
Why Republicans are ready to kill the $300 pandemic unemployment boost
CNN
Even as Congress raced to rescue the nation from the coronavirus pandemic last spring, Republican lawmakers were raising red flags about expanding unemployment benefits -- particularly providing the jobless with a weekly federal supplement worth hundreds of dollars.
Now, as the country seeks to emerge from the outbreak that has left millions of Americans out of work, a growing chorus of GOP officials and business owners say that it's time to end the historic enhancement in order to push more people to rejoin the labor force. At least three red-state governors have already moved to do so. Friday's disappointing jobs report -- which showed the US economy added a scant 266,000 jobs in April -- has only heaped fuel on the fire.
The Trump administration is preparing to use private military contractors to protect oil and energy assets in Venezuela rather than deploying US troops, according to two sources familiar with the plans, setting up a potential boon for security firms with experience in the region and ties to the administration.

Maria Corina Machado, the Venezuelan opposition leader and 2025 Nobel Peace Prize winner, arrives in Washington this week for high-stakes talks with US President Donald Trump on the future of Venezuela following the ouster of Nicolás Maduro. The meeting comes after Trump surprised many by allowing Maduro’s vice president, Delcy Rodríguez, to assume control, dashing opposition hopes for a new democratic era.

Most Americans see an immigration officer’s fatal shooting of Minneapolis resident Renee Good as an inappropriate use of force, a new CNN poll conducted by SSRS finds. Roughly half view it as a sign of broader issues with the way US Immigration and Customs Enforcement is operating, with less than one-third saying that ICE operations have made cities safer.










