The United States Department of Treasury now reports the national debt exceeds a whopping $30 trillion. The deficit increased by nearly $7 trillion since the beginning of 2020.
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/americas-national-debt-tops-30-235817085.html
Of the total debt, $23.5 trillion is owed to outside creditors, while $6.5 trillion is owed by the federal government back to itself. On top of this, over $900 million is being charged daily from incurring interest. Since 2001, the U.S. has experienced a deficit each year.
https://fiscaldata.treasury.gov/datasets/debt-to-the-penny/debt-to-the-penny
Since the COVID pandemic, the national debt has increased massively. Over $6 trillion has been added directly from stimulus bills recently passed by Congress. In March 2020, the CARES Act cost over $2.2 trillion, and in December 2020, the Consolidated Appropriations Act cost over $2.3 trillion. Most recently in March 2021, the American Rescue Plan cost an additional $1.9 trillion.
Senator Ben Sasse of Nebraska commented, "$30 trillion in debt is an obscene number, but what's even more depressing is the fact that most politicians in both parties don't really care." He added, "Someone is going to have to pay that money when these politicians are long gone, and -- spoiler alert -- it won’t be paid by them but instead by our kids."
https://www.foxbusiness.com/politics/national-debt-tops-30-trillion.amp
$30 trillion is roughly equivalent to the combined economies of China, Japan, Germany, and the United Kingdom.
Currently as Ukraine endures continued assault from Russian military, President Biden announced today he will sign an Executive Order to prohibit all imports of Russian crude oil, natural gas, and coal. The United Kingdom announced it will join the United States to ban Russian energy imports.
Americans will be prohibited from investment in foreign companies that are partnered with Russian energy production. Over 30 countries have imposed some form of sanctions on Russia. Other European Allies have not yet joined with the U.S. and U.K. to embargo Russia. Many European countries are greatly dependent on their oil, with over 40% energy imports coming from Russia.
From the White House, "The United States made this decision in close consultation with our Allies and partners around the world, as well as Members of Congress of both parties. The United States is able to take this step because of our strong domestic energy infrastructure and we recognize that not all of our Allies and partners are currently in a position to join us. But we are united with our Allies and partners in working together to reduce our collective dependence on Russian energy and keep the pressure mounting on Putin, while at the same taking active steps to limit impacts on global energy markets and protect our own economies."
Pres. Biden clarified, "The decision today is not without cost here at home," referring to surging gasoline prices, which further worsen overall inflation. Inflation in the U.S. is already at a 40 year high. Today, the American Automobile Association (AAA) recorded the highest average price of gasoline at $4.173 per gallon. https://gasprices.aaa.com
According to the AAA, average gas prices are up $1.399 per gallon from a year ago when it was $2.774 per gallon. Gas prices steadily surged in the weeks leading to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. AAA reports the greatest increase occurred over this last week.
Global prices for crude oil soared this weekend briefly above $130 per barrel, the highest mark since 2008. Oil prices are expected to increase dramatically now that the U.S. and U.K. announced their ban. Russian government threatened they will increase to $300 per barrel.
Russian military now invade Ukraine's eastern territory, despite all warnings from the United States and United Nations. Russian government announced their military operation moments before assaulting Kyiv and other cities.
Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba announced this, "Putin has just launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Peaceful Ukrainian cities are under strikes. This is a war of aggression. Ukraine will defend itself and will win. The world can and must stop Putin. The time to act is now."
Russian Pres. Vladimir Putin warned against any foreign interference, threatening "consequences they have never seen." According to Putin, the attack is provoked by threats from Ukraine. Russian military mobilized soldiers and armaments at the Ukrainian border for months with an estimated upwards 190,000 soldiers equipped with heavy artillery, including air and naval support.
https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-europe-russia-moscow-kyiv-626a8c5ec22217bacb24ece60fac4fe1
Ukrainian Pres. Volodymyr Zelenskyy is now enforcing martial law. It's uncertain at this point how much damage or how many casualties. It's advised that any Americans or other foreign citizens leave Ukraine and Russia immediately.
https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories.html/
Pres. Joe Biden previously warned Putin, threatening sanctions for Russian business dealings and assets in America. Apparently however, those threats were unconvincing, and Russia is invading regardless.
In a matter of hours, thousands of Colorado residents endured terrible wildfires that destroyed over 500 homes on Thursday. Fortunately no deaths have been reported.
https://www.denverpost.com/2021/12/30/boulder-county-two-grass-fires/amp/
https://wildfiretoday.com/2021/12/30/wind-driven-wildfire-burns-homes-near-boulder-colorado/
Damages to homes and businesses are immense. The firestorm was propelled by 110+ mph winds that drove fires across roadways and into parking lots. Local Costco and Target stores were in flames.
Colorado resident Laurie Draper said, "We were home, and it was a bright, sunny day, and all of a sudden it wasn’t bright and sunny anymore." That's when fires quickly approached with gale force winds. She said, "We could smell fire, and then there was smoke coming through the neighborhood." She escaped with her family moments before her beloved home was destroyed.
