House passes bill designed to help veterans exposed to toxins during service
WASHINGTON — The House voted 256-174 Thursday to pass a bill that would overhaul benefits for veterans exposed to toxic substances during their service, but the many differences with the Senate version of the measure raise questions about whether it has a chance of being enacted into law.
The bill received support from 34 Republicans despite the criticism from most of their party members that it was too expensive.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif, scoffed at Republicans who refused to support the bill (HR 3967) sponsored by House Veterans’ Affairs Chair Mark Takano, D-Calif., because of budget concerns.
"It's a cost of war," Pelosi said at her Thursday news conference. "For the Republicans to go to the floor and say their veterans really don't want this help with their health because it's going to cost money and they're more concerned about the budget ... than they are about their health, oh really? You just gave tax cuts in 2017 to the richest people in America. Tax cuts for the rich, cancer for our veterans. That's how we see this discussion and this debate."
Takano said after the vote the Senate would find the votes to pass the House bill if it came to the floor because more than 40 prominent veterans organizations support it. Takano said he was willing to go to conference on the bill, but that a Senate floor vote left open to amendments would be quicker.
—CQ-Roll Call
NRA settles dispute with former ad agency on eve of trial
The National Rifle Association and its former advertising agency Ackerman McQueen Inc. have settled a long-running legal dispute in which each had accused the other of financial misconduct.
Details of the deal weren’t disclosed in a Dallas federal court filing Thursday, just days before the case was expected to go to trial. The NRA and attorneys for Ackerman McQueen did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The dispute began in 2019 when the NRA accused Ackerman McQueen of over-charging, falsifying invoices and misleading its senior executives about the performance of NRA TV. At the time, top NRA officials were embroiled in an internal squabble amid press reports of self-dealing and financial malfeasance at the gun-rights advocacy group.
As the internal disputes intensified, the organization accused Ackerman McQueen of conspiring with the NRA’s former president, Oliver North, and former chief lobbyist, Chris Cox, in a failed coup against the NRA’s longtime leader Wayne LaPierre. Ackerman McQueen has denied wrongdoing in its dealings with the NRA and filed counter-claims.
—Bloomberg News
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot blocked Columbus statue deal, berated lawyers with obscene remarks, lawsuit claims
CHICAGO — Mayor Lori Lightfoot blocked a deal the Chicago Park District made with an Italian American group to allow a Christopher Columbus statue to be displayed in a parade and made obscene remarks aimed at government lawyers during a contentious meeting, a high-ranking lawyer alleged in a lawsuit filed Tuesday.
The lawsuit, filed by former Chicago Park District deputy general counsel George Smyrniotis against the city and Lightfoot, is closely related to another case brought by the Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans against the Park District after Lightfoot removed Columbus statues from the city.
In his lawsuit, Smyrniotis alleges he was told by Timothy King, then the district’s top lawyer, and then-superintendent Michael Kelly that they wanted the lawsuit over the statues settled “as soon as possible.”
Smyrniotis alleges he then worked with lawyers for the Italian Americans to make a deal. As part of negotiations, the group wanted to display the Columbus statue in its annual Columbus parade last fall and proposed putting the statue last in the parade and covered until the end, according to Smyrniotis’ lawsuit.
King approved the request, according to the suit, because the Park District thought it would generate goodwill with the Italian Americans. Park District lawyers and the Italian Americans group were also negotiating a deal to remove the statue from the city permanently.
When Lightfoot learned about the plan, Smyrniotis alleges in his lawsuit, she threatened to pull the permit for the parade and ordered Park District officials to attend a hastily called Zoom meeting.
—Chicago Tribune
France impounds yacht owned by head of Russian state oil giant
Rosneft Chief Executive Officer Igor Sechin’s superyacht was blocked by French customs officials on the Cote D’Azur, part of the European Union’s sanctions against wealthy Russians with close ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The Amore Vero was impounded overnight in the Mediterranean port of La Ciotat, near Marseille, as it was preparing an urgent departure, according to the French Finance Ministry.
“Thanks to French customs for enforcing the EU sanctions against people close to Russia’s leaders,” French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said on Twitter.
The yacht is owned by a company whose main shareholder is the Russian oil company head, the ministry said.
A spokesman for French Budget Minister Oliver Dussopt said the boat was prevented from leaving but that the asset had not been seized by the state.
The boat had arrived in La Ciotat on Jan. 3 and was due to remain at the port until April 1 for repairs.
“At the moment the inspection was carried out, the boat was readying to weigh anchor urgently, without having finished the planned work,” the Finance Ministry said.
Superyachts and other opulent displays of wealth among Russia’s elite have drawn intense scrutiny since the country’s invasion of Ukraine.
—Bloomberg News
