Latest news with #conservatives
Washington Post
a day ago
- Politics
- Washington Post
German lawmakers vote to suspend family reunions for many migrants
BERLIN — German lawmakers voted Friday to suspend family reunions for many migrants, part of a drive by the new conservative-led government for a tougher approach to migration. Parliament's lower house voted 444-135 to suspend the possibility of family reunions for two years for migrants who have 'subsidiary protection,' a status that falls short of asylum.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Vivian Wilson mocks conservatives profiting off her name: 'You're welcome'
Sorry conservatives, Vivian Wilson has zero fucks left to give. The model and social media personality recently sat down for a 20 minute chat with Sasha Colby, courtesy of Teen Vogue. They discussed everything from their love of drag to role models to online friendships, but one thing in particular that Colby wanted to ask about was that sense of fearlessness Wilson has been emitting ever since she slid onto the scene. "I've been like up for fodder for the right wing and it gets a little scary," Colby said. "You're like just so resilient with it. Like, you just go for it, you welcome it. What is that drive? Where is that from?" "Well, drive of not giving a fuck," she replied. "First of all, if conservatives are talking about me, they're making money off of my name. So they are thanking me behind the screen. You're welcome. Second of all, if they're talking about me, then they are free to talk about me, but I don't have to listen." - YouTube It's a great outlook, and one Colby was quick to praise, joking that Wilson just saved her ten years of therapy. As for how she reached that point of no fucks given? Well, for that, she largely credits drag, admitting that she was "basically this like, anxious fem boy" in high school. But watching drag and, eventually, participating in drag helped her find the confidence she needed. It's a common story among drag performers, but one that never grows old. And the same way Wilson says she found inspiration from Colby and other performers who came before her, her own story of finding confidence in drag is likely to inspire others — no matter how much the haters try to bring her down. "Not giving a fucking is not that hard after you've kind of been dragged across the coals," she noted. "After you get dragged across like burning coals, being dragged across normal coals, it's a massage." This article originally appeared on Pride: Vivian Wilson mocks conservatives profiting off her name: 'You're welcome' 6 times Vivian Wilson murdered her father Elon Musk with words Vivian Wilson calls father Elon Musk a 'pathetic manchild' in new tell-all interview Vivian Wilson, Elon's trans daughter outs him for sex-selective IVF, here's why that matters
Reuters
2 days ago
- Business
- Reuters
German parliament passes 46-bln-euro corporate tax relief package
BERLIN, June 26 (Reuters) - German lawmakers on Thursday passed a multi-billion-euro package of fiscal relief measures to support companies and boost investment, part of the new government's plans to put Europe's largest economy back on track for growth after two years of decline. The package, dubbed by the government as an "investment booster", contains corporate tax breaks amounting to almost 46 billion euros ($54 billion) from this year through to 2029, creating a gap in state coffers that prompted pushback from state governments. The bill was passed in the Bundestag lower house with support from the conservatives and Social Democrats, which make up the coalition government. The measures seek to reduce companies' tax bills with favourable depreciation options for investments of up to 30% and for electric car purchases of as much as 75%. The package also promises a one-percentage-point cut to the corporate tax rate each year over five years from 2028, bringing it down to 10% by 2032. The package still has to be passed by the Bundesrat upper house, expected on July 11. In order to win the support of the federal states, whose support is key in the upper house, the government has pledged to cover a large part of the resulting losses in tax revenue. ($1 = 0.8519 euros)
E&E News
4 days ago
- Business
- E&E News
Senate referee rules out public land sales in megabill
A plan to sell millions of acres of public lands has been ruled out of the Republican-led megabill by the Senate parliamentarian. The decision, according to a Monday night release from Senate Budget Committee Democrats, would seem to scuttle a proposal from Energy and Natural Resources Chair Mike Lee (R-Utah). The move to sell the lands for housing had kicked a hornet's nest with both his GOP colleagues and online conservative allies. Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough also ruled out a host of other provisions Monday, including the construction of a mining road in Alaska, as well as changes to permitting and oil and gas leasing. Her opinion is key because Republicans want to use the budget reconciliation process to bypass the Senate filibuster to pass their tax cut, energy and border security package. Advertisement Just minutes before the parliamentarian's determination became public, Lee, a conservative who has long-championed returning public lands to states, posted on the social media site X that he would significantly alter his plan. He vowed to remove all sales on Forest Service lands and 'significantly reduce' the amount of Bureau of Land Management sales. He also promised to make land near population centers eligible. Whether Lee submits such changes to the parliamentarian is unclear. Ahead of the MacDonough's determination, Lee had weathered a storm of criticism from conservation-minded conservatives. 