(CHICAGO) — The body of a missing 25-year-old Northwestern University Ph.D. student has been recovered in Chicago’s Diversey Harbor, the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office said Tuesday night.
Peter Salvino was last seen when he left a party in Chicago’s Lincoln Park neighborhood on Saturday night, police said.
Chicago police said they “responded to a follow-up investigation” at the harbor Tuesday night, Chicago ABC station WLS reported.
Salvino’s last known contact was via FaceTime at 12:15 a.m. on Sunday, according to police.
He had FaceTimed a friend at 11:59 p.m. saying he was walking home and was about 30 minutes away, according to a family spokesperson. When the friend called Salvino back at about 12:15 a.m., Salvino said he was still walking, the spokesperson said.
At 12:31 a.m., Savlino’s phone pinged near Diversey Harbor, a marina by the Lincoln Park neighborhood, the spokesperson said.
Salvino, a Ph.D. candidate in Northwestern’s interdepartmental neuroscience program, was reported missing on Sunday by his family, according to the university.
(NEW YORK) — After polling Twitter users, Elon Musk on Tuesday night said he will resign as head of the social media platform.
“I will resign as CEO as soon as I find someone foolish enough to take the job! After that, I will just run the software & servers teams,” he tweeted.
Musk polled Twitter users Sunday night on whether he should step down as head of the company.
The poll ended Monday morning, with 57.5% of voters saying he should step down and 42.5% saying he shouldn’t.
“I will abide by the results of this poll,” Musk had pledged Sunday night.
“As the saying goes, be careful what you wish, as you might get it,” he also tweeted Sunday, later adding: “Those who want power are the ones who least deserve it.”
Musk, who acquired Twitter in October, helms electric carmaker Tesla and spacecraft company SpaceX. He said on Sunday that he has not selected a successor for the top position at the social media platform.
“No one wants the job who can actually keep Twitter alive,” Musk said.
(RIO DELL, Calif.) — Two people are dead and a California town was left a “total mess” following a 6.4-magnitude earthquake that struck the coast, according to local officials.
There is no power or water in the city of Rio Dell after the earthquake caused a major water main break and shook homes off their foundations, a Humboldt County official said Tuesday morning.
The “notable” 6.4-magnitude earthquake struck the northern coast of California early Tuesday, the U.S. Geological Survey said.
Preliminary data placed the center of the quake along the Pacific Coast about 7.5 miles away from Ferndale, California, USGS said. The quake was recorded at about 2:34 a.m. local time.
Two people, a 72-year-old and an 83-year-old, were killed in Humboldt County as “a result of medical emergencies occurring during and/or just following the earthquake,” officials said.
At least 12 people were injured as a result of the earthquake, Humboldt County Sheriff William Honsal announced Tuesday morning, adding that the number is expected to rise.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency Tuesday evening in response to the quake.
“The emergency proclamation enables Humboldt County to access resources under the California Disaster Assistance Act, directs Caltrans to formally request immediate assistance through the Federal Highway Administration’s Emergency Relief Program and supports impacted residents by easing access to unemployment benefits and waiving fees to replace records such as marriage and birth certificates, among other provisions,” he said in a statement.
Multiple people were rescued Tuesday morning after they were trapped in a building that collapsed, Samantha Kargas, public information officer for the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office, told ABC News.
About 29,000 customers in Humboldt County were still without power Tuesday night, according to tracking website PowerOutage.us.
“Power is out across the county,” officials said on Twitter, adding in all-caps: “Do not call 911 unless you are experiencing an immediate emergency.”
The sheriff’s office also said there was “widespread” damage to roads and homes throughout Humboldt County, including the Fernbridge in Ferndale. There were at least two injuries in the county, both from falls, a spokesperson for the sheriff’s office said.
A home caught on fire when a water heater severed a gas line, Humboldt County officials said.
Approximately 15 homes have been red-tagged, meaning they suffered damage and have been deemed unsafe to go inside, while 18 homes have been yellow-tagged and have suffered moderate damage, according to county officials.
State Route 211 was closed at Fernbridge after the roadways and a bridge suffered possible seismic damage, according to the California Department of Transportation.
Significant damage was also recorded in Fortuna, where stores were seen with broken windows due to the tremors.
The quake was large enough to trigger a “ShakeAlert” that was sent to cellphones by FEMA’s Wireless Emergency Alert System, officials said.
