults with Members to understand how party members feel about issues; and works to advance the goals of the party. Leadership and negotiation on a party level and on bipartisan issues is key to a successful leaders position. If he/she cannot work the…

The Independent – World still on course for 1.5C target, insists Sunak Summary of the front page The Independent says as he left for Egypt, for one night only, Mr Sunak argued it is still possible to “limit global temperature rises to 1.5 degrees”, the point above which runaway climate change will be unstoppable. But the UK was among 165 countries criticised for failing to beef-up promises to cut greenhouse gas emissions, as leaders agreed to do at Cop26 in Glasgow a year ago. Mr Sunak will pledge small amounts of cash to help protect rainforests and boost green energy…

The Guardian – UK and US failing to pay fair share of $100bn climate fund Summary of the front page The US, UK, Canada and Australia have fallen billions of dollars short of their “fair share” of climate funding for developing countries, The Guardian reports. Rich countries pledged to provide US$100bn a year by 2020, although this target has been missed. The US share of this, based on its past emissions, would be $40bn yet it provided only $7.6bn in 2020, the latest year for which data is available. Australia and Canada gave only about a third of the funding indicated…

Metro – Bonfire night of Mayhem Summary of the front page A 17-year-old boy died in a “bonfire night of mayhem” amid running battles between police and teenagers in towns and cities across Britain, according to Metro. The newspaper reports disturbances involving youths setting off fireworks in several towns and cities. Masked yobs attacked pedestrians and motorists in Sheffield where a car was set alight, while police in riot gear used their shields to ward off a barrage of fireworks in Leeds, the paper says. The front page also features an image of pop star Billie Eilish and her partner on…

The Sun – Rishi raps celeb Hancock Summary of the front page Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has said he is “very disappointed” that Matt Hancock, the former health secretary and MP for West Suffolk, is appearing on I’m A Celebrity, according to The Sun The PM said he risked losing constituents’ trust by leaving them for the show, which started in Oz last night. Mr Sunak said: “I was very disappointed.” MPs should be “working hard for their constituents”, he added. The front page features a picture of the PM and Matt Hancock and leaves room for Arsenal’s victory over…

Daily Express – Keeping triple lock is matter of Tory principle Summary of the front page Rishi Sunak is being urged by senior Tories to stick to the triple lock pensions pledge, writes the Daily Express. Grant Shapps has admitted he is in the dark over Rishi Sunak and Jeremy Hunt’s plans for the state pension triple lock. The Business Secretary today insisted he was not being “tricksy” but said he did not know “what we’ll say on that area” ahead of the autumn budget next week. The front page also reports on the floods heading to Britain this winter. …

Daily Mirror – Pic of Aussie OAP exact match for Lucan Summary of the front page A facial recognition expert has told the Daily Mirror an elderly man living in Australia is a definite match for Lord Lucan who vanished nearly 50 years ago. In recent years the British pensioner identified as Lord Lucan has moved from house to house in Australia. He has been looked after by members of a Buddhist community and two young Englishmen have been acting as his carers. The front page also features a picture of Mike Tindall – as it looks ahead at this…

Today’s news summary – Paper Talk Monday’s front pages report on developments at the COP27 climate summit in Egypt and the possibility of a massive nurses’ strike in the UK. Politics and entertainment also make several front pages – particularly the appearance of Matt Hancock in the ITV show I’m A Celebrity. Floods and the upcoming US midterm elections also find themselves in today’s top news stories. COP27 climate summit Britain has opened the door to climate reparations with UK negotiators backing a late agreement to discuss “loss and damage” payments for countries affected by climate-related disasters, according to the…

They couldn’t do it, could they?

Train passengers told to check before travelling on Monday – expect severe disruption despite strikes being called off If you’re travelling on the trains today – you best check before you set off, as the majority of rail operators are running a reduced service. Only a handful of train companies are running their usual schedules, despite strikes being called off on Friday. The planned strikes for 5,7 and 9 November – over pay and conditions – were called off but there is now a lack of drivers available. Some services on Wednesday are also likely to be disrupted. Rosters for…

Activist starts water strike to coincide with Cop27 Alaa Abdel Fattah – a jailed British-Egyptian activist has stopped drinking water as part of his hunger strike to coincide with the Cop27 summit, his sister said. The 40-year-old has consumed just 100 calories a day for more than 200 days to push Egpyt to allow him UK consular access. PM Rishi Sunak has said he will raise the issue at the COP summit which is opened in Sharm el-Sheikh in Egypt on Sunday. Abdel Fattah is serving a five year sentence for spreading false news. He was a key activist in…

