Man shot Idaho firefighters who had asked him to move his vehicle, killing 2, sheriff saysNew Foto - Man shot Idaho firefighters who had asked him to move his vehicle, killing 2, sheriff says

COEUR D'ALENE, Idaho (AP) — A man who started a wildfire and then fatally shot two firefighters and wounded another in northern Idaho was a 20-year-old transient who attacked the first responders after they asked him to move his vehicle, a sheriff said Monday. Kootenai County Sheriff Bob Norris offered new details about the Sunday confrontation at Canfield Mountain, just north of Coeur d'Alene, a popular recreation area. He said Wess Roley was living out of his vehicle, had once aspired to be a firefighter and had only a handful of minor contacts with area police. "We have not been able to find a manifesto," the sheriff said, adding a motive was still unknown. Norris said families of the victims are "in shock — absolutely. They're in shock and they're still processing it." 2 veteran firefighters are killed and a third is in critical condition Battalion Chief Frank Harwood, 42, who had been with the county fire department for 17 years, was killed, Kootenai County Fire and Rescue Chief Christopher Way said during a news conference Monday. Harwood was married and had two children, and he also was a veteran of the Army National Guard. Coeur d'Alene Fire Department Battalion Chief John Morrison, 52, was also killed after working with the department for 28 years. Coeur d'Alene Fire Department Fire Engineer David Tysdal, 47, sustained gunshot wounds and was in critical condition. Authorities said he had two successful surgeries. After the shooting, local law enforcement agencies have offered to go on every call that the fire department goes on, according to Way. "I don't know that we're ever going to be able to guarantee people's peace of mind, at least for a while after an incident like this," he said. "But we are taking every measure we can to ensure safety of our responders." Roley had set a fire using flint, and the firefighters who rushed to the scene instead found themselvesunder fire. They took cover behind fire trucks. "There was an interaction with the firefighters," Norris said. "It has something to do with his vehicle being parked where it was." Roley had ties to California and Arizona before moving to Idaho Roley later killed himself, the sheriff said. He had ties to California and Arizona and was living in Idaho "for the better part of 2024," Norris said. "But as far as when he got here, why he was here, why he chose this place — I don't know." Two helicopters converged on the area Sunday, armed with snipers ready to take out the suspect if needed, while the FBI used his cellphone data to track him and the sheriff ordered residents to shelter in place. They eventually found Roley dead in the mountains, his firearm beside him. Roley lived with T.J. Franks Jr. for about six months in Sandpoint, Idaho, while working for a tree service, Franks said on Monday. Franks had cameras in his apartment that caught Roley throwing gang signs at them one day, which worried Franks to the point that he called police. "I didn't know what to really think about it," Franks said. "I just called the cops and had them talk to him." The landlord also called Franks one morning because neighbors reported that Roley's vehicle had been left running for about 12 hours. Franks said Roley was asleep in his room and said he forgot about the vehicle. Franks said Roley "started acting a little weird" and at one point shaved his long hair off completely. "We just kind of noticed him starting to decline or kind of go downhill," he said. A swift outpouring of support Outpouring of support for the victims was swift in Coeur d'Alene, a city of 55,000 residents near the border with Washington. Hours after the shooting, people gathered along Interstate 90 holding American flags to pay their respects as the two fallen firefighters' bodies were taken to the medical examiner's office in Spokane, Washington, about 35 miles (56 kilometers) from Coeur d'Alene. Gov. Brad Little ordered U.S. and Idaho state flags to be lowered to half-staff to honor the firefighters until the day after their memorial service. "All our public safety officers, especially our firefighters, bravely confront danger on a daily basis but we have never seen a heinous act of violence like this on our firefighters before," he said in a statement. "This is not Idaho. This indescribable loss is felt deeply by all those in the firefighting community and beyond." Though the shelter-in-place order was lifted, the sheriff's office cautioned residents to be prepared because the fire was still burning. The Idaho Department of Lands said it had burned about 26 acres (10.5 hectares). Way described the fire on Monday as "reasonably contained," saying that respondents had "stopped significant forward progress." Fire is always a concern for the region, said Bruce Deming, whose property abuts the trail system. When he noticed smoke on the ridge Sunday afternoon, he wondered why no firefighting helicopters were responding. When a friend texted to tell him about the shooting, he realized why he wasn't seeing aircraft: "Because they're concerned about being shot at," he said. ___ Associated Press journalists Hallie Golden in Seattle, Ed White in Detroit and Martha Bellisle in Seattle contributed to this report.

