Tuesday, August 24 top stories
Today is Tuesday, August 24th, here are today’s top stories.
On Monday, CIA Director William Burns met face to face with Taliban leader Barador. This meeting makes Burns the highest-ranked U.S. official to meet with Taliban leadership in person.
The details of the meeting have been withheld, but experts say the discussion likely focused on the Aug. 31 deadline for evacuations of U.S. citizens and Afghan allies.
In related Afghan news; on Tuesday, Airbnb and their charity branch Airbnb.org announced they will give 20,000 free housing globally to refugees from Afghanistan. They started fundraising in June to cover the cost with a goal of raising $25 million. They are working with resettlement agencies and offered to support federal and state governments.
4,400 competitors are in Tokyo for the 16th Summer Paralympic Games. They are competing in front of empty stands but more exposure and viewers. NBCUniversal, the longtime Olympic and Paralympic network in the United States, has committed to 1,200 hours of coverage. Compared to 70 hours from Brazil in 2016 and only 5 and ½ from the London Games in 2012.
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After a standoff on Monday night, House Democrats came to an agreement late Tuesday afternoon and voted to approve a budget resolution that will allow them to pass a 3.5 trillion economic package which includes affordable child care, universal pre-kindergarten, and a national paid leave program.
They also passed a separate bill to authorize $1 trillion in infrastructure spending which is for roads, bridges, passenger rails, drinking water and wastewater systems.
The budget resolution includes a set of instructions for House and Senate committees that will allow them to write legislation. Once the package is drafted, it will be considered this fall, the next step must start by Sept 27th.
At midnight on Tuesday, New York Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul was sworn in as the state's first female governor. Cuomo resigned following the state attorney general's investigation that found he sexually harassed multiple women. On Sunday in an interview with CBS News, Hochul pledged to have a completely ethical administration with zero tolerance. She is planning to have conversations with Cuomo's accusers. Reportedly, she plans on running for reelection in 2022.
That’s all the top stories for today. See you tomorrow and stay with the light!