[KARAH RUCKER]

THE SENATE TAKES LITTLE TIME TO DISMISS IMPEACHMENT CHARGES AGAINST THE SECRETARY OF HOMELAND SECURITY AND — A VOLCANO ERUPTS IN INDONESIA PROMPTING EVACUATIONS AND FEARS OF A TSUNAMI

THE MORNING RUNDOWN STARTS NOW.

TODAY IS THURSDAY, APRIL 18TH.

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.

I’M KARAH RUCKER.

IT DIDN’T TAKE LONG FOR THE SENATE TO VOTE and REJECT THE IMPEACHMENT CHARGES AGAINST HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY ALEJANDRO MAYORKAS.

shutting down the trial before arguments even began.

THE SENATE VOTed ON HOUSE REPUBLICANS’ TWO ARTICLES OF IMPEACHMENT – WITH DEMOCRATS ARGUING BOTH CHARGES WERE “UNCONSTITUTIONAL.”

IN A PARTY-LINE VOTE OF 51 TO 48 – THE SENATE VOTED TO DISMISS THE FIRST ARTICLE – WHICH CHARGED MAYORKAS with refusing to comply TO IMMIGRATION LAW.

REPUBLICAN SENATOR LISA MURKOWSKI OF ALASKA VOTED “PRESENT.”

THE SECOND ARTICLE – ALLEGING MAYORKAS LIED TO CONGRESS UNDER OATH BY SAYING THE BORDER WAS SECURE – WAS DISMISSED BY A STRICT PARTY-LINE VOTE OF 51 TO 49.

THE SENATE THEN VOTED TO END THE TRIAL ABOUT THREE HOURS AFTER IT BEGAN.

MAJORITY LEADER CHUCK SCHUMER SAID THE CHARGES FROM THE HOUSE FAILED TO MEET “THE HIGH STANDARD OF HIGH CRIMES AND MISDEMEANORS.”

SEN. CHUCK SCHUMER | MAJORITY LEADER | D-NY

“And we felt very strongly that we had to set a precedent that impeachment should never be used to settle policy disagreements. I felt that very strongly. This is the first impeachment I can recall. You look at history. None were done because there were policy disagreements. If we allowed that to happen, it would set a disastrous precedent for Congress, could throw our system of checks and balances into cycles of chaos.”

[KARAH RUCKER]

SENATE REPUBLICANS TRIED CALLING FOR VOTES TO DELAY THE TRIAL BUT TO NO AVAIL. IN RESPONSE TO THE DEMOCRATS DISMISSING THE ARTICLES OF IMPEACHMENT – MINORITY LEADER MITCH MCCONNELL SAID “HISTORY WILL NOT JUDGE THIS MOMENT WELL.”

A VOTE ON A FOREIGN AID PACKAGE THAT WOULD SEND ADDITIONAL FUNDING TO UKRAINE AND ISRAEL WILL TAKE PLACE IN THE HOUSE SATURDAY EVENING – ACCORDING TO SPEAKER MIKE JOHNSON.

WHILE THE BILL RESEMBLES THE SENATE’S 95 BILLION DOLLAR PACKAGE PASSED IN FEBRUARY – THE HOUSE VERSION WILL BE BROKEN UP INTO THREE SEPARATE PIECES OF LEGISLATION – AND VOTED ON INDIVIDUALLY.  THEY WOULD THEN BE SENT TO THE SENATE AS ONE SINGLE BILL.

A FOURTH BILL IS ALSO EXPECTED TO BE BROUGHT TO A HOUSE VOTE – THAT WOULD CONTAIN POLICIES FAVORED BY REPUBLICAN LAWMAKERS – INCLUDING TURNING UKRAINE’S AID INTO A LOAN, MORE SANCTIONS ON IRAN AND MEASURES REGARDING THE SOCIAL MEDIA APP TIKTOK.

THE HOUSE PACKAGE INCLUDES 60 BILLION DOLLARS FOR UKRAINE – 26 BILLION FOR ISRAEL AND HUMANITARIAN AID FOR GAZA – AND 8 BILLION FOR THE INDO-PACIFIC REGION.

the decision to bring the bills to a vote has some republicans threatening to oust johnson.

WHILE JOHNSON HOPES TO GET ENOUGH SUPPORT FROM  FELLOW REPUBLICANS **and house democrats TO PASS THE BILLS –

PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN SAID HE STRONGLY SUPPORTS THE PACKAGE and would sign it into law immediately.

911 SERVICES WERE RESTORED WEDNESDAY NIGHT IN  SOUTH DAKOTA, NEBRASKA, NEVADA, AND TEXAS AFTER MAJOR OUTAGES LEFT CALL CENTERS UNREACHABLE FOR MANY COUNTIES.