Man shot Idaho firefighters who had asked him to move his vehicle, killing 2, sheriff says

Man shot Idaho firefighters who had asked him to move his vehicle, killing 2, sheriff says COEUR D'ALENE, Idaho (AP) — A man who started...
Israeli strike on cafe near Gaza City port kills dozens, hospital official saysNew Foto - Israeli strike on cafe near Gaza City port kills dozens, hospital official says

More than 40 people have been killed in an Israeli airstrike that hit a cafe near the port in Gaza City, according to the head of the territory's largest hospital. Dr. Mohammad Abu Silmiya, the director of Al-Shifa hospital, said in an update on Monday night that at least 41 people had been killed and 75 injured in the strike. Videos geolocated by CNN show thick smoke rising from the scene as well as widespread damage to the cafe and the surrounding area. They also showed bodies being removed on stretchers. The Israel Defense Forces told CNN that the incident is "under review." In response to questions about the strike, the IDF said, "Earlier today (Monday), the IDF struck several Hamas terrorists in the northern Gaza Strip. Prior to the strike, steps were taken to mitigate the risk of harming civilians using aerial surveillance." The Al-Baqa cafe was a well-known spot for students, journalists and remote workers, as it offered internet and a place to work by the Mediterranean coast. Silmiya told CNN that "most of the casualties are women and children," including many students who were at the cafe for internet access. He also said the hospital was short of ICU beds and anesthetics to treat the casualties. The death toll increased Monday night after some people died from their injuries. "We are treating the injured on the hospital floor as no rooms and hospital beds are available," the hospital director added. Among those killed was a freelance journalist, Ismail Abu Hatab, according to other journalists at the scene. The Hamas-controlled Government Media Office said his death brought to 228 the number of journalists killed by Israeli military action in Gaza since October 2023. News of the strike comes as Israeli leaders debate how to proceed with the war in Gaza ahead of an expected meeting between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump on July 7. A source familiar with the discussions told CNN Israel had yet to reach a policy decision after two consecutive days of meetings between Netanyahu and his most senior advisers and ministers. However, the source said Netanyahu is interested in a ceasefire deal. Trump has openly pushed for an end to the war in Gaza, saying on Friday a ceasefire will be agreed to "within a week." The small group of Israel's most senior government officials includes far-right ministers like Itamar Ben Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, who have both loudly advocated for an intensification of the bombardment of Gaza, and other officials like Aryeh Deri, who favor a comprehensive hostage deal that would bring about the end of the war. Ben Gvir, head of the Jewish Power party, insisted that a "decisive move" must be made in Gaza and expressed frustration that Israel was wasting time and opportunities with each passing day, the source said. Netanyahu is trying to reach a decision before his trip to Washington, DC, to meet Trump, the source said, adding that they may have to come to a decision this week. On Sunday, Netanyahu said "many opportunities have opened up" following Israel's military operations in Iran, including the possibility of bringing home the remaining hostages held in Gaza. CNN's Tim Lister and Dana Karni contributed to this report. This story has been updated with additional developments. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account atCNN.com

Israeli strike on cafe near Gaza City port kills dozens, hospital official says

Israeli strike on cafe near Gaza City port kills dozens, hospital official says More than 40 people have been killed in an Israeli airstrike...
Militants in Pakistan storm a police station and set fire to banks, killing a boyNew Foto - Militants in Pakistan storm a police station and set fire to banks, killing a boy

