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OCTOBER 1, 2021
ISSUE NO. 73
SHUTTING DOWN THE SHUTDOWN

Happy October, everyone!

The crisp, fall weather has returned, and while the leaves haven't started to change quite yet*, we're already back in a spook-tacular mood! 

Keep it Ghoul,
The POLITI-Kids Team
Aloise Phelps & Alexa Velickovich

 

*If the leaves are already changing where you are, send pics to politikids@politico.com — we're jealous!

GOATS TO THE RESCUE

For Kenya's orphaned elephants, goats to the rescue
(Photo Credit: Ami Vitale)

Before the pandemic, the orphaned elephant calves homed at the he Reteti Elephant Sanctuary in northern Kenya received a special bottle full of something pretty similar to human infant formula.

It worked well and allowed the elephants to grow big and strong, which eventually allowed them to be released back into the wild.

However, due to travel restrictions during the pandemic, the staff at Reteti were faced with significant challenges in getting the baby elephants their food. Plus, they were losing money due to the decrease in tourists visiting the sanctuary, which meant that even if they could get their food, the staff was running out of ways to pay for it. 

Knowing that they had to come up with a solution to ensure the elephants would be fed, the Reteti staff turned to their community.

Most of the people who live near the sanctuary are herders, which means their livelihood depends on raising and selling livestock — including goats. The staff researched goat milk and discovered that it might just be the right fit for the elephants.

The results were better than the staff could have imagined!

The elephant calves love the goat milk and they are growing up to be bigger and stronger than ever. Plus, now the local families that are selling the milk to Reteti have a new source of income.

This is a win-win for everyone and quite the positive outcome that may have gone undiscovered if not for the pandemic.
(Source: National Geographic)

WORD OF THE WEEK: 
DEBT CEILING
In order to understand the debt ceiling, it is important to understand debt. In basic terms, debt is what someone owes to someone else. In this case, debt is in the form of money, but it can also be items, favors or other things. If a debt is not repaid, that means the person, organization or government who borrowed money defaulted, or failed to fulfill, their debt. 

So, then, what is the debt ceiling, and why is it in the news? The debt ceiling is the absolute maximum amount of money the government is allowed to borrow in order to pay back debts. The money is used to pay for programs such as Social Security, Medicare and more. But before the government can borrow any money, Congress has to approve the amount.

This week, lawmakers have been at odds over what should be included in a federal government spending bill, because the deadline to fund the government was Sept. 30. Democratic lawmakers wanted to include a measure in the bill that would raise the country's debt ceiling, but Republicans opposed their efforts. Yesterday, hours before the government was set to shutdown, Congress approved a short-term spending bill, but it did not include a raise to the debt ceiling.

Which means in the next 18 days, Congress will have to come together and find a solution before the government defaults on its debt.
JOKE OF THE WEEK:

Q: Why couldn't the two elephants go swimming together?

A: Because they only had one pair of trunks!

Below is an excerpt from a POLITICO article, along with some questions to help guide your reading. 
To read the full article, click here.
Remember ‘I’m Just a Bill’? Here’s the 2021 version.
By Krystal Campos, Dan Ashwood, Matt Wuerker and Sarah Ferris
September 30, 2021
Click above to watch POLITICO's 2021 version of "I'm Just A Bill."
The iconic Schoolhouse Rock! "I'm Just A Bill" cartoon taught us all how a bill, supposedly, becomes law. In 2021, the reality has grown much more complicated.

In the educational ditty from the 1970s, an animated scrap of paper, aka the bill, explains to a boy how it needs to pass both chambers of Congress before the president signs the legislation into law. We learned that bills are ideas that are proposed, considered by a committee, brought up for floor votes in both the House and the Senate, and finally end up on the president's desk, waiting to be signed into law.

But the process is a little more convoluted than the linear path the infamous "Schoolhouse Rock" video plays out.

After months of reporting on the haggling between Democrats and Republicans to pass Biden’s $1 trillion infrastructure bill, it got us thinking — the 45-year-old explainer needed more information. So we enlisted cartoonist Matt Wuerker and the video team to do just that.

Before drawing it all out, Wuerker spoke with POLITICO congressional reporter Sarah Ferris to better understand all those extra steps it now takes to pass a bill.

This conversation has been edited for length and clarity.

What are people not seeing or not understanding about the current process? If there's any kind of controversial bill, it's going to have a lot more than just the steps of going through committee and getting to the House floor. There has to be behind the scenes negotiations for weeks, if not months.

It's so much now: What's the impact going to be politically, what is the reason for party leaders to put this bill on the floor, and how do you get the votes for it when it is on the floor?

And it's not just committees, there are also bipartisan gangs that are part of the process? 
Yes, if you think about the chairmen in both the House and Senate, they're both Democrats. Sure, they agree on plenty of things, but the big hurdle that Democrats have been dealing with for years is the Senate filibuster, that 60-vote margin.

You can't only have the Democratic chairman writing and passing bills, and sending them to the president. You have to have bipartisan cooperation, and that doesn't exist in the vast majority of legislation.

But are you going to have the two party leaders from the Democratic side and the Republican side sitting in a room and hashing things out? No. That's why this bipartisan group has basically gone rogue.


