The New York congresswoman calls for stronger action after Biden backs a filibuster exception to protect abortion access.

Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has praised President Joe Biden for signalling his support to alter the filibuster in order to protect abortion rights, following the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.

Biden’s remarks came on the final day of a NATO summit in Madrid. The president, who served as a senator for 36 years, expressed his shift in position on the filibuster in the wake of the Supreme Court’s historic ruling. “We have to codify Roe v. Wade into law,” he said, outlining that Congress should take action, even if it means bypassing the filibuster. “If the filibuster gets in the way, we should provide an exception for this action to address the Supreme Court decision,” he added.

The filibuster, a procedural tactic requiring a 60-vote threshold to overcome, has long been a barrier for passing legislation in the Senate. While Democrats currently hold 50 seats, Vice President Kamala Harris can cast a tiebreaking vote, meaning they fall short of the 60 votes typically needed. Moreover, moderate Democrats, such as Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema, have consistently opposed changing the filibuster rules, making it more difficult to pass sweeping reforms.

In response, Ocasio-Cortez, one of the most vocal members of the progressive faction of the Democratic Party, voiced her approval of Biden’s remarks, tweeting, “Now we’re talking! Time for people to see a real, forceful push for it. Use the bully pulpit. We need more.”

Democratic senators are now facing the crucial challenge of retaining their majority in the upcoming midterm elections, while also hoping to add more seats to make filibuster reform a reality. The ultimate goal is to pass legislation that would protect abortion access and enshrine Roe v. Wade protections into law. In May, Senator Manchin joined Republicans in blocking the Women’s Health Protection Act, a key piece of legislation aimed at safeguarding abortion rights, effectively halting its progress.

Ocasio-Cortez’s comments reflect the growing frustration among progressives, who have long called for stronger action to protect reproductive rights and ensure federal protections against state-level restrictions. With Biden’s endorsement of a filibuster exception, the debate over abortion rights and Senate procedural rules is poised to intensify in the months ahead.

Los Angeles County returns land to descendants of Black couple who were dispossessed in the 1920s, after a century-long fight for justice.

In a historic move, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors has voted to return valuable beachfront property in California to the descendants of a Black couple whose land was wrongfully seized nearly a century ago. The decision comes after years of legal battles and legislative action aimed at righting a historic wrong.

On Tuesday, the Board voted unanimously in favour of transferring the parcels of land, located in Manhattan Beach and previously known as Bruce’s Beach, to the heirs of Willa and Charles Bruce. The couple had purchased the property in 1912, establishing the first resort for African Americans on the West Coast at a time when many beaches were racially segregated. However, in the 1920s, the local government, influenced by racist pressure from white residents, forcibly took the land from the Bruces through eminent domain. The property was then left unused, transferred to the state of California in 1948, and later to the county in 1995, with restrictions on future sales or transfers.

The long-awaited resolution came after a series of legislative steps. The state of California passed a crucial bill that lifted restrictions preventing the transfer of the property, and last month, the county confirmed that Marcus and Derrick Bruce, the great-grandsons of Willa and Charles, were the rightful heirs.

Los Angeles County Board Chair Holly J. Mitchell, a co-author of the motion, immediately signed the paperwork following the vote, paving the way for the family to reclaim their land. Mitchell expressed that, while it is impossible to undo the damage caused by the land’s confiscation, the move marks a positive step towards justice. “We can’t change the past, but this is a start,” she said emotionally before the vote.

Supervisor Janice Hahn, who spearheaded the process, echoed Mitchell’s sentiments, stating that returning the land offers the Bruces’ descendants the opportunity to rebuild the generational wealth that was stolen from them. “This will allow them to move forward and have a stake in the future,” she remarked.

The property, currently home to the county’s lifeguard training centre and parking lot, will be leased back to the county for the next 24 months. The agreement also includes an option for the county to purchase the land for up to $20 million. The annual rent will be $413,000, with the county covering all maintenance and operational costs.

In a statement, Anthony Bruce, the family spokesman, expressed the significance of the decision. “It means the world to us, but it is bittersweet,” he said. “My great-great-grandparents, Willa and Charles, built a business to give Black people a place to socialise, and it was taken away from them because of the colour of their skin. It destroyed them financially and took away their opportunity at the American Dream.”

The return of Bruce’s Beach marks a landmark moment in a broader movement to address the historic injustices faced by Black Americans, especially when it comes to land ownership. Supervisor Hahn declared that while this might be the first of its kind, it should not be the last: “This is just the beginning. We need to continue pushing for justice for all those who were wronged.”

The return of Bruce’s Beach to the heirs of Willa and Charles Bruce represents a small but powerful step toward acknowledging and rectifying the lasting impact of racial discrimination on Black families and their pursuit of wealth and opportunity in America.

The UK Foreign Secretary stresses the importance of Ukraine reclaiming all occupied land and warns against the consequences of an ‘uneasy peace’.

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss has warned against an “uneasy peace” that would involve Ukraine conceding any territory lost to Russia since 2014. Speaking in advance of a major NATO summit in Madrid, where leaders are expected to endorse a significant reshaping of the alliance, Truss emphasised the need for sustained Western support for Ukraine’s fight against Russian aggression.