QUETTA, Pakistan (AP) — Dozens of militants armed with guns and rockets stormed a police station and set fire to two banks in restive southwestern Pakistan on Tuesday, killing a boy and wounding nine others before fleeing, officials said. The boy died when the attackers fired on civilians indiscriminately during the attacks in Mastung, a district in Balochistan province, said Jan Mohammad, a local government administrator. Mohammad said some of the insurgents were also killed in the shootout with security forces. A provincial government spokesman, Shahid Rind, said a security operation had been launched to pursue the assailants. No group immediately claimed responsibility, though suspicion is likely to fall on the outlawed Baloch Liberation Army, or BLA, which often targets security forces and civilians in Balochistan and elsewhere. The United States designated the BLA a terrorist organization in 2019. Balochistan has long been the scene of a low-level insurgency by separatist groups seeking independence from the central government. The province is also home to militants linked to the Pakistani Taliban and the Islamic State group.

Militants in Pakistan storm a police station and set fire to banks, killing a boy

Militants in Pakistan storm a police station and set fire to banks, killing a boy QUETTA, Pakistan (AP) — Dozens of militants armed with gun...
China ready to discuss tariffs and subsidies with US at WTONew Foto - China ready to discuss tariffs and subsidies with US at WTO

By Olivia Le Poidevin GENEVA (Reuters) -China is ready to have discussions about trade policies, including tariffs and subsidies, that Washington has identified as obstacles to reforming the World Trade Organization, a senior delegate at China's mission to the WTO said. China had heard "every word" the U.S. had said at the WTO about its trade practices and is open to discussing tariffs, industrial policy and some benefits it gains from its developing country status, as part of broader conversations on reform ahead of a 2026 ministerial meeting in Cameroon, the delegate said. The official declined to be identified. China's mission does not publicly identify delegates below ambassador rank. China recalled its WTO ambassador in April to become a trade negotiator and the vacant position has yet to be filled. The delegate's remarks follow months of trade tension between the world's two largest economies over sweeping tariffs imposed by the U.S. and retaliatory measures by China. Washington argues there can be no meaningful WTO reform until China and other major economies relinquish privileges known as Special and Differential Treatment (SDT) granted to developing countries, which the U.S. says give them an unfair advantage. Some major economies, including China and Saudi Arabia, self-identify as developing countries, granting them access to SDT benefits such as setting higher tariffs and using subsidies. The delegate said China's developing country status was non-negotiable, but it might forgo SDT in upcoming negotiations, as it did recently on fisheries and domestic regulations. "I see that in the coming negotiations, generally speaking, I don't think China will ask for the SDT," the delegate told Reuters. However, former WTO spokesperson Keith M. Rockwell, a senior research fellow at the Hinrich Foundation, was sceptical that China would fully relinquish SDT in areas like agriculture. The U.S. opposes countries picking and choosing SDT benefits, and wants China to completely renounce them. The delegate said China was open to discussing subsidies to ensure a fairer playing field provided it was met with goodwill in return. But it would not accept any attempts to try to change its economic system, they added. Following positive trade talks in Geneva and London, China indicated openness towards discussing tariffs within the WTO. "We welcome the U.S. to come back to the WTO," the delegate said. "We are ready to renegotiate on Article 28 if the U.S. raises their requests here at the WTO." Article 28 of the WTO Agreement allows members to modify tariff commitments under certain conditions, providing a potential pathway for adjustments. (Reporting by Olivia Le PoidevinEditing by Dave Graham and Ros Russell)

China ready to discuss tariffs and subsidies with US at WTO

China ready to discuss tariffs and subsidies with US at WTO By Olivia Le Poidevin GENEVA (Reuters) -China is ready to have discussions abou...
Explainer-Thailand's political chaos: what happens next?New Foto - Explainer-Thailand's political chaos: what happens next?

