“$600 IS NOT ENOUGH!”

The Senate considers $2,000 stimulus checks; Argentina could legalize abortion this week.   Tonight's Sentences was written by Cameron Peters. TOP NEWS Debate over $2,000 checks heads to the Senate Tom Brenner-Pool/Getty Images $2,000 stimulus checks are looking a little more likely on Capitol Hill this week after a House vote Monday and newfound bipartisan support. But there are still major hurdles ahead, including opposition from Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. [CBS News / Aimee Picchi] The measure, which would increase recently passed $600 stimulus checks to $2,000 and requires two-thirds support to pass, has already cleared the House by a bipartisan vote of 275 to 134. [Vox / Emily Stewart] And it has President Donald Trump's full-throated support. "Unless Republicans have a death wish, and it is also the right thing to do, they must approve the $2000 payments ASAP," he tweeted Tuesday. "$600 IS NOT ENOUGH!" [Twitter / Donald J. Trump] The Senate is where things get tricky: For starters, McConnell blocked a vote on the bill early Tuesday, and there's relatively little support to be found among Senate Republicans. [Washington Post / Mike DeBonis and Tony Romm] A pair of upcoming Senate runoffs in Georgia, however, could shift the calculus for the GOP. Georgia Sens. David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler, who are facing difficult races on January 5, have both said they support $2,000 checks. [AJC / Tia Mitchell and Greg Bluestein] Negotiations in the Senate are also tied up in an effort to override Trump's veto of the NDAA, an annual must-pass defense policy bill. Sen. Bernie Sanders has pledged to filibuster an override vote unless the chamber also votes on $2,000 checks. [Vox / Ian Millhiser] A filibuster could not only keep the chamber in session through New Year's Day, but keep Perdue and Loeffler in Washington — rather than on the campaign trail in Georgia — with just a week to go in the runoffs that will decide control of the Senate. [Politico / Burgess Everett] Even if McConnell does allow an up-or-down vote on $2,000 checks, it may not be enough to get the proposal over the line. But for now, it remains unclear if — or when — that vote might come about. [NBC News / Dareh Gregorian] Argentina's Senate takes up bill to legalize abortion Argentina this week is closer than ever to making history as its Senate prepares to vote on a measure that would make it the largest country in Latin America to legalize abortion. [The Guardian / Tom Phillips] If signed into law, the bill would legalize abortion up to 14 weeks of pregnancy. But it's unclear which way the Senate will vote: The chamber is believed to be at a virtual tie, with a handful of senators still undecided. [WSJ / Juan Forero] Though Argentina is heavily Roman Catholic, the bill has widespread support. It passed Argentina's House earlier this month after being introduced by Argentinian President Alberto Fernández in March. [Al Jazeera / Natalie Alcoba] Except in a few select cases, such as rape and when a pregnancy endangers the mother, abortion is currently illegal in Argentina and bears a potential sentence of 15 years in jail. [CNN / Kara Fox] According to Fernández, though, the question of legality misses the reality of the situtation. "The debate is not saying yes or no to abortion," he said this year. "The dilemma that we must overcome is whether abortions are performed clandestinely or in the Argentine health system." [Washington Post / Ruby Mellen and Ana Vanessa Herrero] MISCELLANEOUS The first US case of a likely more infectious Covid-19 variant from the UK has been discovered in Colorado. [Washington Post / Joel Achenbach, Ben Guarino, and Isaac Stanley-Becker] Ahead of next week's Senate runoffs, a federal judge this week blocked two Georgia counties from removing more than 4,000 voters from the rolls. [Politico / Kyle Cheney and Josh Gerstein] "Back in the eye of the storm": The UK reported a record number of new Covid-19 cases Tuesday. [Washington Post / Adam Taylor] An earthquake struck Croatia Tuesday, killing at least six people. [NPR / Reese Oxner] A supercut of extremely cute animals from the Oregon Zoo, guaranteed to make your week better. [Twitter / Oregon Zoo] VERBATIM "I don't want to hear that we can't afford it. I don't want to hear that it would add too much to the deficit. Senate Republicans added nearly $2 trillion to the deficit to give corporations a massive tax cut." [Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer on the possibility of $2,000 stimulus checks / Twitter] LISTEN TO THIS In the final episode of our five-part series, "You, Me, and Covid-19," people look back on a very long year. [Spotify / Sean Rameswaram] Read more from Vox   Are we doomed? An investigation   How military superiority made America less safe   The 4 major unknowns of how vaccines will affect the Covid-19 pandemic   Why Democrats need Latino voters in Georgia's Senate runoffs   Los Angeles is America's new coronavirus hot spot. Urban sprawl might've played a role.   Facebook Twitter YouTube This email was sent to edwardlorilla1986.paxforex@blogger.com. Manage your email preferences, or unsubscribe to stop receiving all emails from Vox. If you value Vox's unique explanatory journalism, support our work with a one-time or recurring contribution. View our Privacy Notice and our Terms of Service. Vox Media, 1201 Connecticut Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20036. Copyright © 2020. 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