The aviation industry isn’t the only one facing turmoil as the U.S. moves from protecting against coronavirus to learning to live with it. The economy is recovering, but it is mixed. Many industries, especially in the hospitality industry, cannot find enough staff. A crime wave has gotten so bad that President Joe Biden plans to address it this week. Extreme drought in the west threatens to trigger a disastrous forest fire season and exacerbate the late-stage pandemic dislocation. And violent political rifts have only been widened by a virus that is uniquely capable of igniting cultural fault lines.
It’s not quite what Biden expected when he was planning a national party for July 4th to declare freedom from Covid-19. The “Roaring 20s” will have to wait a while.
“My serious proposal to the United States”
“The Americans trampled the JCPOA and the Europeans failed to keep their promises. I stress to the US that you have committed to lifting the sanctions – come back and keep your promises, ”he said in his opening statement.
Let’s make a deal
Barack Obama is back and he doesn’t mince his words.
The former president warned Monday that the US is in danger of being added to the list of once “living” democracies around the world that are “going into reverse”.
The former president had hoped to stay out of politics after leaving the White House (his predecessor George W. Bush walked in the dark for most of Obama’s tenure). 2018 and 2020 – when he issued an extraordinary warning in prime-time speech at the Democratic National Convention that democracy was under attack.
Obama hit Republican senators on Monday who even wanted to prevent a debate on the voting rights law. The Voting Act sets national standards for postal voting, early voting, and registration for all eligible Americans. It would effectively expand the franchise at a time when many Republican states are building on Trump’s election lies to make voting difficult, especially for black Americans who tend to vote for Democrats. Republicans claim the bill is a massive federal takeover and undermines state power to hold elections. The constitution, however, retains the option for Washington to intervene in elections.
“Think about it: after an insurrection, with our democracy at stake and many of these Republican senators who agree that there were somehow irregularities and legitimacy problems in our last election,” Obama said. “You’re suddenly afraid to talk about these issues and find solutions in the Senate. You don’t even want to talk about votes. And that’s unacceptable.”