BANGKOK (Reuters) -Thailand's Constitutional Court suspended Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra on Tuesday as it considers a petition filed by 36 senators seeking her dismissal. The senators have accused the 38-year-old premier of dishonesty and breaching ethical standards in violation of the constitution over a leaked telephone conversation with Cambodia's former premier Hun Sen. WHO WILL LEAD THE GOVERNMENT NOW? With the Prime Minister suspended, Suriya Juangroongruangkit, the deputy prime minister and minister of transport, will become the caretaker leader. Suriya, 70, is a veteran of Thai politics, having entered the fray in the 1990s and served in various cabinet positions for multiple parties since, including the predecessor of the ruling Pheu Thai party. WHAT HAPPENS WITH THE COURT CASE? The court has ordered Paetongtarn to stop performing her duties until it makes a decision. In a statement, the court said the premier will have 15 days to respond to the allegations made by the petitioners, following which proceedings will continue. WHAT CAN PAETONGTARN DO IN THE INTERIM? As part of a cabinet reshuffle announced earlier on Tuesday, ahead of the court's statement, Paetongtarn was appointed as the minister of culture. Once she is sworn into the position on July 3, she will be able to attend cabinet meetings in her capacity as a minister, despite the suspension from the Constitutional Court. WHAT ABOUT PARLIAMENT? Thailand's parliament will reconvene on July 3. The Bhumjaithai party, a former member of Paetongtarn's ruling alliance, had previously threatened to straightaway move a no-confidence motion against the premier and her cabinet on Thursday. But such a move cannot take place with the premier now suspended. In any case, for the motion to succeed, Bhumjaithai would need the support of the People's Party, the largest opposition group that is yet to decide on its position. ARE THERE ANY OTHER CASES UNDERWAY? The National Anti-Corruption Commission, which has a wide remit, is also probing Paetongtarn for any ethical violations emanating from the leaked phone call between her and Hun Sen. This is based on a petition filed by the same group of 36 senators who also moved the Constitutional Court. It is unclear when the NACC will conclude its investigation, but this process could lead to another case at Thailand's Supreme Court, which may rule to ban Paetongtarn from politics. WHAT ABOUT PUBLIC PROTESTS? Several thousand people gathered in the Thai capital on Saturday in the largest anti-government protest since the Pheu Thai party took power in 2023. The organisers, who have called on Paetongtarn to step down, have threatened to escalate protests if she does not quit. Some of those who led Saturday's demonstration are veterans of previous protest movements that played a role in bringing down governments led by Paetongtarn's father, Thaksin Shinawatra, and her aunt, Yingluck Shinawatra. IS THAKSIN UNDER PRESSURE? Former premier Thaksin, who remains one of Thailand's most influential but divisive politicians, is currently facing a criminal court case, in which he is accused of violating the country's strict lese majeste law during a media interview in 2015. Thailand has one of the world's harshest lese majeste laws, setting jail terms of up to 15 years for anyone convicted of defaming, insulting or threatening King Maha Vajiralongkorn and his close family. The Supreme Court is also holding a series of hearings on Thaksin's prolonged hospital stay, in lieu of prison, following his return to Thailand in 2023 after years in self-exile. An adverse verdict in this case could see Thaksin, 75, sent to jail. (Reporting by Panu Wongcha-um, Editing by Devjyot Ghoshal and Saad Sayeed)

Explainer-Thailand's political chaos: what happens next?

Explainer-Thailand's political chaos: what happens next? BANGKOK (Reuters) -Thailand's Constitutional Court suspended Prime Minister...
Europe swelters under a punishing heat wave with Paris forecast to hit 104 FNew Foto - Europe swelters under a punishing heat wave with Paris forecast to hit 104 F

