March 8 top stories
It is March 8. Here are today’s top stories.
Takeaways from Biden’s State of the Union address
Multiple sources reported similar takeaways from Biden’s final State of the Union Thursday before the 2024 election:
He confronted Trump and the GOP about Jan. 6, saying “the insurrectionists were not patriots. Here is the simple truth–you can’t love your country only when you win.”
He touted a sharper message on legalizing abortion: “If you the American people send me a Congress that supports the right to choose, I promise you, I will restore Roe v. Wade as the law of the land again.”
Biden urged GOP to back an immigration compromise, accusing them of derailing the proposal for political reasons: “Send me the border bill now!” The bill combines foreign military aid to Israel, Taiwan and Ukraine with stricter border reforms than Democrats have historically supported. He also pledged Ukraine support.
Biden boasted that his policies helped revive the economy when it was on the brink during the COVID-19 pandemic. He said “Now our economy is literally the envy of the world – 15 million new jobs in just three years.”
Biden walked the line on Israel and Gaza. He said “Israel has an added burden because Hamas hides and operates among the civilian population like cowards. There is also a fundamental responsibility, though, to protect innocent civilians in Gaza.
Biden vowed to protect Social Security and make the wealthy pay their fair share.
Toward the end of his speech, Biden alluded to his age: “I know it may not look like it but I’ve been around a while. When you get to be my age, certain things become clearer than ever.”
He spoke for over an hour.
House panel passes bill that would ban TikTok
On Thursday, lawmakers on the House Energy and Commerce Committee voted unanimously to advance a bill that would ban TikTok, the app is used roughly by 170 million Americans, from U.S. app stores unless the social media platform’s China-linked parent, ByteDance, divests the company.
The bill, known as the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act.
For years, U.S. officials and policymakers fear the Chinese government could gather and use the personal information to identify intelligence targets or to facilitate mass disinformation campaigns that could disrupt elections and sow other chaos.
If enacted, the bill would give ByteDance 165 days to sell TikTok. If not divested by that date, it would be illegal for app store operators such as Apple and Google to make it available for download.
The legislation also has the support of the White House and House Speaker Mike Johnson, though its prospects in the Senate are unclear.
U.S. DOT unveils new plan to protect air passengers with wheelchairs
The Department of Transportation (DOT) proposed new rules last week Thursday on how airlines should accommodate passengers who use wheelchairs.
Under the new rules, delaying the return of a wheelchair or mishandling it would become an automatic violation of a federal law, making it easier for the DOT to penalize airlines.
The proposal would require airlines to provide a temporary replacement wheelchair to affected travelers. Companies would also have to promptly fix any damaged wheelchairs, while also covering the cost of repair.
Airlines would be required to return any delayed wheelchairs to a passenger’s final destination within 24 hours and provide wheelchairs as close as possible to the aircraft door for exiting passengers.
The new rules would also mandate annual hands-on training for airline employees and contractors who assist travelers.
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Sweden officially joins NATO military alliance
Sweden on Thursday formally joined NATO as the 32nd member, abandoning its long-standing military neutrality.
Sweden and Finland applied for full NATO membership at the same time in May 2022 after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine then Finland joined the alliance last year in April. Sweden’s membership had been held up due to objections by NATO members Türkiye and Hungary. After months of delay, Türkiye ratified Sweden’s admission earlier this year and Hungary did so this week.
Swedish Prime Minister Kristersson said today is truly a historic day. We are humbled, but we are also proud. We will live up to high expectations from all NATO allies. United we stand.
Article 5 of NATO’s treaty obliges all members to come to the aid of an ally whose territory or security is under threat. It has only been activated once – by the U.S. after the September 11, 2001 attacks.
President Biden congratulated Sweden on its admission and said it was a sign that Russian President Putin’s intervention in Ukraine had united, rather than divided, the alliance.
Alex has a news story to share about a legendary Japanese manga artist and Dragon Ball creator.
Akira Toriyama, legendary Japanese manga artist and Dragon Ball creator, dies at 68
Thanks, Callie.
The person who created the popular Dragon Ball franchise, Akira Toriyama from Japan, passed away at the age of 68. He died on March 1 due to bleeding in his brain.
Toriyama began drawing at a young age and entered the manga industry in his early 20s. He started to see success in the 1980s and when he created Dragon Ball in 1984, it was a global sensation.
His Dragon Ball series was told in 519 chapters in a weekly magazine in Japan from 1984 to 1995. It sold over 150 million copies in Japan by 2008.
Dragon Ball then grew into a very successful multimedia franchise with several animated series and spin-offs, over 20 films, and various video games. Dragon Ball’s most famous character is Goku.
Toriyama’s manga and design production studio, Bird Studio, said at the time of his death, he was still actively working on several new things with great enthusiasm. Bird Studio said he has “left many manga titles and works of art to this world” and “hope that (his) unique world of creation continues to be loved by everyone for a long time.”
Thanks for that story. That is all the top stories for this week. Have a nice weekend and stay with the light!
Takeaways from Biden’s State of the Union address
https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-state-of-union-takeaways-31cfc7a93213f052eb3f8a0bf51173d9
House panel passes bill that would ban TikTok
U.S. DOT unveils new plan to protect air passengers with wheelchairs
Sweden officially joins NATO military alliance
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/07/world/europe/sweden-nato-neutrality.html
Akira Toriyama, legendary Japanese manga artist and Dragon Ball creator, dies at 68