- As the federal government nears a possible shutdown we see Elon Musk’s possible first big splash into the circus that is Congress. As the Speaker of the House, Mike Johnson, pushes forward a spending bill to keep the lights on which includes additional spending to appease democrafts, Musk cries on social media. Those wails seemingly have invigorated some Republicans to step away from the bill, denouncing the additional spending. With Democrats still in control of the Senate, additional spending was included in the hope of getting the bill passed with ease. This could be a preview of what power Musk might hold going into Trump’s new presidency.
Supreme Court to Hear TikTok’s Challenge to Law That Could Ban It | New York Times
- Whether TikTok will be banned or not has been a seesaw swinging back and forth ever since the idea was flaunted during the Trump presidency. Politicals on either side, including both Trump and Biden, have at times supported and opposed the bill. Finally, after years of deliberation and negotiation both Democrats and Republicans agreed TikTok was far too large of a national security risk, with it being owned majorly by China. With a bill passed requiring the sale of TikTok to a US-owned company and a deadline set for January 19th, there is only one hurdle remaining, the Supreme Court. How they will rule on the bill and if it complies with the First Amendment is yet to be known. Additionally, if the Supreme Court does allow the bill to stand Trump may still yet have pathways forward once he assumes the presidency to keep TikTok alive in its current form.
The Once Booming Drug Town Going Bust Under Taliban Rule | New York Times
- The drug industry fueled the Taliban during wartime. Once war was over the stain of drug money was more hurtful to their legitimacy than the revenue it generated. With that, the Taliban outlawed the drug production industry and did what America couldn’t even with their stealth fighters and bombs, completely dismantling and removing farmers, smugglers, and chemists who cultivated and sold heroin and meth. This article though takes a deeper look at the personal cost of that change and a town that once upheld a large source of income for the Taliban being left to crumble with the trade now outlawed.