PARIS (AP) — France and the rest of Europe were still in the grips of the first major heat wave this summer with health warnings in effect Tuesday, even as conditions began to improve in some parts of the region. Punishing temperatures were forecast to reach 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) in Paris and to stay unusually high in Belgium and the Netherlands. In contrast, temperatures were falling in Portugal, where no red heat warnings were issued. In France, the national weather agency Météo-France placed several departments under the highest red alert, with the Paris region particularly hard hit. The heat wave — defined as consecutive days of very high temperature — is expected to intensify Tuesday and more than 1,300 schools were expected to be partially or fully closed, the Education Ministry said. Visitors to theEiffel Towerwithout tickets were told to postpone their visits, and the summit of the city's landmark was closed until Thursday. Farther south, 17 of Italy's 27 major cities were experiencing a heat wave, according to the Health Ministry. Météo-France also warned of the heightened risk of wildfires due to the drought-stricken soil, compounded by a lack of rain in June and the recent surge in temperature. Climate experts warn that future summers are likely to be hotter than any recorded to date. By 2100, France could be up to 4 C (39 F) warmer, with temperatures exceeding 40 C expected every year and extreme heat spikes potentially reaching 50 C (122 F). According to Météo-France, the country may face a tenfold increase in the number of heat wave days by 2100. In Portugal, Lisbon was forecast to reach 33 C (91 F), typical for this time of the year, though some inland areas could still see peaks of 43 C (109 F), according to the national weather agency. June temperature records were broken in two locations in Portugal on June 29. ___ Associated Press writers Barry Hatton in Lisbon, Portugal, and David Billier contributed to this report.

Europe swelters under a punishing heat wave with Paris forecast to hit 104 F

Europe swelters under a punishing heat wave with Paris forecast to hit 104 F PARIS (AP) — France and the rest of Europe were still in the gr...
Turkey opposition crackdown spreads to Izmir with 157 detentions, NTV saysNew Foto - Turkey opposition crackdown spreads to Izmir with 157 detentions, NTV says

ISTANBUL (Reuters) -Turkish authorities detained 157 people including opposition party members and a former mayor in Izmir early on Tuesday, broadcaster NTV reported, expanding a months-long legal crackdown on the opposition that had been focused on Istanbul. The Izmir prosecutor ordered the detentions in the early morning hours as part of an investigation into corruption, tender rigging and fraud in the west-coast city, NTV reported. Murat Bakan, an Izmir MP from the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) - which has faced waves of arrests since late last year - said former Izmir Mayor Tunc Soyer was detained along with senior bureaucrats and a party provincial chairman. "We woke up to another dawn operation today," he said on X. "We are facing a process similar to what happened in Istanbul," Bakan said, adding that it appeared to be "a judicial system acting on instructions". Those arrested in the broader crackdown include Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu - President Tayyip Erdogan's main political rival. Imamoglu was jailed in March pending trial on corruption charges, which he denies. That sparked the largest street protests in a decade and a sharp selloff in Turkish assets. The CHP denies the charges. It and some Western countries have called the crackdown a politicised move to eliminate electoral challenges to Erdogan and silence dissent. The government denies these claims, saying the judiciary and Turkey's courts are independent. NTV said the investigation into Izmir municipality in part looks at potential corruption involving subcontractor companies. (Reporting by Jonathan Spicer; Editing by Himani Sarkar)

Turkey opposition crackdown spreads to Izmir with 157 detentions, NTV says

Turkey opposition crackdown spreads to Izmir with 157 detentions, NTV says ISTANBUL (Reuters) -Turkish authorities detained 157 people inclu...
Malaysia data centres battle higher power costs, unclear pricingNew Foto - Malaysia data centres battle higher power costs, unclear pricing