“We hope everyone is safe and if you felt shaking or got an alert you took a protective action like Drop, Cover, and Hold On,” USGS said.
A tsunami wasn’t expected, according to the U.S. National Tsunami Warning Center, which reported the quake at a preliminary magnitude of 6.1.
ABC News’ Izzy Alvarez, Teddy Grant, Keith Harden, Liz Kreutz, Bonnie McLean, Lissette Rodriguez and Jennifer Watts contributed to this report.
(WASHINGTON) — The Democratic-controlled House Ways and Means Committee voted Tuesday to make public some documents related to former President Donald Trump’s tax returns — a move Trump has long fought.
The committee met for several hours behind closed doors Tuesday afternoon and then returned to vote 24-16 in open session to release the information related to Trump’s tax returns from 2015-2020.
It’s not clear what documents will be released or ultimately included in the committee’s report, but there will be two days to redact sensitive information before anything is made public.
Chairman Richard Neal, D- Mass., said after the vote, “This is not being punitive. This is not about being malicious.”
The tax returns will cover six years, from 2015 to 2020, Neal later said. The committee is in the process of redacting personal information and will release the documents once that’s finished, which Neal said could be in a “few days.” The six years of returns, including those of eight affiliated businesses; committee reports, a report from the Joint Committee on Taxation and IRS audit reports are expected to be released.
Neal told reporters that the committee found there was no ongoing audit of Trump’s tax returns during his presidency until the committee requested them, despite an IRS requirement that tax returns filed by a sitting president or vice president are subject to audit.
Neal said the audit only began in 2019 after he requested the returns and said the audits of the requested returns were never completed.
“The tax forms were really never audited and only my sending a letter at one point prompted a rear-view mirror response,” Neal said.
The committee earlier unanimously voted to have a transcript of the closed proceedings released when appropriate.
Before the committee met, multiple boxes of Trump tax return-related documents were seen being wheeled into the room.
The committee obtained the information from the Treasury Department last month, after the U.S. Supreme Court denied Trump’s request to block an appears court order that he surrender his tax returns and other financial records to the committee.
It marked the fourth time Trump had lost a high court appeal related to requests for his taxes.
It’s not immediately clear what significant new information might be in the committee’s possession. Prosecutors in New York have already been able to access some of the data, but some of what the committee has could be more recent.
Tuesday’s vote came a day after the House Jan. 6 committee voted to make criminal referrals about Trump to the Justice Department.
The committee had requested six years’ worth of Trump’s returns as part of what it said was an investigation into IRS audit practices of presidents and vice presidents.
In his petition to the Supreme Court, Trump accused the committee of seeking his taxes under false pretenses.
In November, it was revealed that Trump reported nearly $1 billion in operating losses over a two-year period about a decade ago when an accountant testified at the criminal trial of the Trump Organization, spilling into public tax information that the former president has tried repeatedly to keep private.
The Ways and Means Committee move comes just two weeks before House Republicans are set to take majority control.
The Supreme Court offered no explanation for its decision and there was no noted dissent or vote breakdown.
“We knew the strength of our case, we stayed the course, followed the advice of counsel, and finally, our case has been affirmed by the highest court in the land,” Chairman Neal said at the time. “Since the Magna Carta, the principle of oversight has been upheld, and today is no different. This rises above politics, and the Committee will now conduct the oversight that we’ve sought for the last three and a half years.”
While Trump has claimed the subpoena is a politically motivated fishing expedition, the committee said the documents were critical for drafting “legislation on equitable tax administration, including legislation on the President’s tax compliance.”
The top Republican on the committee, Rep. Kevin Brady of Texas, has accused Democrats of making a major mistake in a “rush to target” Trump.
“Ways and Means Democrats are unleashing a dangerous new political weapon that reaches far beyond President Trump, and jeopardizes the privacy of every American,” Brady said in a statement ahead of Tuesday’s meeting.
“Going forward, partisans in Congress have nearly unlimited power to target political enemies by obtaining and making public their private tax returns to embarrass and destroy them. This is not limited to public officials, but can target private citizens, business and labor leaders, and Supreme Court justices,” he said.
He echoed that shortly before the members gathered, saying, “The precedent that we set today will have severe consequences for taxpayers in democracy.”
ABC News’ Tal Axelrod, Aaron Katersky, Devin Dwyer, Rachel Scott and Will Steakin contributed to this report.
(NEW YORK) — Over the past few weeks, reports have emerged of sporadic shortages of over-the-counter children’s medications including Children’s Tylenol, Motrin and ibuprofen in some locations.