Emergency responders are still surveying the wreckage. Hundreds of structures, residential and commercial, were destroyed by the wildfires, and possibly over 1,000 buildings were lost. There are no reported deaths, but many people lost everything. This is now Colorado's worst wildfire on record.
Wildfires in Colorado during the winter season are uncommon, but an extended period of drought primed the region for fires to spread more rapidly. However, wildfires of this magnitude are irregular in Colorado at any time of the year. In the United States wildfires are reported to be worse each year with greater occurrence and intensity.
Today, the Supreme Court voted on two separate vaccine mandates. The Court voted to uphold the vaccine mandate for healthcare workers, while blocking the vaccine mandate for non-healthcare businesses.
Ruling 5-4 to uphold the vaccine mandate for healthcare workers, and 6-3 against vaccine mandates for large businesses. The Court's decision was split with two conservative Justices (Chief Justice Roberts and Associate Justice Kavanaugh) joining the three liberal Justices to allow vaccine mandates for healthcare workers. All six conservative Justices voted against the mandate for non-healthcare businesses. All three liberal Justices voted to uphold both mandates.
The Department of Health and Human Services acted through the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to enforce the mandate on all medical facilities which receive funding from either agency. Covered employers are required to terminate any employee who does not comply with vaccination, otherwise be fined or lose Medicare and Medicaid funding agreements. The federal mandate requires all medical staff, employees, volunteers and contractors, working in medical facilities to receive the COVID vaccines or be fired. This resulted with 10+ million COVID vaccinations in two months. Having been upheld by the Court, the vaccine mandate for healthcare workers will continue to be in effect indefinitely.
Justice Thomas stated, "These cases are not about the efficacy or importance of COVID-19 vaccines, they are only about whether (the administration) has the statutory authority to force healthcare workers, by coercing their employers, to undergo a medical procedure they do not want and cannot undo." Notably, Justice Thomas adds, "The Government has not made a strong showing that this hodgepodge of provisions authorizes a nationwide vaccine mandate." He specifies, "Vaccine mandates also fall squarely within a State’s police power, see Zucht v. King, 260 U. S. 174, 176 (1922), and, until now, only rarely have been a tool of the Federal Government."
https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/21pdf/21a240_d18e.pdf
Last September, Biden's administration ordered in accordance with OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) a workplace rule which demanded all private businesses with 100 or more employees must receive COVID vaccinations. Thousands of businesses and citizens refused to comply. As of today, the workplace rule is rejected by the Supreme Court, and no longer in effect.
Justices Breyer, Sotomayor, and Kagan dissented, "In our view, the Court’s order seriously misapplies the applicable legal standards. And in so doing, it stymies the Federal Government’s ability to counter the unparalleled threat that COVID–19 poses to our Nation’s workers. Acting outside of its competence and without legal basis, the Court displaces the judgments of the Government officials given the responsibility to respond to workplace health emergencies."
Six conservative Justices voted against the workplace rule, they stated, "Although Congress has indisputably given OSHA the power to regulate occupational dangers, it has not given that agency the power to regulate public health more broadly. Requiring the vaccination of 84 million Americans, selected simply because they work for employers with more than 100 employees, certainly falls in the latter category."
https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/21pdf/21a244_hgci.pdf
"It is telling that OSHA, in its half century of existence, has never before adopted a broad public health regulation of this kind—addressing a threat that is untethered, in any causal sense, from the workplace. This 'lack of historical precedent,' coupled with the breadth of authority that the Secretary now claims, is a 'telling indication! that the mandate extends beyond the agency’s legitimate reach," states Justice Gorsuch.
Justice Gorsuch also specifies, "As the agency itself explained to a federal court less than two years ago, the statute does 'not authorize OSHA to issue sweeping health standards' that affect workers’ lives outside the workplace."
President Biden commented today saying, "I am disappointed that the Supreme Court has chosen to block common-sense life-saving requirements for employees at large businesses." Biden now says it's up to states and employers to decide whether to require workers to be vaccinated.
Today on Capitol Hill, the United States Senate voted to confirm Ketanji Brown Jackson to replace Justice Stephen Breyer's position in the Supreme Court. Now Justice Jackson, at age 51, will hold the lifetime appointment.
https://www.whitehouse.gov/kbj/
While campaigning to be President, Joe Biden promised his supporters to specifically appoint a black woman to the Supreme Court. Pres. Biden then nominated Ms. Jackson in February this year. Now confirmed, Ms. Jackson will be the first black female Justice in U.S. history. It's also the first time the Court will have 4 women Justices.
Pres. Biden said, "Judge Jackson's confirmation was a historic moment for our nation. We've taken another step toward making our highest court reflect the diversity of America. She will be an incredible Justice, and I was honored to share this moment with her."
https://twitter.com/POTUS/status/1512139093135835153?s=20&t=qaxxRK1jmP9wWXkpefJjeQ
Justice Ketanji Jackson will now leave her position as Judge for the District of Columbia Circuit Court to take on the new appointment. Other Supreme Court Justices have transitioned from the D.C. Circuit Court, including current Chief Justice John Roberts, and former Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
The Senate voted 53-47 to confirm Pres. Biden's Democratic appointment, this included three Republicans. With Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson replacing Justice Breyer, the Court will continue with a 6-3 conservative majority.