3 Stories You Should Read 8/01/2019: Rwanda, Congress, Rear Adm. Collin Green
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In the category of: Peek toxic masculinity
Exclusive: Top US Navy SEAL tells commanders in letter: ‘We have a problem’
The top US Navy SEAL recently sent a blistering letter to the force, writing in boldface type, “We have a problem,” following several high profile incidents of alleged misbehavior by the US Navy’s elite service members, CNN has learned.
In the category of: Can’t we all just get along?
Congress passed a budget deal to increase government spending with Trump’s support.
Congress has taken a major step toward staving off a fiscal crisis, passing a budget deal that would increase government spending by $320 billion for the next two years and allow the government to continue borrowing.
The Senate passed the deal Thursday, one week after the House, as lawmakers leave town for summer recess. Despite President Donald Trump’s support for the bill, 123 Republicans voted against it for a final count of 284-189 in the House. Twenty-three Republican and five Democrats voted against advancing the bill in the Senate, with a final vote passing the budget deal of 67-28.
The deal between congressional Democrats and the White House would raise budget caps by about $50 billion this year and another $54 billion the following year. It would also lift the nation’s debt limit for two years, setting up the next deadline in 2021.
That’s a good deal for Democrats and a big retreat from the Trump administration, which called for $150 billion in spending cuts to domestic programs as a condition for raising the debt ceiling.
In the category of: Hazmat suits on
One year on, fight against Ebola far from over
As Rwanda shuts border with DRC over Ebola fears, health workers call for increase in efforts to beat deadly epidemic.
The DRC’s current Ebola outbreak, its 10th to date, was declared in the eastern North Kivu province on August 1, 2018, before spreading to the neighbouring Ituri province.
One year on, preventing the spread of the disease has proven a major challenge, despite efforts including vaccination and awareness campaigns by the central government in Kinshasa and various humanitarian organisations.
Deep community mistrust and a volatile security situation have hampered initiatives to beat back the epidemic, which has so far killed more than 1,800 people, including three in Uganda.
According to the United Nations, there have been more than 2,600 confirmed cases, with over 770 survived.
