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5 votes
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In Tunisia, some wonder if the revolution was worth it: Tunisians are putting their hard-won right to criticize the government to good use. They just wish there was less to protest.
10 votes -
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo declares China's treatment of Uighurs 'genocide'
15 votes -
Partner of Norway's former justice minister has been found guilty of threatening democracy – she faked attacks on her family home and the torching of her car
10 votes -
Andrew Yang is running for Mayor of New York City
26 votes -
Denmark will hold its first political trial in three decades after the country's ruling party supported a vote to impeach ex-immigration minister Inger Støjberg
6 votes -
Leading politicians in Finland have expressed outrage after former prime minister Juha Sipilä was assaulted outside the country's Parliament building
9 votes -
In Georgia Runoff Elections, (D) Warnock wins vs (R) Loeffler, (D) Ossof very likely wins vs (R) Purdue
Text post because the big news companies are cowards playing it safe and not calling Ossof yet, though it's basically over Warnock makes history with Senate win as Dems near majority (AP News) My...
Text post because the big news companies are
cowardsplaying it safe and not calling Ossof yet, though it's basically overWarnock makes history with Senate win as Dems near majority (AP News)
My takes below:
What does this mean?
This gives Democrats a thin majority in the senate. Does it mean they have free reign? No, the party is not that unified. In particular, as you probably have heard his name many many times now, Manchin, the "conservative Democrat" from WV is likely to be the kingmaker in votes. So it's not like just anything can get passed, and Manchin will not eliminate the filibuster easily.
So is it pointless?
ABSOLUTELY NOT
It's a huge victory nonetheless for Democrats. Remember, with control of the Senate, Chuck Schumer will be Senate Majority Leader, who controls what legislation the senate votes on. Even bipartisan bills were consistently torpedoed by McConnell who would refuse to even have a vote on it. Now, there is politics that can be done - deals, compromise, whatever. If you can't vote on something, nothing can be done. Things that are overall popular like increased stimulus are also going to pass.
Additionally, perhaps an even bigger deal, Biden can get his nominations through for cabinet and judges. There's an insane amount of unfilled heads of state departments right now, and the rest are filled with people absolutely unfit for the job. Having a real human being be the head of the EPA, or Department of Education, or the Department of Energy, and so forth is a big deal.
It also means that Justice Breyer can safely retire and have another "liberal" Justice take his place.
It's not sweeping control over the government, but it's a immensely superior political situation to McConnell stone walling anything he doesn't want, and Biden having to haggle with McConnell over how incompetent his cabinet needs to be.
48 votes -
Pennsylvania Republicans block seating of Democratic state senator, take control from lieutenant governor
20 votes -
Andrew Yang files paperwork to run for New York City mayor
26 votes -
Dianne Feinstein’s missteps raise a painful age question among US Senate Democrats
15 votes -
Belgium has expelled five Danish far-right activists and banned them for a year over their plans to burn a Quran in a mainly-Muslim area of Brussels
10 votes -
Violence erupts in Malmö after anti-Muslim activity – right-wing extremists had burned a copy of the Quran and a Danish politician was barred from entering the country
9 votes -
Boris Johnson's new Brexit trade advisor is former Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott
10 votes -
US congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's response to colleague who called her a misogynistic slur
42 votes -
KnowYourVote - An aggregated source for info about US candidates
4 votes -
Sen. Hawley introduces bill to fine American companies relying on Chinese slave labor
17 votes -
The second defeat of Bernie Sanders
16 votes -
The time Bernie Sanders almost ran against Barack Obama, explained
5 votes -
Amy McGrath wins close Kentucky Senate primary
11 votes -
Rasmus Paludan, head of Denmark's far-right Stram Kurs party, has been given a month in jail for a string of offences including racism
7 votes -
Joe Biden asks Amy Klobuchar to undergo vetting as possible running mate
9 votes -
Twitter’s Jack Dorsey is giving Andrew Yang $5 million to build the case for a US universal basic income
13 votes -
Bernie Sanders says another US presidential run is 'very, very unlikely'
10 votes -
The UK Labour party has a new leader: Keir Starmer
12 votes -
Why Mitch Mcconnell wants US states to go bankrupt
15 votes -
Brazilian superminister Sérgio Moro resigns after Jair Bolsonaro fires federal police chief Maurício Valeixo
6 votes -
Bernie Sanders endorses Joe Biden
39 votes -
Elizabeth Warren has a plan for this, too
8 votes -
White House, US Senate agree to $2 trillion coronavirus rescue package
25 votes -
Time’s Up said it could not fund a #metoo allegation against Joe Biden
12 votes -
What if Andrew Yang was right? Mitt Romney has joined the chorus of voices calling for all Americans to receive free money directly from the government
21 votes -
Joe Biden, not Bernie Sanders, is the true Scandinavian – Sanders totally misunderstands what's behind Denmark's safety net
8 votes -
Pete Buttigieg: 'Time for rethinking what campaigning looks like' amid coronavirus
9 votes -
Fixing the debates: A better way to interrupt?
5 votes -
Amy Klobuchar looked great on paper. What went wrong?
5 votes -
Winston Peters invokes Christchurch massacre as NZ's deportations row with Australia escalates
5 votes -
Finland's foreign minister faces probe over Syria repatriations – Pekka Haavisto will be investigated over his plan for swiftly bringing children held in Syria to Finland
4 votes -
How to give California twelve senators and Vermont just one
11 votes -
Joe Biden's campaign has released an ad attacking Pete Buttigieg's record and experience
14 votes -
Know Your Vote – A primary source collection of candidates' platforms
12 votes -
Mary Louise Kelly interviews Secretary Of State Mike Pompeo
21 votes -
Finland's Minister for Foreign Affairs, Pekko Haavisto, says the crisis over Brexit could have a beneficial effect on the European Union, pulling the bloc together
11 votes -
Norway's PM Erna Solberg named one of her top lieutenants to the key position of finance minister as her new minority government prepares to navigate a hostile parliament
5 votes -
A new US electorate: Can the Bernie Sanders campaign alter the course of the Democratic Party?
7 votes -
Mayor Pete's invisible black police
11 votes -
Estonia's president has apologised after his country's interior minister mocked Finland's new prime minister
8 votes -
Finland's finance minister deleted an Instagram post and issued an apology after criticism by a human rights group
4 votes -
The siege of Carrie Lam
7 votes -
Michael Bloomberg joins 2020 Democratic field for US President
13 votes