It comes amid a respiratory virus season that started earlier than usual with the highest number of flu and RSV cases seen in years.
Experts said that due to an earlier and unprecedented demand of certain medications, some stores may have little to no supply of these products.
However, manufacturers told ABC News they are working to produce the drugs and get them on shelves as quickly as possible.
Here’s what we know about the drug shortage and what you can do if you come across empty shelves:
What’s the situation?
An early start to the respiratory illness season has led to a rush in Americans buying over-the-counter pain relievers and fever reducers, with sales up 65% this November compared to last year, Consumer Healthcare Products Association spokesperson Anita Brikman told ABC News.
“Every year, we have a flu season that hits in the fall,” Dr. Stephen Schondelmeyer, professor of pharmaceutical care and health systems at the University of Minnesota, told ABC News. “This year, though, the flu season — depending on which part of the country you’re in — hit four to eight weeks early and not only did it start early, but the flu season had several different respiratory illnesses that a person could have caught all at the same time.”
“So, they may have gotten the flu, they may have gotten respiratory syncytial virus, which is RSV. COVID is still out there and there are a couple of flu-like conditions that people could get,” Schondelmeyer continued. “So, we kind of had this perfect storm of respiratory conditions hitting earlier than typically would have occurred.”
Flu has been a particular challenge this year with the U.S. seeing the highest number of cases at this point in the season at least 10 years, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. What’s more, children aged 4 and younger have the second-highest weekly hospitalization rate after those aged 65 and older.
Additionally, although cases of RSV are currently trending downward, they hit a two-year-high in early November, according to data from the CDC.
Meanwhile, weekly COVID-19 cases have also increased over the last four weeks from 307,201 to 455,466, and children aged 4 and younger have the highest case rate among all children under age 18, according to the CDC.
A combination of these illnesses has led to some places reporting supply shortages across the U.S., although these vary by state and even by city.
Experts said because supply is refreshed at stores at different times, customers may see stocked shelves at various times of day depending on the store.
Purchases some children medications being limited
While there are supply issues due to the unprecedented demand, manufacturers and pharmacies said there is no national shortage of pediatric cold and flu medications in the U.S.
National chains — including CVS and Walgreens — have each said they will be limiting purchases of ibuprofen and acetaminophen due to high demand.
At CVS, purchases will be limited to two per customer and online at Walgreens, purchases will be limited to six per customer, although there will be no limit in store, the chains told ABC News.
Schondelmeyer said, currently, there’s not a production issue at factories or a lack of ingredients to make the mediations, but rather because the respiratory season started so earlier, stores and manufacturers haven’t had a chance to catch up.
“It’s sort of like if you’re running a race, but you find out that everybody else started an hour before you did,” he said. “So that’s what happened here. We’re still running the race, but the flu season started before the medicines did.”
Erin Fox, senior pharmacy director at University of Utah Health, agrees and speculates companies typically make products based on last year’s sales with some room for an increase over the previous year.
“Clearly, nobody was ready for a huge spike in need for these medications,” Fox, who studies drug shortages, told ABC News. “We know manufacturers are ramping up supply, but these are low-cost meds. There isn’t a stockpile or extra manufactured to be ready ‘just in case.'”
Rite Aid told ABC News it is experiencing high demand but will not be implementing purchase limits at this time.
What you can do
Brikman told ABC News that Americans should try to avoid stockpiling, which only worsens the problem and can lead to less access and price gouging for other families.
Therefore, parents should buy only what they need, especially because the supply is expected to match demand in a few weeks.
“We’ve been in touch with all the three major manufacturers of these products — they’ve confirmed they’re running their factories, their manufacturing facilities 24/7 and trying to just meet the demand,” Brikman said. “But we also understand that there have been intermittent out of stocks. Given this demand, we understand why retailers may have put some of these limits in place to try and prevent stocking up, which could mean another family can’t find the medicine as easily.”
If someone wants to buy these children’s medications, Brikman continued, “So we’re trying to get out the message, please, when you find this, purchase what you need for your family, but avoid the temptation to stock up because that may affect the next person who walks in the store.
She added it is the hope in the next few weeks that the supply will meet the demand and pharmacies will reach their normal availability of medications.
Schondelmeyer also warned that even if parents cannot find children’s medication, they should not give them adult medication because medicine for children is dosed based on weight and age. Giving them adult doses can have serious consequences.