WHILE THE EXACT CAUSE OF THE FAILURE HAS NOT BEEN IDENTIFIED, THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY HAS HIGHLIGHTED THE INCREASING RISKS OF CYBERATTACKS ON DIGITAL 911 SYSTEMS.

IN DEL RIO, TEXAS, THE ISSUE WAS LINKED TO A MAJOR CELLULAR CARRIER. AUTHORITIES CONFIRMED THAT DISRUPTED-SERVICES IN LAS VEGAS AND OTHER CITIES HAVE RESUMED, AND ALL MISSED EMERGENCY CALLS HAVE BEEN RETURNED.

THE TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT’S OFFICE OF EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES AND THE FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION HAVE  YET TO COMMENT ON THE OUTAGES.

INDONESIAN AUTHORITIES HAVE ORDERED HUNDREDS TO EVACUATE AFTER MULTIPLE ERUPTIONS OF A VOLCANO IN THE NORTHERN PART OF THE COUNTRY.

AUTHORITIES SAY THE VOLCANO HAS ERUPTED SEVERAL TIMES SINCE TUESDAY, ACCOMPANIED BY LIGHTNING STRIKES, SPEWING LAVA AND ASH THOUSANDS OF FEET INTO THE AIR.

OFFICIALS HAVE RAISED THE ALERT TO ITS HIGHEST LEVEL, CITING THE POTENTIAL FOR A PARTIAL COLLAPSE INTO THE SEA THAT COULD TRIGGER A TSUNAMI, SIMILAR TO AN EVENT IN 1871.

APPROXIMATELY 800 RESIDENTS HAVE BEEN MOVED TO A NEARBY ISLAND AS A PRECAUTION.

GOOGLE HAS FIRED 28 WORKERS WHO STAGED A PROTEST AT THE COMPANY’S OFFICES IN CALIFORNIA AND NEW YORK ON TUESDAY OVER A CONTRACT WITH THE ISRAELI GOVERNMENT.

A GOOGLE SPOKESPERSON SAYING THE EMPLOYEES WERE FIRED FOR “PHYSICALLY IMPEDING OTHER EMPLOYEES’ WORK AND PREVENTING THEM FROM ACCESSING” FACILITIES  – ADDING IT WAS A “CLEAR VIOLATION” OF GOOGLE’S POLICIES.

THESE FIRINGS ON WEDNESDAY FOLLOWED MORE LAYOFFS AT GOOGLE THAT WERE REPORTED HOURS EARLIER AS THE TECH GIANT  CONTINUES TO RESTRUCTURE AND CUT BACK ON COSTS.

GOOGLE HAS NOT CONFIRMED THE NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES WHO WERE LET GO DURING THIS LATEST ROUND OF CUTS.

ACCORDING TO AN EMAIL SENT TO STAFF – GOOGLE’S FINANCE CHIEF SAID THE COMPANY IS LOOKING TO BUILD “GROWTH HUBS” IN CITIES OUTSIDE THE U.S. INCLUDING MEXICO CITY AND DUBLIN – AS PART OF THEir RESTRUCTURING.

FINALLY THIS MORNING – IT’S THE END OF THE ROAD FOR THE “STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN” IN HAWAII.

THE HAIKU (HAH–EE-KOO) STAIRS WERE BUILT BY THE US NAVY DURING WORLD WAR two– BUT HAVE BEEN OFFICIALLY CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC SINCE 1987.

THE NARROW METAL STRUCTURE — COMPRISED OF NEARLY FOUR THOUSAND STEPS – WEAVES THROUGH A STEEP MOUNTAINSIDE MORE THAN 28 hundred FEET ABOVE SEA LEVEL.

AND WHILE THE STAIRS HAVE BEEN OFF LIMITS FOR DECADES – THAT HAS NOT STOPPED THRILL SEEKERS FROM TRYING TO HIKE THE TRAIL – THE HONOLULU CITY COUNCIL SAYING THE RISE in SOCIAL MEDIA HAS ONLY ENCOURAGED MORE TRESPASSERS TO ACCESS THE DANGEROUS SITE.

THE TWO POINT FIVE ($2.5) MILLION DOLLAR REMOVAL PROCESS IS UNDERWAY — WITH THE PROJECT EXPECTED TO TAKE AT LEAST SIX MONTHs.

THESE ARE YOUR TOP STORIES FOR THIS THURSDAY.

UNBIASED. STRAIGHT FACTS. THAT’S STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS.

WE’LL SEE YOU BACK HERE TOMORROW.

UNTIL THEN I’M KARAH RUCKER. HAVE A GREAT DAY!