Democrats reject ‘Republican lies’ as both parties try to pin the shutdown blame on each other. Plus, Israeli naval forces board pro-Palestinian flotilla
Good morning.
The vice-president, JD Vance, used false claims to blame Democrats for the government shutdown as the White House warned that worker layoffs were imminent.
How many federal workers will be affected? About 750,000 federal employees are expected to be placed on furlough, an enforced leave, with pay withheld until they return to work. Essential workers such as military and border agents may be forced to work without pay, and some are likely to miss paychecks next week.
How did we get here? As the messaging war over the shutdown intensifies, Democrats, motivated by grassroots anger over expiring healthcare subsidies, have been withholding Senate votes to fund the government as leverage to try to force negotiations. They are betting that voters will blame Republicans, who control both chambers of Congress.
Will they? It’s hard to call. A Marist poll released on Tuesday found that 38% of voters would blame congressional Republicans for a shutdown, 27% would blame the Democrats and 31% both parties. In the meantime, people will feel the consequences of government services shutting down.
What are the details of the blockade? Israel’s naval blockade was imposed in 2009 by Israel, an intensification of its 2007 blockade of Gaza in response to Hamas seizing control of the territory. It has been condemned by the UN as “a direct contravention of international human rights and humanitarian law”.
What has happened in the past? In 2010, 10 Turkish activists were killed by Israeli commandos who raided the Mavi Marmara ship leading an aid flotilla towards Gaza.
What’s the latest on Israel’s attack on Gaza City? The Israeli military has issued what it said was its final warning for Gaza City residents to flee as it intensified its bombardment and offensive on Wednesday.
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