After a year of deliberation, France’s National Assembly rejected centrist President Emmanuel Macron’s proposed immigration bill without debate. A populist left-right coalition passed a motion to kill the bill without debate. It was a bitter defeat for Macron, whose immigration bill was the centerpiece of his second term.
(“MP’s Throw Out French Government Immigration Bill,” Guardian, Dec. 11, 2023; “Macron Suffers Surprise Setback Over Immigration,” New York Times, Dec. 11, 2023)
After the United Auto Workers won historic new contracts with the Big Three automakers, the union announced plans to organize 13 non-union US auto plants, with the goal of organizing 150,000 new UAW members. But the UAW’s new militant leadership under President Shawn Fain faces significant obstacles embedded in U.S. labor law, where even when the system works, the wheels of justice turn too late to make meaningful change in the workplace.
(“The Big Barrier to the UAW’s Non-Union Auto Plant Drive,” American Prospect, Dec. 4, 2023)
Israel’s war against Hamas has turned up the political heat on the Squad, a group of Democratic party progressive lawmakers led by New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who are advocating for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza. Now, three members of the Squad face primary challenges, funded by the American-Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) in St. Louis, Minneapolis and suburban New York.
(“The Squad Faces its Biggest Challenge Yet,” American Prospect, Nov. 17, 2023; “Bowman to Face Primary from Pro-Israel Democrat,” Politico, Dec. 5, 2023)
This week’s News Summary was narrated by Anna Manzo.