By Sudarshan Varadhan and Ashley Tang KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) -The operators of energy-hungry data centres in Malaysia are scrambling to reassess costs after steeper-than-expected power tariffs kicked in on Tuesday, industry players said, clouding prospects for the Southeast Asian hub of digital investments. Competitive rates for electricity, which forms the bulk of operating costs, make Malaysia a magnet for data centres compared to land-scarce neighbour Singapore, luring billions of dollars in investment from companies like Microsoft and Google. The tariff hike unveiled in December, with details fleshed out last month, could boost electricity costs by 10% to 14% before surcharges for major consumers such as data centres, an industry official and a government official said. A key element of the uncertainty stems from the bands used to calculate power bills in the tiered pricing system, with industry players saying most major centres are expected to fall in the ultra-high voltage category with the highest tariffs. With many in the industry unprepared for the scale of increases, some investors may now adopt a wait-and-watch approach, said Gary Goh, founder and director of data centre advisory firm Sprint DC Consulting. "For a 100-megawatt (MW) facility, this could translate to an additional $15 million to $20 million per year without considering fuel surcharge," he added. The government plans to announce a fuel surcharge every month that reflects changes in fuel prices and foreign exchange. This month the surcharge stands at zero, state grid operator Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) said on its website on Tuesday. Malaysia is set for the region's fastest surge in data centre power demand, tripling to 21% by 2027 from 7% in 2022, a joint report in May by consultancy Bain & Co and firms such as Google and Singapore's state-owned Temasek showed. The new tariff structure means operators of big data centre operators will now account for a higher share of grid management costs than smaller peers, said Cheam Tat Inn, managing director of the Malaysian arm of U.S. operator Equinix. "If you are a large data centre, then you pay for a bigger share of the infrastructure or distribution network costs," Cheam said. Equinix, with two data centres in Malaysia, was looking at various providers of alternative energy in anticipation of higher tariffs, Cheam said last month. Tenaga declined to comment, directing queries to Malaysia's Energy Commission, which did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has defended the increases as necessary to boost social spending. Until now, Malaysia had used lower power prices and a stable power grid to lure investment in data centres. But tariff hikes could drive investment towards neighbouring Vietnam and Thailand, said Mahadhir Aziz, president of the Data Centre Association of Malaysia, which groups firms such as Bridge, AirTrunk and DayOne, as well as Equinix. "The government would have to look at this now, at least regionally," he added. "Data centers or digital infrastructure business, while they may have invested in land and buildings here, can actually still reconsider their investments." (Reporting by Ashley Tang and Sudarshan Varadhan in Kuala Lumpur; Additional reporting by Michele Pek in Singapore; Editing by Tony Munroe and Clarence Fernandez)

Malaysia data centres battle higher power costs, unclear pricing

Malaysia data centres battle higher power costs, unclear pricing By Sudarshan Varadhan and Ashley Tang KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) -The operator...
Senate Republicans search for support Trump's big bill in overnight sessionNew Foto - Senate Republicans search for support Trump's big bill in overnight session

