Senate border bill's uncertain fate

Plus America's Mideast peace-war balance and Chile's deadly fires [View this email in your browser]( [Brand Logo]( Border bill, Blinken's balancing act and Chile burns   Good morning, California is being battered by flooding and strong winds from a slow-moving "atmospheric river." The same El Niño weather pattern soaking California is fueling deadly wildfires in Chile and elsewhere in South America. That may not seem relevant to U.S. border policy or Middle East muddles. But if there's a through line to today's three main stories, it's that no country truly stands alone. The boundaries we set up define us but don't insulate us. Certainly, nature doesn't care. Peter Weber The Week Digital     Today's POLITICS story Senate releases border bill linked to Ukraine aid What happened? Senate negotiators late Sunday released the text of a bipartisan $118 billion bill that would curtail illegal immigration and steer billions in military aid to Ukraine, Israel and Indo-Pacific allies. The bill overhauls asylum law and gives the president new authority to expel migrants. Who said what? The legislation would "immediately reassert control of our border," said Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.), a lead negotiator. It's "even worse than we expected," House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) tweeted, reiterating "it will be dead on arrival" in the House. Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.) said he was "confused" by Johnson's criticism and would reach out to discuss the bill's border-enforcement provisions. Republicans "have to decide" if "they want to solve the problem" or "keep playing politics with the border," President Joe Biden said. "I'm ready to secure the border." How did we get here? House Republicans said last fall they wouldn't send Ukraine new aid "unless the money was paired with severe border enforcement measures," The New York Times reported. The politics "abruptly changed" when former President Donald Trump "began attacking the idea of passing any border legislation," fearing it "might remove a potent campaign issue," The Washington Post added. What next? Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) scheduled a Wednesday procedural vote. Roughly 20-25 GOP senators are leaning against supporting the bill, Lankford estimated. A few Democrats say they will vote no.     Today's INTERNATIONAL story US balances airstrikes and diplomacy in Middle East What happened?Secretary of State Antony Blinken is starting his fifth trip to the Middle East since early October. His diplomatic mission comes as the U.S. launched dozens of retaliatory airstrikes on Iranian-backed militias in Iraq, Syria and Yemen over the weekend. The commentary The U.S. faces "monumental challenges" as it tries to end "the brutal war in Gaza and roll back Iranian influence" in the region, The Wall Street Journal reported. The Gaza war "creates opportunities" in the Middle East, said former U.S. envoy Martin Indyk. But to fit all the pieces together, President Joe Biden's team is "going to need a lot of cooperation from a bunch of uncooperative players." Who said what? "Instead of giving us his full backing, Biden is busy with giving humanitarian aid and fuel (to Gaza), which goes to Hamas," Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir told the Journal. "If Trump was in power, the U.S. conduct would be completely different." What next? Blinken will visit Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Qatar, Israel and the West Bank. The United Nations Security Council will debate the U.S. airstrikes.   Advertisement by Betterment [Betterment is the automated investing app that puts your money to work](   Today's NATURAL DISASTER Story Chilean forest fires kill at least 112 What happened?At least 112 people are dead and hundreds missing after fast-moving wildfires ravaged Chile's coastal Valparaíso region over the weekend. It is Chile's deadliest natural disaster since a 2010 earthquake and tsunami that left more than 400 people dead. Who said what?"All of Chile is suffering," President Gabriel Boric said Sunday, declaring two days of national mourning. Some of the fires "began in four points that lit up simultaneously," Valparaíso Gov. Rodrigo Mundaca suggested. "As authorities we will have to work rigorously to find who is responsible." The commentary"It was more like a nuclear bomb than a fire. ... There's nothing left," Omar Castro Vázquez, a 72-year-old whose home was destroyed in the town of El Olivar, told The New York Times. "We're broken." What next?More than 1,400 firefighters plus military personnel were deployed to battle the fires and keep them from spreading to other cities.     