In our news wrap Thursday, the Senate voted down a measure aimed at reopening the Department of Homeland Security as a partial government shutdown looks set to enter its second month, Rep. James Clyburn of South Carolina said he will seek an 18th term in Congress and a Russian court convicted 19 people in connection with a deadly shooting at a Moscow concert hall in 2024.
Amna Nawaz:
In the day’s other news: The Senate voted down a measure aimed at reopening the Department of Homeland Security as a partial government shutdown looks set to enter its second month.
It was the fourth time that Democrats have blocked such legislation as they push for reforms at ICE and Customs and Border Protection, or CBP.
Also today:
Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL):
The yeas are 89, the nays are 10. The bill, as amended, is passed.
Amna Nawaz:
The Senate overwhelmingly passed a major bipartisan bill to address housing affordability. The measure would reduce regulations and put limits on corporate investors, but it faces an uncertain future in the House after President Trump signaled that a voting reform bill known as the SAVE Act must be the priority for Republican lawmakers.
Representative James Clyburn said today that he will seek an 18th term in Congress.
Rep. James Clyburn (D-SC):
I do believe that I’m very well-equipped and healthy enough to move into the next term.
Amna Nawaz:
The 85-year-old made the announcement this morning in his home state of South Carolina. His reelection bid comes even as younger Democrats are challenging the old guard in primaries across the country.
Clyburn has served more than 30 years in the House. That includes a long run as the number three House Democrat alongside Nancy Pelosi and Steny Hoyer, who are both retiring after this term. His support was vital in helping Joe Biden secure the Democratic presidential nomination in 2020.
Well, it’s a tale of two very different weather patterns this week at either end of the country. Western states are facing record temperatures ahead. Already, Los Angeles reached the 90s today and parts of the Southwest are nearing triple digits, while, in the East, winter weather has rushed back in after a taste of spring, with cold rain and snow hitting Washington, D.C., among other places.
Looking ahead to next week, a dramatic split-screen, with roughly half the nation seeing above-normal temperatures and the other half below. This comes even as the cleanup continues in Illinois after a massive tornado with winds up to 150 miles per hour destroyed homes and businesses there.
A Russian court convicted 19 people today in connection with a deadly shooting at a Moscow concert hall in 2024; 15 were sentenced to life in prison, including the four gunmen and 11 accomplices. The others received 19 to 22 years each. Authorities say the gunmen were citizens of Tajikistan who opened fire at a rock concert before setting the building on fire.
All told, 149 people were killed, more than 600 injured in the country’s worst such attack in two decades. A branch of the Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack.
In Ethiopia, at least 50 people have died and more than 125 remain missing after landslides hit three of the country’s Southern Districts. A local official says that most of the victims were found buried in the mud after days of heavy rains. Rescue efforts are continuing, and residents have been advised to move to higher ground as the rain continues.
Mudslides and floods are common in Ethiopia during the rainy season. In 2024, heavy rains killed nearly 230 people.
On Wall Street today, stocks sank after the latest spike in oil prices with no end to the Iran war in sight. The Dow Jones industrial average dropped more than 700 points, or about 1.5 percent. The Nasdaq gave back more than 400 points. The S&P 500 also fell sharply on the day.
