National

28 istry urging its citizens to leave Turkey, on Tuesday, Turkey acknowledged that “some countries” had issued travel The Jewish Home | JUNE 16, 2022 warnings against visiting the country, although it did not mention Israel. Still, it insists that it is a “safe country and continues to fight against terrorism,” a statement from Ankara said. “These travel warnings are considered to be related to different international developments and motives.”

Biden to Visit the

Holy Land

U.S. President Joe Biden will arrive in Israel on July 13 for his first official visit to the Jewish State since taking office nearly one-and-a-half years ago.

In a statement, Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett clarified that Biden’s visit “will deepen the special relationship and the strategic partnership between the two countries, as well as strengthen the U.S. commitment to the security and stability of Israel and the region.”

He stated, “The President’s visit will also reveal the steps that are being taken by the U.S. to integrate Israel into the Middle East and increase the prosperity of the entire region. In addition to this, the U.S. and Israel will be forging agreements set to strengthen the civilian and security cooperation between the two countries and take the U.S.-Israel alliance to new heights.”

During his visit, Biden will meet Palestinian Authority figures and travel to Saudi Arabia. He is also expected to attend a summit of the Gulf Cooperation Council, which will also include Egypt, Iraq and Jordan.

Biden will be in Israel on July 13-14; his Middle East tour is expected to last from July 13-16.

Standardizing Electric Vehicle Charging Prices

The Biden administration aims to equate electric vehicle charging stations with regular gas stations.

Under a proposed rule, the half-million electric vehicle chargers to be funded by the government would become interoperable and be open to anyone. The stations would also be built along highways.

Along with the changes to charging stations, the administration is working to require standardized pricing and payment systems and developing fastcharging battery technology.

The proposal came from the Department of Transportation and the Department of Energy.

Last year, U.S. President Joe Biden announced a goal that half the vehicles sold in the United States by 2030 will be battery electric, fuel-cell electric, or plug-in hybrid.

In a statement, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said, “To support the transition to electric vehicles, we must build a national charging network that makes finding a charge as easy as filling up at a gas station.”

Yellowstone Closed Due to Floods

An overwhelming amount of flooding in Yellowstone National Park and surrounding areas have forced residents to flee and have prompted the closure of the park. Some residents have been left without safe drinking water due to a broken water main and submerged wells.

“Our first priority has been to evac-

uate the northern section of the park where we have multiple road and bridge failures, mudslides and other issues,” Yellowstone Superintendent Cam Sholly said in a statement on Monday.

Immediately north of the Yellowstone, several cities in Montana’s Park County are also experiencing extensive flooding, which has washed out bridges and roads, making it unsafe to travel or impossible to evacuate.

The Yellowstone River, which runs through the park and several Park County cities, swelled to a record high on Monday due to recent heavy rainfall and significant runoff from melting snow in higher elevations.

The Yellowstone River gauge at Corwin Springs, Montana, reached 13.88 feet Monday afternoon, surpassing the historical high crest of 11.5 feet from 1918, NOAA river gauge data shows.

In June so far, precipitation across northwestern Wyoming and southern Montana has been more that 400% of the region’s average.

The dramatic increase in rain has been coupled with near-record temperatures in the region that have caused snowmelt in areas of high elevation. Overnight Sunday, the snowmelt made its way into streams and rivers, further adding to the floodwaters.

The National Guard is on hand to help residents who are trying to flee.

Bipartisan Gun Deal

A bipartisan group of senators unveiled an agreement in principle for gun safety legislation this week.

Sunday’s announcement includes the support of 10 Republican senators, enough to overcome the filibuster. The Democrat senators aim to draft the bill and keep their Republican colleagues on board before the next recess.

The new legislation would provide significant funding to help states create new “red flag laws,” while providing those states which already have laws on the books with funding to improve the effectiveness of programs already established.

The legislation would also include “major investments to increase access to mental health and suicide prevention programs; and other support services available in the community, including crisis and trauma intervention and recovery.”

It will also address the “boyfriend loophole” regarding whether unmarried partners may keep guns if found guilty of violence against a dating partner. Currently, only those who have been married to, lived with, or had a child with a partner they have been convicted of abusing are blocked from having a gun.

In addition, there will be a more thorough review process for those between ages 18-21 who wish to purchase a weapon such as an AR-15. The review process would need to be completed within three days but could be extended by another seven if the review raises concerns.

The legislation would also require more of those selling firearms to be registered as licensed firearm dealers and would provide funds to “help institute safety measures in and around primary and secondary schools,” as well as supporting “school violence prevention efforts.”

The legislation does not include expanding background checks for all firearm sales or transfers in the U.S., or banning military-style assault weapons. Nor does it change the age at which a person is eligible to purchase a weapon.

Warnings of a “Crypto Winter”

This week, crypto exchange Coin-

32 base said that it is laying off 18% of its employees as the digital currency market continues to crumble. The Jewish Home | JUNE 16, 2022 According to CEO Brian Armstrong, the “difficult decision” to lay off about 1,000 employees was made to ensure “we stay healthy during this economic downturn.” The exchange has more than 4,900 employees. Armstrong warned of a looming economic downturn that could extend the latest bear market for crypto. “We appear to be entering a recession after a 10-plus year economic boom,” Armstrong wrote. “A recession could lead to another crypto winter and could last for an extended period.” Coinbase’s market value has imploded as investors continue to sell off crypto, bailing out of risky assets in anticipation of sharp increases in interest rates to tackle inflation. Bitcoin hit an all-time high of $69,000 in November 2021. Since then, the world’s most valuable cryptocurrency has lost two-thirds of its value, tumbling below $23,000 on Tuesday. It has lost about 25% of its value since Friday.