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate is slogging through an overnight session that has dragged into Tuesday, with Republican leaders buying time as they search for ways to secure support forPresident Donald Trump'sbig bill oftax breaks and spending cutswhile fending off proposed amendments, mostly from Democrats trying to defeat the package. An endgame was not immediately in sight.Senate Majority Leader John Thune of South Dakotais working for a last-minute agreement between those in his party worried the bill's reductions to Medicaid will leave millions without care and his most conservative flank, which wants even steeper cuts to hold down deficits ballooning with the tax cuts. Thune declared at one point they were in the "homestretch" as he dashed through the halls at the Capitol, only to backtrack a short time later, suggesting any progress was "elusive." At the same timeHouse Speaker Mike Johnsonhas signaled more potential problems ahead, warning the Senate package could run into trouble when it is sent back to the House for a final round of voting, as skeptical lawmakers are being called back to Washington ahead ofDonald Trump's Fourth of July deadline. "I have prevailed upon my Senate colleagues to please, please, please keep it as close to the House product as possible," said Johnson, the Louisiana Republican. House Republicans had already passedtheir versionlast month. It's a pivotal moment for the Republicans, who have control of Congress and are racing to wrap up work with just days to go before Trump's holiday deadline Friday. The 940-page"One Big Beautiful Bill Act,"as it's formally titled, has consumed Congress as its shared priority with the president. In a midnight social media post urging them on, Trump called the bill "perhaps the greatest and most important of its kind." Vice President JD Vance summed up his own series of posts, simply imploring senators to "Pass the bill." The GOP leaders have no room to spare, with narrow majorities in both chambers. Thune can lose no more than three Republican senators, and already two —Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina, who warns people will lose access to Medicaid health care, and Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, who opposes raising the debt limit — have indicated opposition. Tillis abruptly announced over the weekend hewould not seek reelectionafter Trump threatened to campaign against him. Attention quickly turned to key senators, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine, who have also raised concerns about health care cuts, but also a loose coalition of four conservative GOP senators pushing for even steeper reductions. And on social media, billionaireElon Muskwas again lashing out at Republicans as "the PORKY PIG PARTY!!" for including a provision that would raise the nation's debt limit by $5 trillion, which is needed to allow continued borrowing to pay the bills. Senate Democratic LeaderChuck Schumerof New York said his side was working to show "how awful this is." "Republicans are in shambles because they know the bill is so unpopular," Schumer said as he walked the halls. A new analysisfromthe nonpartisan Congressional Budget Officefound 11.8 million more Americans would become uninsured by 2034 if the bill became law. The CBO said the package would increase the deficit by nearly $3.3 trillion over the decade. Senators to watch Few Republicans appear fully satisfied as the final package emerges, in either the House or Senate. Tillis said it is a betrayal of the president's promises not to kick people off health care, especially if rural hospitals close. Collins had proposed bolstering the $25 billion proposed rural hospital fund to $50 billion, but her amendment failed. And Murkowski was trying to secure provisions to spare people in her state from some health care and food stamp cuts while also working to beef up federal reimbursements to Alaska's hospitals. They have not said how they would vote for the final package. "Radio silence," Murkowski said when asked. At the same time, conservative Senate Republicans proposing steeper health care cuts, including Rick Scott of Florida, Mike Lee of Utah, Ron Johnson of Wisconsin and Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming, filed into Thune's office for a near-midnight meeting. The Senate has spent some 18 hours churning through more than two dozen amendments in what is calleda vote-a-rama, a typically laborious process that went on longer than usual as negotiations happen on and off the chamber floor. The White House legislative team also was at the Capitol. A few of the amendments — to strike parts of the bill that would limitMedicaid funds to rural hospitalsor shiftthe costs of food stamp benefitsto the states — were winning support from a few Republicans, though almost none were passing. Sen. Mike Crapo, the GOP chairman of the Finance Committee, dismissed the dire predictions of health care cuts as Democrats trafficking in what he called the "politics of fear." What's in the big bill All told, the Senate bill includes $4.5 trillion in tax cuts, according to the latest CBO analysis, making permanentTrump's 2017 rates, which would expire at the end of the year if Congress fails to act, while adding the new ones he campaigned on, includingno taxes on tips. The Senate package would roll back billions of dollars ingreen energy tax credits, which Democrats warn will wipe out wind and solar investments nationwide. It would impose $1.2 trillion in cuts, largely toMedicaidandfood stamps, by imposing work requirements on able-bodied people, including some parents and older Americans, making sign-up eligibility more stringent and changing federal reimbursements to states. Additionally, the bill would provide a $350 billion infusion forborder and national security, including for deportations, some of it paid for with new fees charged toimmigrants. Democrats fighting all day and night Unable to stop the march toward passage, the Democrats as the minority party in Congress are using the tools at their disposal to delay and drag out the process. Democrats forced a full reading of the text, which took 16 hours, and they have a stream of amendments. Sen. Patty Murray of Washington, the ranking Democrat on the Appropriations Committee, raised particular concern at the start of debate late Sunday about the accounting method being used by the Republicans, which says the tax breaks from Trump's first term are now "current policy" and the cost of extending them should not be counted toward deficits. She said that kind of "magic math" won't fly with Americans trying to balance their own household books. ___ Associated Press writers Ali Swenson, Fatima Hussein, Michelle L. Price, Kevin Freking, Matt Brown, Seung Min Kim and Chris Megerian contributed to this report.

Senate Republicans search for support Trump’s big bill in overnight session

Senate Republicans search for support Trump's big bill in overnight session WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate is slogging through an overnigh...

 

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