Senate Republicans block bill to suspend debt limit and avert shutdown in key vote

(CNN)Senate Republicans blocked a House-passed bill to suspend the debt limit and avert a government shutdown from advancing in the Senate on Monday.

The move comes after Republicans had insisted that Democrats act alone to address the debt limit and leaves Congress without a clear plan to keep the government open with the threat of a potential shutdown looming by the end of the week.

Government funding is set to expire on September 30, and the stopgap bill the House approved last week would extend funding and keep the government open through December 3. In addition, the measure includes a debt limit suspension through December 16, 2022. The clock is ticking to address the debt limit and Congress may only have until mid-October to act before the federal government can no longer pay its bills.

The Senate voted on a procedural motion to advance the legislation, which needed 60 votes to succeed. Since Democrats control only 50 seats in the chamber, they would have needed 10 Senate Republicans to vote in favor.

In the end, the bill failed on a 48-50 party-line vote with no Republicans voting with Democrats in support of the measure. After he voted to advance the bill, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer switched his vote from a "yes" to a "no" so he could preserve his procedural ability to bring it up again.

With the measure failing to advance in the Senate, congressional Democratic leaders will now have to scramble to determine a plan B. As of now, Congress does not yet have a plan announced by Democratic leadership in both chambers about how they will keep the government operating perilously close to the date when funding will run dry and a shutdown could be triggered. (Read More)

Fidelity Investments adding 1,500 entry-level jobs in North Carolina

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK – Fidelity Investments officials announced Monday that they plan to add 1,500 entry-level jobs in North Carolina by the end of the year.

“You do not have to be a licensed financial professional to get hired. We’ll train you,” Rob Merdes, general manager of Fidelity’s new Personal Investments Regional Center, said at a ceremony at the company’s RTP hub.

Unlike many jobs in RTP, no college degree is required for the new positions with Fidelity. The company is looking for people with strong customer service skills, including hospitality workers who might have lost their jobs during the pandemic, Merdes said.

“These new roles will help people with some of the most important financial goals of their lives, such as buying a home, getting married, saving for college or planning for retirement,” he said.

Fidelity already has more than 500 jobs posted online, and it’s working with North Carolina Central University, Durham Technical Community College and Wake Technical Community College to expose students to financial literacy coursework that will help in filling the jobs. (Read more)

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Help Me Understand! Why Didn’t Those 2 White Sisters That Worked For Kelly See Anything Illegal

Help Me Understand! Why didn’t those 2 White sisters that worked for Kelly see anything that was illegal? Oh maybe what they consider ain’t illegal is legal to them. Make it make sense! But I don’t know what they seen tho! What I do know is those women that came forward convinced the jury. Curmilus Butch Dancy II 9/27/2021