SUMMARY: During a Senate Judiciary hearing on hate crimes, Sen. Ted Cruz criticized pro-Hamas rioters and Democrats for the rise of antisemitism in the U.S., citing increased threats against Jewish students on college campuses. The hearing was disrupted by protestors, leading Cruz to label their actions as antisemitism. Cruz noted that antisemitic incidents have surged since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel, particularly in universities. He emphasized that while other forms of hate are swiftly condemned, antisemitism is often overlooked. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott reinforced the need for educational institutions to combat antisemitism and enacted measures to address this issue.

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SUMMARY: Senate Democrats voted on S 4445, proposed by Senator Tammy Duckworth, to protect and expand access to fertility treatments like in vitro fertilization (IVF). The bill would empower the Attorney General to challenge state restrictions and supersede conflicting state laws. Duckworth criticized Alabama’s ruling on frozen embryos and accused Republicans of hypocrisy in opposing the bill while claiming to support IVF. Despite receiving 51 votes, it failed to pass. Republicans argued the bill was a backdoor for broader abortion legislation, while they claimed to support IVF protections themselves, citing their own failed IVF legislation that Democrats blocked.

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SUMMARY: The White House has declared a major disaster in Louisiana due to Hurricane Francine, activating federal aid for recovery efforts in several parishes. President Biden‘s declaration enables funding for temporary housing, home repairs, and low-cost loans for uninsured property losses. Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry emphasized the importance of this federal assistance for rebuilding after the hurricane. Francine made landfall as a Category 2 storm, producing 6-8 inches of rain in the New Orleans area, causing flash flooding, and leaving 388,000 without power in Louisiana, along with outages in Mississippi and Alabama.

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