Crowded Primary in Alaska

A total of four dozen candidates will compete in the special primary election to fill Alaska’s only House seat.

The vote is being held to replace GOP Rep. Don Young, who died in March after serving 49 years in Congress.

Among the more prominent candidates are former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin and North Pole Councilman Santa Claus.

According to Alaskan insiders, Palin, software executive Nick Begich III, and 2020 Senate contender Al Gross are the best-positioned to win the race due to their name recognition. If they all make the cut, that would leave just one general election slot for the other 45 candidates.

Although former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin is the best-known candidate, over half of respondents in a Must Read Alaska poll reported an unfavorable opinion of her.

Santa Claus, an independent who came in fourth in May’s Alaska Survey Research poll, says he is broadly aligned with Vermont’s Senator Bernie Sanders.

Rep. Mary Peltola and Anchorage Assemblyman Christopher Constant, both Democrats, would likely be the only ones in their party to advance. Peltola is an Alaska native and served as state senator for 10 years; according to consultants, she is a possible contender for the fourth spot.

The mail-in ballots, which were sent out on April 27, must be postmarked by June 11.

The August 16 special general election will use ranked-choice voting.

Defending the Middle East Against Iran

Bipartisan groups of U.S. lawmakers last week introduced legislation aimed at creating an integrated air defense system to increase cooperation between Israel and neighboring Arab states against Iran, the Times of Israel reported.

The Deterring Enemy Forces and Enabling National Defenses (DEFEND) Act would authorize the U.S. Department of Defense to cooperate with Israel, Egypt, Jordan, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman, and Kuwait to develop and implement an integrated defense structure against Iranian threats.

It is not clear whether any of the countries listed were consulted by the lawmakers, or whether they are willing to cooperate with such an effort.

The idea for a joint air defense system was proposed during the Negev Summit in March and discussed in talks between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia. The legislation, if passed, would require the Department of Defense to issue within 180 days a report to Congress on the feasibility of establishing such an air defense system to counter Iran’s ballistic missile, drone, and rocket programs.

In the Senate, the bill is being introduced by Democrats Jacky Rosen and Cory Booker and Republicans Joni Ernst and James Lankford. In the House, it is being introduced by Democrats Brad Schneider, David Trone and Jimmy Panetta and Republicans McMorris Rodgers, Ann Wagner and Don Bacon.

In a statement, Schneider said, “Iran is on the one-yard line in their pursuit of a nuclear weapon and is threatening our allies in the region in numerous other ways. Strengthening our allies by building unity and enhancing shared security capabilities is critical to confronting Iranian threats to the region.

“U.S. leadership, in developing integrated air and missile defense, would provide essential security, stability, and a unified defense to the region. The DEFEND Act is a prime example of the important, bipartisan, bicameral work that Congress must prioritize in our pursuit of regional peace and stability.”

Gov’t to Blame for Covid Fraud

It was the U.S. government’s fault that so many people frauded coronavirus federal aid programs, says Democratic Rep. James Clyburn.

Clyburn blamed the Trump administration for the problems in the COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program, overseen by the U.S. Small Business Administration, amid revelations that as much as 20% of the money may have been awarded to fraudsters. He said that basic steps were not enacted to prevent such fraud. As such, much money was taken by fraudsters and depleted the funds left for other small businesses.

Now, Clyburn says, the Biden administration has implemented measures to identify potential fraud and directed loan officers to address indications of fraud before approving loans, while Congress has invested in fraud prevention and accountability.

Clyburn is the head of a congressional panel examining the payouts.

House Majority Whip Steve Scalise noted the Trump administration and Congress worked together at the beginning of the pandemic, when uncertainty was rampant and much of the economy was locked down, to deliver “much needed relief as fast as we could to help save as many jobs as we could” and prevent the economy from crashing.

Scalise, a Republican, noted that Democrats are undermining the successes, and asked why the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis wasn’t looking into the enhanced unemployment insurance program that was plagued by “egregious and unprecedented fraud” and is a “leading contributor” to the high inflation rates.

The SBA’s Office of the Inspector General has estimated that at least $80 billion distributed from the $400 billion EIDL program could have been fraudulent, much of it in scams using stolen identities. Separately, staff for the select subcommittee issued a report on Tuesday that found that some 1.6 million applications for the loans may have been approved without being evaluated.

The SBA’s inspector general, Hannibal “Mike” Ware, noted that initially there was a huge struggle at the agency about the “need for speed versus the need for controls.” He said he was “screaming” about the need for fraud controls. For him, the most concerning thing was self-certification, which meant applicants could say they had a business or a certain number of employees and get money.

The Secret Service said in December that nearly $100 billion has been stolen from COVID-19 relief programs, basing that estimate on its cases and data from the Labor Department and the Small Business Administration.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency may have been double-billed for the funerals of hundreds of people who died of COVID-19, the Government Accountability Office said in April.

Rat Control

Rats roam the streets of San Francisco and Los Angeles, both among the top five “rattiest” cities in the country. Now, those two Californian cities are attempting to reduce their rat population