“Parents should be cautious and don’t give your child a full adult dose because that could be harmful to them,” he said. “Do not use aspirin. If you find that the shelves are empty at the pharmacy, ask your pharmacist what alternatives are there or consider looking at other pharmacies as well, and the pharmacist can advise you on what the appropriate dose is for a child.”
He also said parents don’t need to give their kids fever-reducing medication unless the fever is persistent. If the medication is needed, Schondelmeyer suggests parents not just stick to brand names but also look for generic options.
“There are generic versions of these medicines that are the same medicine, that are just as safe, that work just as well,” he said. “And so, don’t hesitate to ask your pharmacist, ‘Is there a generic available?'”
Experts also say a compounded version of these drugs may be an option for some people who can’t go without them. Some pharmacies, called compounding pharmacies, can take one version of a drug, like a powder, and mix it into another version, such as a liquid medication. But any compounded drug needs a prescription because it is not FDA-approved.
“It’s not common to see [ibuprofen or acetaminophen] compounded. But it’s not very difficult to do,” Gus Bassani, chief scientific officer at the Professional Compounding Centers of America told ABC News.
ABC News’ Eric Strauss, Sasha Pezenik, Youri Benadjaoud and Nicole Westman contributed to this report.
(NEW YORK) — The Drug Enforcement Administration on Tuesday said it has seized more than 379 million deadly doses of fentanyl this year, as the country continues to struggle with an epidemic of drug overdose deaths.
The seizures include 50.6 million pills laced with the ultra-deadly synthetic opioid and 10,000 pounds of fentanyl powder, the DEA said.
“These seizures – enough deadly doses of fentanyl to kill every American – reflect the DEA’s unwavering commitment to protect Americans and save lives, by tenaciously pursuing those responsible for the trafficking of fentanyl across the United States,” DEA Administrator Anne Milgram said in a statement Friday.
Due to its potency, fentanyl is more easily transported across borders and often laced with drugs used recreationally, including powdered cocaine. Some pills are made to look like prescription drugs including Xanax, Percocet and OxyContin.
Opioid overdose deaths rose sharply among teens during the pandemic, largely driven by fentanyl, according to a study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released earlier this year.
The study found that deaths from opioid overdoses in teens ages 14 to 18 increased by 94% between 2019 and 2020, and by an additional 20% between 2020 and 2021.
Researchers found that adolescent fentanyl-related overdose deaths leaped 350% over the study between 2019 and 2020. Overall, fentanyl was associated with 77% of adolescent overdose deaths in 2021.
The seizures announced Tuesday represent just part of the massive flow of deadly illegal drugs flowing into the U.S. Last October, U.S. Customs and Border Protection seized 1,825.72 pounds of fentanyl at ports of entry along the southern border, putting authorities on track to exceed the 11,904 pounds seized during the entire previous year.
The DEA said two Mexican criminal organizations — the Sinaloa and Jalisco cartels — are the primary sources behind fentanyl trafficked into the U.S. Administrator Milgram said defeating the two cartels were the agency’s “top operational priority.”
Using chemicals shipped in from China, the DEA said criminal organizations create fentanyl in undercover factories before shipping pills and powder to the U.S.
(WASHINGTON) — The U.S. is expected to announce on Wednesday that it will provide Ukraine with Patriot missile defense systems and precision bomb kits that will turn dumb bombs into smart bombs guided by GPS coordinates toward their targets, according to U.S. officials.
The inclusion of both weapons systems in the new U.S. military aid package is significant because it will give Ukraine an advanced system to protect its cities from Russian air strikes and will give its air force a new offensive capability.
Since the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in late February, the United States has provided more than $19 billion in military aid to Ukraine.
The transfer of the advanced air defense system is something Ukrainian officials have been demanding since shortly after Russia invaded Ukraine in late February. It can target ballistic and cruise missiles as well as manned and unmanned aircraft with a maximum range of 100 miles, depending on the system possibly given to Ukraine.
But U.S. officials have not been open to that possibility until recently out of concern over how Russia might react to their presence in Ukraine as well as over what might be learned about the missile’s technology if a missile or its components were to fall into Russian hands.
The aid package will also include Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAM) kits that will convert “dumb” bombs into precision guided weapons that use GPS coordinates to strike a target. “Dumb bombs” is the name used to describe gravity bombs without guidance systems that are dropped directly over a target and are notoriously imprecise.