Italy stops male migrants from disembarking rescue ships The Italian government has come under heavy criticism after it emerged that 250 people were prevented from disembarking two migrant rescue ships. There are 215 blocked on the Geo Barents and 35 on Humanity 1. Children and people with medical issues were allowed to leave the ships in Catania, Sicily, but others were not.  Italy PM crackdown on migrants The newly elected prime minister of Italy has vowed a crackdown on migrants travelling across the Mediterranean. Italy is one of the main entry points into Europe and since the start of the…

Kyiv Mayor Klitschko warns of evacuations if power lost in city Kyiv’s mayor Vitaliy Klitschko has warned citizens they should prepare to leave the city if there is a total loss of power.  In recent weeks, millions of Ukrainians have intermittently been left without electricity and water as Russian air strikes target vital infrastructure. Rolling power cuts are also in place to avoid overloads.  Roughly 40% of Ukraine’s energy system has been destroyed or damaged by Russian attacks. President Volodymyr Zelensky has warned that Russia could be “concentrating forces and means for a possible repetition of mass attacks on our…

Backstreet Boys star leads tributes to Aaron Carter Nick Carter, best known for being a Backstreet Boys singer, has led tributes to his younger brother and fellow entertainer Aaron Carter. Nick, 42 posted on Instagram saying the pair had a “complicated relationship” but his love had “never faded” for Aaron, who died on Saturday at the age of 34. Nick’s band dedicated a song to the younger Carter during a concert in London on Sunday. Aaron was found dead at his home in California. No cause of death has been established yet, although US media reports say he drowned in…

US midterms: Biden and Trump last-minute pleas ahead of election US president Joe Biden and former US president Donald Trump held rallies on Sunday to try to shore up support ahead of Tuesday’s big vote.  President Biden and Donald Trump make their last-minute pleas to voters in New York and Florida respectively.  Tuesday’s midterm election vote is important. If Republicans take control of either chamber of Congress, or even both – it will make the final two years of Democrat Joe Biden’s presidency difficult.  Republicans have been picking up momentum recently as many voters suggest they are concerned about the…

Ahead of the conference, the PM said the issue of small boats crossing the Channel was his ‘key priority’. Ahead of the conference, the PM said the issue of small boats crossing the Channel was his ‘key priority’.

More than 30 Ships carrying gas – liquefied natural gas (LNG) – are circling around Europe’s shoreline, as traders are holding out for higher market prices. Ships carrying $2 billion in natural gas are waiting off Europe’s coast for prices to rise so they can cash in on extra profits by extorting consumers in winter. The EU investment fund had invested in Gas and oil companies at the start of the covid pandemic. UK’s largest oil and gas producer warns against tougher windfall tax Milder-than-usual temperatures, reduced gas consumption and Europe’s storage sites rapidly filling up ahead of winter have all…

Donald Trump ‘urged’ not to declare early White House bid as ex-POTUS ‘itching’ for 2024. Former Donald Trump pollster Kellyanne Conway welcomed the ex-POTUS’ decision to reportedly delay his announcement. Donald Trump was talked out of announcing his intention to run in 2024 during a recent rally in Pennsylvania, reports have claimed. Mr Trump joined TV doctor-turned-Republican Senate candidate, Dr Mehmet Oz, in the Keystone State ahead of the US Midterm Elections on November 8. The 45th President was set to use the appearance to confirm his candidacy for the Grand Old Party’s nomination. Declare early White House bid However,…

US midterms 2022 – What is the House of Representatives? And how is it different from the Senate? The House is one of Congress’s two chambers (the other is the U.S. Senate) and part of the federal government’s legislative branch.  The U.S. House of Representatives makes and passes federal laws. The House of Representatives is made up of 435 members and is similar to UK MPs. The members of the House of Representatives represent their local population in Congress and are the person you should contract if you have a problem with how the country is being run. They are referred…

What is the Senate? And how is it different from the House of Representatives? The U.S Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber.  Whilst members of the House of Representatives represent individual districts, Senators represent entire states. There is a total of 100 senators – 2 Senators for every state.  Senators are re-elected every six years – meaning around a third of them are elected at each midterm and election. Senators must be 30 years of age, U.S. citizens for at least nine years, and residents of the…

US elections: Why are the US midterms so important? The Democrats will want to hold onto their majority in both the House and Senate – it’s helpful for any sitting president to have the majority as it’s easier for the president to pass the laws they want. If the Democrats lose the majority, it could make the last two years of Joe Biden’s presidency very difficult. There’s no guarantee the Democrats will hold that power by very thin margins. Polls suggest the Republicans could take the House and the Democrats could hold on to the Senate. The House is made…