House narrowly votes to oust Omar from committee
WASHINGTON — The Republican-led House voted after raucous debate Thursday to oust Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar from the chamber’s Foreign Affairs Committee, citing her anti-Israel comments, in a dramatic response to Democrats last session booting far-right GOP lawmakers over incendiary remarks.
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy was able to solidify Republicans to take action against the Somali-born Muslim although some GOP lawmakers had expressed reservations. Removal of lawmakers from House committees was essentially unprecedented until the Democratic ousters two years ago of hard-right Republican Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia and Paul Gosar of Arizona.
The 218-211 vote, along party lines, came after a heated, voices-raised debate in which Democrats accused the GOP of going after Omar based on her race. Omar, who has apologized for 2019 remarks widely seen as antisemitic, defended herself on the House floor, asking if anyone was surprised she was being targeted. Democratic colleagues hugged her during the vote.
Ice storm socks Texas
AUSTIN, Texas — Thousands of frustrated Texans shivered in homes without power for a second day Thursday, most of them around booming Austin, and fading hopes of a quick fix stirred grim memories of a deadly 2021 blackout after an icy winter storm across the southern U.S.
The freeze has been blamed for at least 10 traffic deaths on slick roads this week in Texas, Arkansas and Oklahoma. And even as Texas began thawing Thursday, an Arctic front from Canada was threatening New England with potentially the coldest weather in decades. Wind chills could dive below minus 50.
China shutdowns hurt Starbucks
Starbucks reported lower-than-expected sales in its recent quarter, with COVID shutdowns in China overshadowing stronger results elsewhere. Global same-store sales — or sales at stores open at least a year — were up 5% in the October-December period, but partly due to higher prices. Store transactions were down 2%. In the U.S., same-store sales were up 10% as customers spent more per order. Starbucks said its Holiday Red Cup day in November was its highest single sales day of all time despite strikes at more than 100 U.S. stores by employees who are pressing to unionize.
1st Apple quarterly sales drop in 4 years
Apple on Thursday posted its first quarterly revenue drop in nearly four years after pandemic-driven restrictions on its China factories curtailed sales of the latest iPhone.