JDAM kits contain equipment that are attached to the front and back of a bomb to guide a bomb to a precise target using GPS coordinates.
Ukraine’s air force has been carrying out limited flight operations throughout the 10-month war and presumably the bomb kits will give it a new offensive capability.
It is unclear when both systems will arrive in Ukraine.
U.S. officials believe that, once the Patriot transfer is approved, a training program for Ukrainian troops could begin in Germany in a matter of weeks. But any training program will have to be much shorter than the training given to American soldiers that requires a minimum of five months of training followed by more advanced training.
A typical Patriot battery includes a radar system, a power generation supply, and a command and control station connected to several launch stations. With its sophisticated radar system it will be able to engage eight targets at a time.
The U.S. and its partners have resupplied Ukraine’s Soviet-era S-300 air defense missiles and provided Western air defense systems such as shoulder-fired Stinger missiles and other larger air defense systems like the NASAM, jointly produced by the U.S. and Norway.
But it is the Patriot missile that Ukrainians have remained focused on, specifically after Russian began using missile and one-way drone barrages targeting Ukraine’s civilian infrastructure, causing electricity blackouts throughout much of the country.
Reacting to the news that the U.S. is likely to supply Patriot air defense missile systems to Ukraine, a senior Ukrainian Defense official told ABC News that they will be “a game changer,” describing them as “one of the best systems in the world.” The official added that Ukraine’s access to the missiles will “drastically increase our capacity to defend our skies from Russian strikes.”
Even with an accelerated training program it could be sometime in early 2023 before a Patriot system is operational in Ukraine.
A hardcover tome features the most recent edition of the list, which was unveiled in 2020. You can order your copy now via Abrams Books publishing.
The #1 album on Rolling Stone’s ranking is Marvin Gaye‘s What’s Going On, followed by The Beach Boys‘ Pet Sounds at #2, Joni Mitchell‘s Blue at #3, Stevie Wonder‘s Songs in the Key of Life at #4, The Beatles‘ Abbey Road at #5, Nirvana‘s Nevermind at #6, Fleetwood Mac‘s Rumours at #7, Prince and the Revolution‘s Purple Rain at #8, Bob Dylan‘s Blood on the Tracks at #9 and Lauryn Hill‘s The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill at #10.
The list was voted on by a number of different journalists, producers and industry executives, as well as artists including U2‘s The Edge and Adam Clayton, Stevie Nicks, Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, Alice Cooper, Nile Rodgers, Questlove, FINNEAS and KISS‘ Gene Simmons.
Rolling Stone will celebrate the release of the book with an event taking place at New York City’s Rizzoli Bookstore on January 31.
(NORWOOD, Mass.) — One person is dead and another injured due to an ammonia leak at a commercial building in Norwood, Massachusetts, police officials said on Monday.
Norwood’s police and fire departments responded to a 911 call after 11 a.m. local time on Monday over an ammonia leak at a food processing facility.
Norfolk County’s District Attorney’s office, alongside state police detectives, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, State Fire Marshal Peter J. Ostroskey and the Fire Marshal’s Hazardous Materials Team, are investigating the incident.
According to the Norwood Police Department, two men working for an outside contractor were near the leak, leading to the incident.
The district attorney’s office identified Richard J. Arguin, 68, of Dighton, as the deceased.
First responders provided aid to the other man and sent him to Massachusetts General Hospital for further treatment.
Ammonia is a chemical that is used in several industries, such as agriculture, manufacturing and food processing.
Ammonia can irritate and burn the skin, mouth, throat, lungs and eyes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. High exposure to the chemical can cause death.
According to a 2021 study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, 69% of air emission deaths of agricultural workers were due to ammonia.
In Massachusetts, the district attorney investigates all unattended deaths, including industrial accidents, the DA’s office told ABC News.
“The information that we have is that this is an incredibly dangerous situation for the fire, Haz-Mat and police personnel responding,” Norfolk District Attorney Michael W. Morrissey said in a press release. “We will be proceeding with this investigation as quickly as safety allows.”
The district attorney’s office said that the death seemed accidental and surveillance video showed no foul play, but an investigation is ongoing.
(WASHINGTON) — Senate leaders on Tuesday scrambled to beat a midnight Friday deadline to avoid a government shutdown after negotiators early Tuesday unveiled the text of a massive, $1.7 trillion spending bill to keep funding going through fiscal year 2023.
“The choice is clear. We can either do our jobs and fund the government, or we can abandon our responsibilities without a real path forward,” Senate Appropriations Chairman Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., said in a statement.