In an interview with Die Welt, La Repubblica, and El Pais, Truss reiterated her belief that the West must provide “all the equipment, training, and support” to Kyiv to ensure its success. She highlighted the dire consequences for Europe if Ukraine fails to repel Russia’s forces, stressing that the security of the continent is at stake.

“What we cannot afford is an uneasy peace, where Russia maintains a foothold in Ukraine. This approach will never work,” Truss said, pointing to the 2014 Minsk agreements, which she claimed allowed Russia to regroup and launch further aggression. “We cannot allow history to repeat itself,” she warned.

Truss’s comments come as Prime Minister Boris Johnson prepares to join fellow NATO leaders in Madrid for a summit focused on updating the military alliance’s strategy. While Johnson has previously suggested that Ukraine’s borders should return to their pre-February 2022 state, Truss made a more definitive call for the recovery of all Ukrainian territory seized since Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014.

“Ultimately, I believe all parts of Ukraine have been illegally occupied,” Truss stated. “This is about what the Ukrainians want, and President Zelensky has been very clear that they intend to reclaim their territory.”

The Foreign Secretary also reiterated the importance of holding Russia accountable for its actions, particularly for war crimes committed during the ongoing invasion. She stressed the necessity of ensuring that Russia is unable to pose a future threat to its neighbours.

When asked if she was prepared for the possibility that the West could be supporting Ukraine’s defence against Russia for a decade, Truss responded firmly: “We are in this for the long haul.” She added, “The more we do now, the sooner we are likely to see Ukraine prevail.”

Discussing the possibility of direct confrontation with Russia, Truss stated that “all forces must be prepared for all eventualities,” while stressing the importance of strengthening NATO’s defence posture in Eastern Europe. She stopped short of specifying a number for the permanent presence required in the region but noted that Europe’s security has been permanently compromised by Russia’s actions.

“The Russian invasion has made security in Europe permanently worse,” Truss said. “NATO’s response must be to increase its presence and ensure it remains permanent in the region.”

Truss also echoed Prime Minister Johnson’s concerns about the risks of “fatigue” setting in among Western nations, urging continued unity in supporting Ukraine. She praised the “absolute unity” of the G7 nations in backing Ukraine’s cause.

On the rising cost of energy and the economic impact of sanctions on Russia, Truss emphasised the long-term importance of Western support for Ukraine. “The cost to us of not supporting Ukraine and failing to ensure its victory is far greater,” she said, referencing the economic difficulties many Western countries are facing due to rising energy prices.

In conclusion, Truss made it clear that the fight against Russian aggression is not just a battle for Ukraine, but a crucial test for global security and stability. “We must not shy away from our responsibilities. The consequences of failure are too great,” she said.

A bipartisan group of senators decides to halt the Department of Veterans Affairs’ commission responsible for facility closures and changes.

Senator Joe Manchin has revealed that a bipartisan group of U.S. senators has agreed to dismantle a commission created by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to oversee closures, downsizing, and other major changes to medical facilities across the country. The West Virginia Democrat, who serves on the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, confirmed that the senators would block the filling of vacancies on the VA’s Assets and Infrastructure Review (AIR) Commission and move to disband it as part of the next National Defense Authorization Act.

The AIR Commission had proposed the closure or downsizing of several aging VA facilities, which raised concerns for Manchin, especially regarding the potential impact on rural veterans. Some veterans’ groups, however, had supported the commission’s recommendations, arguing that such changes were necessary to modernise and enhance VA healthcare services.

Manchin stated that, without Senate approval for the commission and its appointees, the process outlined by the 2018 VA Mission Act would effectively stall. This act mandated that the VA develop recommendations for medical facilities, focusing on either expansions, closures, relocations, or other changes to improve healthcare delivery.

For example, the commission’s suggestions included reducing the size of three out of four VA medical centres in West Virginia and closing four outpatient clinics in New Mexico. Manchin, along with several other senators, opposed these proposals, arguing that they would disadvantage veterans in both rural and urban areas.

The bipartisan group of senators expressed their strong opposition to the commission’s recommendations, declaring that the process would undermine the country’s obligations to its veterans. The group’s statement emphasised that modernising VA infrastructure is critical, but that it could be achieved without resorting to the closure of vital facilities. They affirmed their commitment to ensuring the VA receives the necessary resources to provide high-quality care in state-of-the-art facilities.

Senators who signed the letter alongside Manchin include Democrats Jon Tester (Montana), Martin Heinrich and Ben Ray Luján (New Mexico), Maggie Hassan (New Hampshire), Sherrod Brown (Ohio), and Patty Murray (Washington), as well as Republicans Shelley Moore Capito (West Virginia), Mike Rounds and John Thune (South Dakota), Rob Portman (Ohio), and Steve Daines (Montana).

However, the Concerned Veterans for America group condemned the senators’ decision, claiming it would leave veterans trapped in an outdated and ineffective system. Darin Selnick, a senior adviser for the group, described the decision as “short-sighted” and argued that the AIR Commission’s recommendations were the best opportunity to modernise the VA healthcare system to meet the evolving needs of veterans.

In March, the VA issued preliminary recommendations, sparking initial concerns among a group of bipartisan senators led by Manchin. The senators had urged President Joe Biden to ensure that rural perspectives were adequately represented in the commission’s final report.

This latest move by the Senate signals a major setback for the VA’s plan to reform its facilities, with lawmakers now focusing on alternative ways to enhance services for veterans while preserving key healthcare infrastructure across the United States.