Domestic
Divisions with the Republican Party Congressmen and Senators were put on full display this week as another historic speaker vacancy and Senate impeachment might become reality. On the House side, Congressman Marjorie Taylor Greene put a resolution to the floor prompting a vote of no confidence for Speaker Mike Johnson. This comes after Johnson negged on Republican priorities and attempting to pass foreign aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan. Johnson has said he would not resign and many powerful House Republicans have expressed disdain for a vacancy vote, though Greene claims she has support on her side. On the Senate floor, this week’s articles of impeachment for Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas were delivered and senators were sworn in as jurors. This marks the second time a Cabinet level official has been impeached by the House and tried in the Senate. Many Republican senators support the impeachment, but various ones, particularly Senator Mitt Romney, claim there are no impeachment grounds and this is a policy dispute. This is happening all while Republicans are trying to navigate their priorities and positions as they try to expand the House, win back the Senate and move-in a Republican to the White House next year.
History was made this week as the first trial of former US President Donald Trump began its jury selection. Trump was indicted last summer on 34 counts of felony charges by the District Attorney of Manhattan on accounts that he broke campaign finance laws to pay hush money to porn star Stormy Daniels to cover an affair. On Monday, 200 people were summoned to appear in front of Judge Juan Merchan to see if they would be selected. Only 7 made it, including a salesman, an oncology nurse, an IT consultant, a teacher and a software engineer. The slim number is likely due to potential political bias people may show that may hinder their impartiality. Additionally, a potential list of witnesses were revealed to the public, including members of Trump’s family and legal team. Trump is facing a gag order he calls “unconstitutional” and must appear at all times to the trial. The Republican nominee for President in 2024 is hoping to turn this legal peril into a political boost against his opponents, claiming the justice system is rigged against him.
International
According to an exit poll cited by state and other media outlets, Croatia’s governing conservatives emerged victorious in a fiercely contested parliamentary election on Wednesday, although they fell short of securing a majority to govern independently. The election featured a showdown between the incumbent conservative Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ), headed by Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic, and a coalition of centrist and left-leaning parties, informally spearheaded by populist President Zoran Milanovic and his Social Democratic Party (SDP). The non-affiliated Ipsos polling agency reported that the HDZ secured 59 out of the 151 parliamentary seats, while the SDP attained 43 seats. The election took place amidst Croatia’s domestic challenges, including grappling with the highest inflation rate in the eurozone, a scarcity of labor, illegal migration and allegations of pervasive corruption, despite being a member of the European Union and NATO.
On Saturday, a significant aerial assault targeted Israel, with multiple Iranian missiles striking Israeli territory, signifying a perilous escalation in the region that raises the specter of lethal confrontations between Israel and Iran. The assault severely injured a 10-year-old girl, but otherwise caused no casualties. Around 31 individuals received medical attention for anxiety or injuries sustained while heading to a secure location during the sounding of sirens. Iran’s U.N. Mission issued a statement attributing Iran’s military response to Israel’s assault on an Iranian diplomatic facility in Syria, likely referring to the bombing of an Iranian consular building in Damascus on April 1, which resulted in the deaths of two generals and five officers from the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps. President Joe Biden reported having a conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu overnight, reiterating the United States’ commitment to Israel’s security. He commended Israel’s capability to repel attacks, signaling a warning to those who threaten the security of the Jewish state.
