U.S. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) makes a statement to members of the news media in Washington, U.S., February 27, 2024.
For months, we’ve all wondered how US House Speaker Mike Johson was going to square this circle: The Biden administration, most Democrats, and much of the GOP establishment want more aid for Israel and Ukraine, while hardliners in Johnson’s own Republican Party, led by Georgia congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, say foreign wars aren’t America’s business and that border security is more important.
Now we know. The Louisiana Republican plans to break that unsquarable circle into a handful of little strips (this metaphor ends here, we promise) – crafting country-specific aid bills for Israel, Ukraine, and Taiwan.
The move may skirt a right-wing rebellion in Congress, but it’s a rebuke to the White House, which had called for Johnson to simply take up a version of a bipartisan Senate bill from February, which earmarked $95 billion for Israel and Ukraine.
Johnson thinks he can get the split-up bills passed as soon as this week, but we’re watching to see if his separate-but-equal strategy provokes a backlash from Democrats, whose support he needs to bring these new bills to a vote in the Senate.
Cyber threats to water and wastewater systems are no longer hypothetical, and they pose real risks to public health, economic stability, and community trust. In collaboration with the Cyber Readiness Institute (CRI) and the Center on Cyber Technology and Innovation (CCTI), Microsoft released new findings showing that cybersecurity training alone isn’t enough to close the readiness gap in the water sector. Drawing on a pilot program, the report finds that pairing accessible training with hands‑on coaching significantly improves cyber resilience, especially for smaller and resource‑constrained utilities. The takeaway is clear: moving from awareness to preparedness requires practical, trusted support—not just guidance—offering a model that could strengthen cybersecurity across other critical infrastructure sectors as well. Read the full blog here.
A tanker carrying Russian oil is headed toward Cuba, setting up a potential confrontation with the US military around the communist-run Caribbean island.
Rahm Emanuel says the arrival of Russian oil tankers in Cuba is a direct test of whether President Trump can distinguish between political theater and a real strategic threat.