Spaniards go on strike over housing costs
Spanish workers are taking to the streets today for the country’s first general strike in 14 years, protesting against a severe housing crisis and soaring living costs. The timing might seem bad for Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez – who faces snap elections on November 29 – but his government actually encouraged the strike. With his Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party sliding in the polls, Sánchez has sought to capitalize on public anger over housing costs, which came to a head this summer after an 87-year-old woman was evicted from her Madrid apartment. By backing the protests, Sánchez hopes to cast his party as the champion of housing reform ahead of the vote. But it’s a risky gamble. The conservative People’s Party and far-right Vox have been surging in the polls after the mass wave of migration in the Spanish enclave of Ceuta this summer.
Democrats’ internal battle over the new Congress begins
One week after scoring majorities in the US House and Senate, Democrats’ battles over the party’s direction in the new Congress are taking shape. Progressive and independent Sen. Bernie Sanders, who caucuses with Democrats, said on Tuesday he would not support Sen. Chuck Schumer as majority leader in January. Sanders was joined by Sen. Elissa Slotkin, who called for a broader discussion on who should lead Senate Democrats, along with a number of newly elected progressive senators, some of whom argued Schumer, who has led democrats in the Senate since 2017, is too old and too moderate to lead. However, Schumer’s election only requires a majority of Senate Democrats to support him, which he appears on track to win if no one else announces a run. Across the aisle, Republicans re-elected Sen. John Thune as party leader in the chamber, and House Republicans chose Trump ally Rep. Jim Jordan as minority leader, who pitched himself as best prepared to push back against the Democratic majority.
El Salvador’s venture into Haiti begins to divide the Trump administration
Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele’s military adventure into Haiti is getting increasingly aggressive. On Monday, he posted a video on X showing a Salvadoran helicopter destroying an alleged gang headquarters after crowdsourcing its location directly from a social media user. And last week, Salvadoran helicopters fired on gangs attacking members of the UN-backed Gang Suppression Force (GSF), but hit the nearby US Embassy building in the process, according to US officials. Although President Donald Trump reportedly gave Bukele his blessing to send troops to Haiti, it may be causing a rift in the Trump administration. State Department officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, worry that poor coordination between the Salvadorans and the GSF – which the Trump administration has strongly supported – could undermine efforts to restore order in Haiti.