On this day February 5, 1917 Mexico ratifies its present constitution, marking one of the defining points of the yearslong Mexican Revolution. The constitution was the first in the world to define a series of social rights. This includes the declaration of equality between men and women, as well as a right to education and economic opportunities.     TODAY’S newspaperS ['Evangelical Christian women rethink immigration']( The Senate released the text of a long-awaited immigration-Ukraine aid bill Sunday, but the "bipartisan bill has a risky path ahead," The Washington Post says on Monday's front page. The main obstacle is House Republicans, but "a small, but growing, group of evangelical Christian women," a key GOP constituency, is "wondering why lawmakers can't reform the nation’s immigration laws in a way that could both enhance border security and treat people humanely," USA Today reports. ► [See the newspaper front pages](     It's not all bad California's growing sea otter population is now a vital tool in preventing coastal erosion, a new study found. Almost hunted to extinction for their pelts, the animals are making a comeback after years of conservation efforts. In Monterey Bay's Elkhorn Slough area, the sea otters are doing their own conservation work. Thanks to their feasting on burrowing crabs that have been destabilizing the shoreline, erosion has been slowed "almost to a halt," biologist Brent Hughes told ABC News.   Advertisement by Betterment [Betterment is the automated investing app that puts your money to work](   Under the radar [Excess screen time is making children only see what is in front of them]( Myopia, also known as nearsightedness, "is an unusual elongated growth pattern of the eyeball, which usually begins in childhood and is likely caused by genetics and environment," according to Harvard Public Health. The problem is children are developing myopia earlier, likely because of increased screen time and a lack of sunlight exposure. "We're talking about [children who are] age 4 or 5 years old," Dr. Maria Liu, an associate professor of clinical optometry at the University of California, Berkeley, told NPR. Social distancing and the switch to remote learning during the pandemic augmented the amount of screen time children are exposed to, on both smartphones and computers. While genetics play a part in developing myopia, parents can take steps to reduce the risk of their children developing it by controlling their screen time and encouraging time spent outdoors. Leaving myopia untreated, especially in children, can exacerbate the problem and increase the future risk of more severe problems. The typical way to treat myopia is by wearing glasses or contacts, but researchers are also studying specific treatments to permanently cure the condition. Special contact lenses, called orthokeratology, have helped slow the progression of nearsightedness in some children. Exposure to sunlight and outdoor open spaces has also been shown to help with myopia. The best thing parents can do is to "try and get their kids outside — playing outside," Mark Rosenfield, professor at the State University of New York College of Optometry, told Harvard Public Health. "It's a win-win situation."     Tall tale Catty vengeance … Getting over a bad breakup? Don't be bitter — send a message in kitty litter. At Crumbs & Whiskers cat cafés in Los Angeles and Washington, D.C., customers who donate $5 in February can have their ex's name written on a card that's then put inside a litter box. The "Sh*t On Ur Ex" campaign is a cheeky way to get closure while also benefiting a good cause; proceeds go toward covering medical expenses for cats until they are adopted.     Later today There are good things about being part of this messy world. In today's U.S. newspapers, cities that landed 2026 World Cup matches are celebrating their good fortune. In today's Evening Review we'll look at why farmers in Europe are up in arms (figuratively, so far), but also what TV shows to stream in February. Two of them are set across the Pacific. Thanks for reading, Peter     Morning Report was written and edited by Catherine Garcia, Justin Klawans, Harold Maass and Peter Weber, with illustrations by Stephen Kelly and Julia Wytrazek. Image credits, from top: Ken Cedeno / UPI / Shutterstock; Evelyn Hockstein / Pool / AFP via Getty Images; Rodrigo Arangua / AFP via Getty Images; Illustration by Julia Wytrazek / Getty Images   © Future US, Inc • [theweek.com]( [Unsubscribe from this newsletter]( [Privacy Policy]( The Week is published by Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY, 10036.