Unbiased headline news for Thursday June 20, 2024 – The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office has projected that the federal budget deficit will reach 1.9 trillion dollars for the 2024 fiscal year.
This new deficit forecast is $400 billion higher than the CBO’s previous estimate in February, marking a 27% increase. The CBO attributes this rise to various factors, including recent legislation allocating $95 billion in aid to Ukraine, Israel, and the Indo-Pacific region, which Congress approved in April after prolonged deliberations.
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Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un have signed a partnership agreement in Pyongyang, furthering their strategic cooperation against Western leaders.
The agreement includes a pact for “mutual help” in the face of “aggression” against either nation, as reported by Russian media. In his opening statement, Putin thanked Kim for his “unwavering support” for Russia’s war in Ukraine. The two leaders met in Pyongyang on Wednesday during Putin’s official state visit.
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A cargo ship sank in the Red Sea following an attack by Yemen’s Houthi rebels.
The U.K. military’s Maritime Trade Operations center issued a notice to sailors in the area. According to The Associated Press, one mariner on board was believed to have died in the attack, marking the second deadly Houthi assault on international shipping.
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The White House has condemned China over what the Philippines described as an “intentional high-speed ramming” by the Chinese Coast Guard.
“We’re deeply concerned about the injuries suffered by the Philippine sailor and wish him a swift recovery,” said National Security Council spokesman John Kirby. “This provocative and reckless behavior by China is unnecessary,” Kirby told journalists.
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Destruction from a massive train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, extended far beyond the initial wreckage site, spreading “hazardous” pollution across 16 states, a new study revealed.
The study found that pollution from the wreckage and controlled burn of several train cars spread across the Midwest, Northeast, and Southern U.S., covering 540,000 square miles or 14% of the U.S. land area.
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Over 3,000 nurses at six Oregon hospitals spent another day on the picket lines, holding signs saying, “Patients over profits.”
Organizers claim it’s the largest nurses strike in Oregon’s history, while Providence assured that no patient’s health is at risk, having hired contract workers to cover the shortfall. Scott Palmer, chief of staff with the Oregon Nurses Association, stated that negotiations have been ongoing since December, but a fair contract with Providence has not been reached.
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Recreational boaters discovered $1 million worth of cocaine floating in the ocean off the Florida Keys.
Samuel Briggs II, acting chief patrol agent of the U.S. Border Patrol, shared the find in a social media post on X. Briggs posted a video Monday night showing the wrapped packages of cocaine being wheeled away on a cart. “We appreciate the support from Good Samaritans in our community,” he wrote.
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An early start to the U.S. wildfire season has intensified in the West, with deadly blazes in New Mexico prompting a state of emergency.
Simultaneously, California firefighters are dealing with five major fires burning at both ends of the state. In New Mexico, firefighters are battling two large wildfires that began Monday in the same area, spreading to over 23,400 acres by Wednesday morning.