'We're trying to show every relevant senator on this and the president that this is really unpopular with conservatives,' said Benji Backer, a conservative environmental advocate who has clashed with Lee online. Backer said conservative influencers had been 'very frustrated' and were ready to speak out. 'There's a lot of Republicans who feel like this is overshadowing the president's agenda,' Backer said. Benji Backer, founder of the American Conservation Coalition, has come out against the land sales. |for Concordia Christopher Rufo — a prominent opponent of diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives — said on social media that he's 'totally against selling this land.' Mike Solana, editor-in-chief of the publication Pirate Wires, said the proposal was 'almost too stupid to believe.' And when Lee questioned talking points against the land sales, Chris LaCivita, who ran President Donald Trump's successful 2024 campaign, responded that, 'Many of these arguments are valid.' It's unclear whether the online pile-on had an impact on Lee's thinking. He did not answer questions from reporters at the Capitol on Monday. But he wrote, 'Thanks to YOU—the AMERICAN PEOPLE—here's what I plan to do,' when announcing changes in his proposal. Lee has argued that his legislation is limited to 'unused federal land that is in residential areas or creates checkerboard patterns — not about the breathtaking landscapes that make America so beautiful.' The plan would have authorized the sale of up to 1.5 percent of Bureau of Land Management and Forest Service land combined, with exceptions for national monuments, wilderness areas and national recreation areas, among other categories. Changes made to the bill last week seemed to limit the sales to only housing and housing-related uses, though environmental groups say that wider swaths of land would have been eligible for sale. Hunting group pressure One group seems to have gotten through to Lee. The senator first said he would be making changes over the weekend in response to objections from Hunter Nation, an advocacy organization that counts Donald Trump Jr. as a member of its board. 'What we discussed is Hunter Nation is very concerned with the indiscriminate sale of public lands that would adversely impact hunters and the hunting lifestyle,' said Keith Mark, the founder of the group. 'We spoke about this particular provision in the bill and ways that it could be done differently, maybe better, and maybe a little bit more thought might be needed for it.' Mark said that although the pair 'didn't work out anything,' he expressed to Lee that he 'would like to see the entire proposal taken out of the bill.' 'I'm a big fan of Sen. Lee,' Mark said. 'The fact that he's willing to listen to the American hunter, that speaks volumes for Sen. Lee in my opinion.' Land Tawney, a left-of-center public lands advocate and the co-chair of American Hunters and Anglers who has been urging individuals to push back online, had a slightly harsher point of view. 'You can't make this language better,' Tawney said on Instagram. 'Together we will burn this thing to the ground the way it needs to be done.' Lauren Leib, president of the National Treasury Employees Union Chapter 340 and a Bureau of Land Management employee, addressed a rally Monday against public land sales in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum was scheduled to appear nearby. | Heather Richards/POLITICO's E&E News Hill hurdles Despite the online backlash, Lee's most formidable opponents had been his own colleagues in the Senate. Four Republican senators said they did not support Lee's proposal: Steve Daines and Tim Sheehy of Montana, and Jim Risch and Mike Crapo of Idaho. Daines has been the subject of particular scrutiny on the land sales, given that public lands are sacrosanct in the state and that he is up for reelection in 2026. Montana was exempted from any potential sales, a likely move by Lee to shield Daines and Sheehy. In the House, Montana Republican Ryan Zinke has also balked against land sales in reconciliation. Daines said earlier Monday that 'I oppose it.' He told Punchbowl News that 'the way it's written right now, it's not going to pass.' It's unclear how Lee's changes may affect the calculus. Former Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.) said Daines and others should have reason to worry. 'They should be voted out of office if they vote for it, it's a bad idea,' Tester said. 'I know that Sen. Daines thought he inoculated himself by saying, 'Well, none of it's going to be sold in Montana,' which is ridiculous because public land is public land, we don't just live in one state.' Tester added, 'They're not even doing a [committee] vote on it, they're just sending it out so there can be no accountability, and then when they put it in the big bill, they'll vote for it and say, 'Well, I couldn't vote against it because of this.' What a bunch of bullshit,' Tester said. Lee said Monday night he wanted to establish 'FREEDOM ZONES' to make sure lands 'benefit AMERICAN FAMILIES,' and to protect farmers, ranchers and recreational users. The Senate Energy and Natural Resources chair said he recognized the limits of budget reconciliation but said, 'I'm doing everything I can to support President Trump and move this forward. Stay tuned. We're just getting started.'
