Trump describes the Corona aid package as ridiculous
With great effort, Republicans and Democrats
agreed
on the second large corona aid package
in the
US Congress on
Monday evening local time
.
In order to even bring it about, many controversial questions were excluded.
Now, according to reports from the night, US President
Donald Trump
threatens
with a
veto against the stimulus package
.
He broadcast a video message on Twitter - behind him lavish Christmas decorations - and calculated which expenses were all nonsensical in his eyes.
He described the sum of $ 600 to be paid to all citizens below an annual income limit as "ridiculous."
Instead, it should be at least $ 2,000.
Icon: enlarge
Donald Trump
Photo: ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / AFP
This turnaround was not to be expected, the president is said to have signaled beforehand that he supported the package.
The video message ends with Trump's hope of remaining president.
As soon as Congress passed, economists complained that the $ 900 billion package was months too late.
The country, which has been badly hit by the pandemic, cannot afford any further delays.
After agreement in Congress: US President refuses to sign the Corona aid package
Sanction imposed, goal achieved
Enlightenment is always the best form of defense, but the will only arises if you want to defend something.
After research by SPIEGEL together with the investigative
platforms Bellingcat
and
The Insider
as well as the US news broadcaster
CNN
, the suspicion against agents of the
Russian domestic secret service FSB
that it was they
who poisoned
the opposition politician
Alexei Navalny
almost fatally in August is confirmed.
Navalny himself now provided further clues: He published video recordings on which you can see and hear how he calls the alleged assassin himself and gets one of the men to tell about the crime.
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Alexei Navalny
Photo: Pavel Golovkin / dpa
However
, in return for the embarrassing revelations
, the
Kremlin
is not counting on clearing up the case, although that would be appropriate.
Instead, he is using the well-known means of reversing guilt: In response to the
EU
, which had no questions about the Navalny matter, received no answers and then imposed sanctions in October, the Russian Foreign Ministry yesterday issued
entry
bans
for representatives from Germany and other EU countries
.
But no matter what happens now between
Moscow
and
Germany
,
for example
, the Navalny case will have a deterrent effect on opponents of the Kremlin.
And that is the main problem for the opposition in the country and is likely to have been the main target for the masterminds behind the attack.
Novichok assassination attempt: How Navalny tricked his assassin - and got him to talk
Who's Afraid of the Opposition?
Kremlin chief
Vladimir Putin
and his people evidently
envision
something really bad by
“opposition”
.
In any case, a new immunity law has now ensured that Putin is protected from criminal prosecution after his term in office.
A Duma deputy from the Communist Party gave the reason for the new law: “In future, an ex-president must be prevented from being brought to justice.
What if the opposition comes to power? "
New law in Russia: Putin gets life-long impunity
Christmas in the mud
Before it finally happens tomorrow, there was really a lot
of
talk
about Christmas Eve and Christmas
: going to church or staying at home?
Visiting relatives or not?
For many people these are real worries and it is of no use and would be cheap to say that there are greater worries.
Rituals are important for the development of children and old people shouldn't be lonely - and neither should younger people.
But if Christmas is really that important, one of the many worries should have its place.
Namely about the people who have no home.
The
"Unicef Photo of the Year 2020"
, which was awarded yesterday, shows children fleeing the burning refugee camp Moria.
Since Moria no longer exists, more than 7,500 refugees and migrants have been living in a makeshift tent camp on the Greek island of Lesbos.
The people, many children are among them, live in the mud, they share 400 Dixie toilets, 200 showers, only a few with warm water.
Rain comes through the tent walls.
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Unicef- »Photo of the Year«
Photo: Angelos Tzortzinis, Greece / dpa
Christmas is a story of escape
, a story of the homeless.
It's also a story with a happy ending.
In real life there is usually no happy ending, but
some solution is urgently needed
.
Escape from the flames on Lesbos: This is the Unicef "Photo of the Year"
Channel failed with any prospect of success
Recently, the
increase in the license
fee
triggered
a
political scandal
, now it's the turn of the courts, i.e. the
Federal Constitutional Court
.
This makes things even more complicated, but that doesn't have to be a disadvantage.
Saxony-Anhalt's Prime Minister
Reiner Haseloff (CDU)
prevented a vote on the
State
Broadcasting Treaty at the beginning of December in order to
avert
a
coalition crisis
.
Parts of his own party almost
voted together
with the
AfD
against increasing the contribution by 86 cents.
Thereupon
ARD
,
ZDF
and
Deutschlandradio
tried
with urgent motions to enforce the fee increase in court on January 1st.
The Federal Constitutional Court has now rejected these urgent applications.
The federal states had not explained plausibly enough why they could not wait for a decision on the main proceedings.
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Microphones with the logos of ZDF and ARD
Photo: Marcus Brandt / dpa
The broadcasters have to wait now, but it is quite possible that they will still be right in the main proceedings.
Because to let politics have the last word on the question of the contribution amount would be illogical.
The broadcasters not only have the freedom, but also the mandate to report critically and should not run the risk of serving themselves to politics because of existential concerns.
The fact that the court is not making it easy for itself and that it wants to properly examine the matter in the main proceedings sends the right signal to all those who do not believe in the increase.
Resentment has a hard time against careful examination.
After a rejected urgent application: Deutschlandradio announces austerity measures
Winner / Loser of the Day ...
... is
the fish
.
Because he is constantly not taken seriously.
In any case, the phrase "I don't eat meat, but fish" can be heard regularly from a certain type of vegetarian.
From a fish perspective, such statements clearly fall into the bullying category.
But if the
European Union and Great Britain
should not come to an agreement
on Brexit
, it would very likely be due to fishing rights.
After all, that's something and worthy of the importance of the fish.
EU trade agreement with Great Britain: Barnier announces »last effort« in Brexit talks
The latest news from the night
Trump pardons 15 other people
: The US President has announced that he will waive the sentence of an ex-election campaign advisor.
He also pardoned former MPs and veterans - including people who were held responsible for the deaths of Iraqi civilians
Israel's parliament is dissolving again
: For the fourth time in two years, Israel has to be re-elected: Prime Minister Netanyahu and his government partner Gantz could not agree on budget negotiations by the midnight deadline
Tunisia does not want to develop diplomatic relations with Israel
: with the mediation of the USA, Israel recently normalized its relations with a number of Arab countries.
A US-Israeli delegation made a special trip to Morocco.
Tunisia doesn't want to know anything about it
The SPIEGEL + recommendations for today
Star conductor Thielemann on the poisoned culture of debate: "Then it says: Aha, he understands Pegida"
Cultural scientist on the consequences of Corona: "Loneliness is a curse for some, a blessing for others"
Grief counselor gives advice:
How mourners survive the holidays
Conflict researcher on "lateral thinking" and protest: "Rights and conspiracy-theoretical slogans are widely shared"
I wish you a good start to the day.
Your Susanne Beyer
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