If it passes procedural and political hurdles in the Senate, House lawmakers must still approve the measure as well.
Members on both sides of the aisle are claiming victories on the bill. Republicans are celebrating a boost in defense spending, while Democrats tout the inclusion of Ukraine aid and reforms to the Electoral Count Act to avoid a repeat of Jan. 6 and attempts to overturn the 2020 election.
The bill also has a stamp of approval from the administration, despite not including everything President Joe Biden and officials wanted.
“As with any compromise, neither side got everything it wanted, but this legislation is good for our economy, our competitiveness, and our country, and I urge Congress to send it to the President’s desk without delay,” Shalanda Young, the director of the Office of Management and Budget, said in a statement after the bill’s text was released.
While Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said he wants the bill to be passed as soon as possible given the approaching winter storm, a handful of Republicans could delay the process.
Several GOP Senators including Rick Scott, Mike Braun, Ron Jonson ad Rand Paul wheeled a physical copy of the massive omnibus bill on a cart adorned with signs that read, “Danger 1.7 trillion of hazardous Debt,” and “Omnibus Beware debt hazard of 1.7 trillion added to the National Dept.”
The senators then each took the stand to air their grievances with the bill which they believe to be catastrophic for the American people citing inflation and national deficit concerns as well as insufficient time to properly vet the bill before a vote. Paul promised to bring several amendments to the floor for a vote.
“The American people don’t want this. They’re sick and tired of it,” Paul said, adding, “It’s a terrible system. Someone needs to stand up. We’re standing up and we’re saying no.”
There’s also a handful of House Republicans calling for the caucus to punt the issue into the new Congress, when they take over the chamber. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy went so far as to threaten any future bill from Senate Republicans to be “dead on arrival in the House if this nearly $2T monstrosity is allowed to move forward.”
Here’s a look at some of the measures in the bill and what didn’t make it into the text.
What’s included: TikTok ban, Ukraine aid and more
Overall, the omnibus bill would allocate $858 billion in defense-related spending — a $76 billion increase from fiscal year 2022.
It also allocates $772.5 billion for non-defense discretionary programs, which is a $68 billion increase from last year.
Appropriators set aside $45 billion in aid for Ukraine and NATO allies amid Russia’s ongoing invasion, which is $7 billion more than what the Biden administration had requested. The bill also includes a pay raise for American troops and civilian federal employees.
The bill also includes $118 billion for medical services for veterans, which includes funding for recently passed legislation that aids veterans suffering from exposure to burn pits and other toxic substances.
The bill provides $40 billion to assist communities impacted by wildfires, hurricanes, flooding and other natural disasters. It includes $1 billion for Puerto Rico’s electrical grid, which has been beaten down by hurricanes and other storms, and $600 million to address the water crisis in Jackson, Mississippi.
Among the measures unrelated to spending in the omnibus bill is reform to the Electoral Count Act, the centuries-old law former President Donald Trump and his allies tried to exploit in the failed effort to overturn the 2020 election. The changes to the law were made in response to the Jan. 6 attack.
Also included is a measure to ban the use of the social media app TikTok on government-issued devices. The measure mirrors state-level bans on the app passed in recent weeks in Texas, Georgia and other areas.
What’s been left out: COVID funding, expanded Child Tax Credit
What the $1.7 trillion spending bill doesn’t include is the COVID-19 funding that the White House requested to help boost vaccine and treatment supplies and fund next-generation research.
Cannabis banking legislation was also left on the cutting room floor. The SAFE Banking Act, which passed with bipartisan support in the House last year, would allow banks to provide services to cannabis companies in states where it is legal.
The expanded Child Tax Credit was left out of the bill despite Democrats’ push to renew the benefit that was credited with a decline in child poverty. Legislation legislation to narrow the sentencing disparities between crack and powder cocaine offenses, a priority for criminal justice advocates, was also not included in the spending package.
Also on the chopping block was a measure that would have provided a citizenship path to “Dreamer” immigrants, those who came to the U.S. illegally as children, and the Afghan Adjustment Act, which would allow refugees who were resettled when U.S. troops pulled out of Afghanistan to be on a path to permanent residency.
Both Schumer and McConnell noted there were things not included that they would have liked to see included in the bill that were omitted.
“There were many things, one could argue, that were important that didn’t make it into bill,” McConnell said Tuesday.
-ABC News’ Noah Minnie contributed to this report.
