Global report
1 UNITED STATES
Senate passes $739bn healthcare and climate bill
Senate Democrats passed their climate and healthcare spending package, sending the legislation to the House and bringing Joe Biden one step closer to a significant legislative victory ahead of crucial midterm elections in November.
If signed into law, the bill, formally known as the Inflation Reduction Act, would allocate $369bn to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and investing in renewable energy sources. Experts have estimated the climate provisions of the bill will reduce planet-heating emissions in the US by about 40% by 2030, compared with 2005 levels
Democrats have promised the bill will lower healthcare costs for millions of Americans. Those who receive health insurance coverage through the Affordable Care Act marketplace are also expected to benefit from lower premium costs.
The legislation includes tax provisions to cover the costs of these policies, bringing in $739bn for the government and resulting in an overall deficit reduction of roughly $300bn. The policy changes include a new corporate minimum tax, a 1% excise tax on stock buybacks and stricter enforcement by the Internal Revenue Service.
2 UNITED STATES
Alex Jones ordered to pay $45m to Sandy Hook family
Far-right conspiracy theorist Alex Jones was ordered to pay $45.2m in punitive damages to the family of a six-year-old boy who was murdered in the 2012 Sandy Hook shooting. After already ordering him to pay $4.1m to the child’s parents,
