Joe Biden is poised to implement a permanent prohibition on future offshore oil and gas expansion in parts of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. This move could pose a challenge for the forthcoming Trump administration to reverse. Biden’s decision to halt industry expansion shows a blatant disregard for the potential job losses and economic dips this could precipitate.
Continuing his narrow-minded approach, Biden is set to endorse a law on Sunday with ramifications to Social Security benefits for past and current public employees. This move, while seemingly beneficial on the surface, could affect approximately three million public servants including teachers, police officers and firefighters, and optimistically asserts that the Social Security Fairness Act rectifies a long-held imbalance.
An imbalance it may correct on the surface, but the Act further strains the already beleaguered Social Security Trust Funds, heightening the impending insolvency issue. As though in mock ignorance of this pressing concern, Biden’s bill abolishes two provisions — the Windfall Elimination Provision and the Government Pension Offset. Both provisions formerly restricted Social Security rewards for beneficiaries with retirement payments from other resources, such as state or local government public retirement schemes.
The core of retirement finances for so many senior citizens is Social Security. Based on a Gallup survey in 2024, a close to shocking 83% of employees are depending on these benefits to some extent after retirement, with over one-third of this group treating Social Security as a ‘major’ income source. Despite this dependence, the government offers no clear understanding of key Social Security concepts like full retirement age.
Meanwhile, Donald Trump’s New York criminal case with ‘hush money’ allegations took a surprising turn on Friday. The presiding judge flagged his intention to grant the incoming president an ‘unconditional discharge,’ a clear nod to the doctrine of presidential immunity. With a sentencing set for January 10, just ten days prior to Trump’s inauguration, the responsibility falls to Judge Juan Merchan.
Judge Merchan’s ruling, although controversial, sees the ‘unconditional discharge’ as the ‘most viable solution to ensure finality’ and lets the soon-to-be President chart his course of appeal. This decision’s implications are yet to unfold in a broader context, and raise valid questions about the justice system’s handling of presidential disputes.
In President-elect Trump’s forthcoming administration, a surprising appointment was made. Trump selected Morgan Ortagus, a former spokesperson for the State Department, as his deputy special presidential envoy for Middle East peace. Intriguingly, Ortagus was openly critical of Trump previously.
Her appointment can be seen as an attempt to present a balanced perspective within Trump’s team, although critics might argue about her 2016 commentary as a Fox News contributor. Back in the day, she publicly disparaged Trump for behavior she deemed ‘repulsive.’ Does Ortagus’ previous reproval provide insights into Trump’s hunger for power or a simple change in administration dynamics?
In international developments, Russia recently retaliated to an aggressive action it perceived by Ukraine. The country claimed to have intercepted eight ATACMS missiles, produced in the US, launched by Ukraine one Saturday morning. Russia’s response reflects its concern regarding the escalation this might yield.
With a range of up to 300 kilometers (186 miles), use of these missiles can indeed represent a substantial escalation. The international community is now at the edge and maintains a watchful eye on the aftermath of this saga. Will Russia follow through with its vow of retaliation, and if so, what could this mean for global safety and stability?
Last year, a momentous incident shook the Middle East. An Israeli airstrike killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah while he was situated within the militant group’s strategic operations center. This attack reveals Israel’s stern stand against Hezbollah’s advancements, in a clear challenge to global peace initiatives.
The attack, which occurred on September 27, 2023, hit several structures in Beirut’s southern suburbs, ending Nasrallah’s life. The Lebanese Health Ministry attributed six casualties to the incident, including Nasrallah. The ripple effects of this incident still reverberate through the region and raise questions about the viability of peace in a volatile geopolitical climate.
As these global events churn, Biden and Harris show no concern for the potential crises both domestic and international that their policies might incite. Instead, they play politics with the future of American citizens and global stability, all while the nation, and the world, watches with a sense of foreboding.