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Conservatives report better mental health than liberals. I think I know why.
Every time I open social media or turn on the news, I consistently see one thing: Liberals are outraged. Whether it's fear and loathing over the Supreme Court's decision on transgender care or rioting and protesting because President Donald Trump is enforcing our nation's immigration laws, liberals are angry. It seems like many of them enjoy being angry, too. You know who isn't angry? Conservatives like me. And we have the data to show why. On June 18, statistician and political analyst Nate Silver presented a detailed analysis of the 2022 Cooperative Election Study, which surveyed 60,000 Americans. Silver concluded that the survey shows that conservatives outnumber liberals 51% to 20% among people who report excellent mental health. And liberals outnumber conservatives 45% to 19% among voters who say they have poor mental health. Silver found that the liberal-conservative mental health gap is fairly consistent across multiple demographics, including gender, race, age, education and income. Why are conservative women happier? What conservative women know − and liberals don't − about happiness | Opinion Here are some key findings from Silver's analysis: Conservative women report considerably higher levels of happiness than liberal men. Black liberals are significantly happier than white liberals. Bisexual liberals report the lowest happiness level of any demographic. Gay and lesbian conservatives report being happier more often than heterosexual liberals. Low-income conservatives, with annual household incomes of $30,000 or less, are happier than liberals at the same income level. Those low-income conservatives even report the same mental health levels as liberals making six figures. Conservatives with post-graduate education report the highest happiness of any demographic. The research raises an important question about correlation and causation: Am I happier because I'm a conservative, or am I a conservative because I'm happier? Social psychologist Jaime Napier has looked into that question. Her answer: "One of the biggest correlates with happiness in our surveys was the belief of a meritocracy, which is the belief that anybody who works hard can make it. That was the biggest predictor of happiness. That was also one of the biggest predictors of political ideology. So, the conservatives were much higher on these meritocratic beliefs than liberals were." 'White Lotus' is wrong: Women need deeper things than friendship to be happy | Opinion That makes sense to me. Conservatism emphasizes personal responsibility, liberty, limited government and human dignity. Meritocracy, the idea that if you work hard you can achieve success no matter your background, is embedded in those values. I'm not sure liberals these days can agree on their core beliefs, but their mindset that government, universities and other institutions must balance the scales through affirmative action, diversity and other top-down actions is the opposite of meritocracy. Sign up for our Opinion newsletter on conservative values, family and religion from columnist Nicole Russell. Get it delivered to your inbox. The common theme behind progressives' rants on social media and the protests against Trump is that life is unfair and that it's the government's job to make them happy. But government can't really deliver on that expectation, no matter how many handouts progressive politicians promise. So guess what happens when progressives don't get what they think they are owed by our government? They get angry. And they feel sad, betrayed and unhappy. Conservatives like me, in contrast, don't expect government to satisfy all of our needs and desires. We're busy working hard, raising our families, going to church and doing all the other things that make us − you know ‒ happy. Nicole Russell is an opinion columnist with USA TODAY. She lives in Texas with her four kids. Sign up for her newsletter, The Right Track, and get it delivered to your inbox. You can read diverse opinions from our USA TODAY columnists and other writers on the Opinion front page, on X, formerly Twitter, @usatodayopinion and in our Opinion newsletter. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: I always knew the left was more angry. Data proves it | Opinion
