3 Things To Know Today

Vintage movie countdown, illustration

Photo: Science Photo Library RF

1 Debt Ceiling Bill Approved By House Rules Committee

The debt ceiling bill negotiated by President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy made it over the first hurdle yesterday when it was approved by the Republican-led House Rules Committee. The 7-6 approval vote sets up a vote in the full House today. Two Republicans, Rep. Ralph Norman of South Carolina and Rep. Chip Roy of Texas voted no along with all four Democrats on the committee. The Fiscal Responsibility Act is getting criticism from both far-right Republicans and far-left Democrats and will need a majority in the House to move to the Democratically-controlled Senate. The bill would cap spending for the next two years, rescind around $28 billion in unspent COVID relief funds, and eliminate $1.4 billion in funding for the IRS among other cuts. SNAP, TANF, and Social Security benefits would remain untouched. Both McCarthy and Biden are speaking with legislators to sell the deal, which would still have to pass the Senate if the House passes it today. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has said that the current estimated default date for the federal government is Monday, so there’s a sense of urgency on Capitol Hill to get the votes done as soon as possible.

2 Davenport, Iowa Changes Course And Keeps Searching Collapsed Building After Another Person Found

After city officials in Davenport, Iowa said on Monday that they were considering demolishing the remains of a building that partially collapsed on Sunday, yesterday’s rescue of a ninth person trapped in the ruins has led to a change in plans. The woman rescued Monday was found when she stuck her head out of her apartment window on the fourth floor. Despite having originally reported that there were no people unaccounted for, officials now say that five people remain unaccounted for, including two that are most likely still in the wreckage. Assistant Chief Fire Marshal Jim Morris was emotional during a press conference yesterday, telling reporters that “We’re very sympathetic to the possibility” that there could be at least two people still in the building. A structural engineer said yesterday that the building “is in imminent danger of collapse,” and that the pile of debris is “helping hold up the building.” That means that efforts to clear away the rubble to continue searching for survivors could cause a full collapse.

3 Experts Warn That AI Raises "Risk Of Extinction"

A group of high-level scientists and tech leaders signed off on a new warning about artificial intelligence yesterday, saying that the advancement could threaten the existence of the human race. The statement was just 21 words long, and the group said that was on purpose; the statement was designed to be one that a wide range of scientists who might not agree on more specific warnings. The full statement signed by hundreds of leaders in the field was: “Mitigating the risk of extinction from AI should be a global priority alongside other societal-scale risks such as pandemics and nuclear war.” David Krueger, an assistant computer science professor at the University of Cambridge, said “I’m not wedded to some particular kind of risk,” then added, “I think there’s a lot of different ways for things to go badly.”


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