Did the old version of Schoolhouse Rock “I’m just a Bill” leave anything out? The more accurate version of this Schoolhouse Rock video right now might be about frameworks and proposals and more than the actual legislation. That's what both parties have to agree to before you can even agree to write a bill.

...
And to add to the complexity, when we're talking about the infrastructure bill, we're really talking about two: the bipartisan infrastructure bill and a separate $3.5 trillion dollar bill that was split off because they realized this wouldn't pass the filibuster but instead with reconciliation? Right. It is extremely rare for either governing party to be able to put together a package that can actually get signed into law. But reconciliation is the way to go now. It's the only game in town if you want to have substantial changes to policy. The only other thing that motivates Congress to get things done is a deadline. And the only other way to try to get bills to the floor is to attach it to a ‘must-pass’ government shutdown looming kind of legislation.

Another concept that’s popped up, that’s not part of the Schoolhouse Rock lesson is vote-a-rama. And in order to go through this process in the Senate, we had a vote-a rama that went to four in the morning. So what the heck is a vote-a rama? Whenever a party doesn't have full supermajority control of Congress, they're going to be forced into this process every time they try to do special budget bills. And it comes with these really obscure rules where every senator can propose unlimited amendments. These votes are all political.
...
What is the biggest misconception that the public has about the current legislative process? I think people think it's a lot more of a linear process and that the folks in charge of the House and the Senate have more leeway in how they decide to craft these bills. But in reality, there are so many invisible barriers.

That's why Congress ends up in circles with all kinds of extensions. You can acknowledge something is a problem, but actually coming up with even the first step toward the solution is never going to get the votes that you need.
WHAT IS RECONCILIATION?
Reconciliation is a special process that makes budget legislation easier to pass in the Senate. Almost all bills in the Senate require 60 votes to avoid a filibuster, but this process allows some legislation to pass with a simple majority.

Reconciliation starts with the congressional budget resolution. If the budget calls for reconciliation, it tells certain committees to change spending, revenues, deficits, or the debt limit by specific amounts. Reconciliation has a lot of strict rules, and it can only be used on policies that change spending or revenues. 


WHAT IS A VOTE-A-RAMA?
A vote-a-rama is part of the budget reconciliation process in the U.S. Senate. Senators are allowed to propose amendments to the reconciliation bill, but they must do so briefly. After they've introduced their amendment, Senators have 10 minutes to vote. There is no limit on the number of amendments that can be proposed during a vote-a-rama.


WHAT IS THE BYRD RULE?
In the Senate, reconciliation measures are subject to the Byrd Rule. This rule limits what can be included in and permits senators to block provisions of reconciliation bills that are considered extraneous, or irrelevant, to the bill.


GUIDED ARTICLE & VIDEO QUESTIONS:
1. Why is the original "Schoolhouse Rock" video no longer an accurate representation of how a bill becomes a law? 


2. What is happening behind the scenes for a bill to become a law? Do bills have to be 


3. Is it guaranteed that a bill will become a law once it gets to the president's desk? Why not? 


4. How long is a vote-a-rama?


5. Does the process of reconciliation make it easier or harder for a bill to become law?
NOTABLE NEWS THIS WEEK
Use the guided reading questions in blue italics to help gain a deeper comprehension of this week's notable news.
 
A new emancipation monument was unveiled in Richmond, Virginia, last week. The Emancipation and Freedom Monument, designed by Oregon sculptor Thomas Jay Warren, consists of two 12-foot bronze statues — one of a woman holding an infant and one of a man newly freed from chains. The names and images of 10 African American Virginians who have fought for emancipation and freedom of formerly enslaved people or for their descendants are included on the statue's pedestal. The statue was unveiled two weeks after the 60-foot-tall statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee was removed from the city. Why is it significant that the names are included on the monument? 

An oversize 3-D printer built a small village in Mexico for people living in poverty. The 11-foot-tall printer is able to complete houses in 24 hours by pouring layers of lavacrete, a proprietary concrete mix, one after another in long swirls. The best part: the homes can withstand extreme conditions and have already survived a magnitude 7.4 earthquake! New Story, a San Francisco nonprofit organization, began building the village in 2019, and two years later, 200 homes are either being built or already completed. There are already plans to include a school, a market, a soccer field and more, as the village grows. Do you think 3-D printers are the future of construction? Would you want to live in a 3-D printed house?
PAW-LITICO OF THE WEEK: TONY
Submitted by POLITI-Kid's Paul Henderson & Leah Kobes

Hi Politi-Kids, I'm Wyatt! I'm a husky mix with a heart of gold. I've been a New Yorker since I was a puppy, and you can usually find me hanging out in my backyard or curled up with my humans in Brooklyn. Right now though, I'm on a big adventure in Iowa, where I'm going to help my humans get married by being the Best Pup in their wedding! On a personal note, I have always wanted to break into modeling and am grrrr-ateful to POLITI-kids for giving me my debut!

Do you want your pet to be next Paw-litico of the week?
Send us a photo and a bio to politikids@politico.com
RECIPE OF THE WEEK: 
CHEESE PUPUSAS
Adapted from AmericasTestKitchen
Salvadoran Pupusas As Made By Curly And His Abuelita Recipe by Tasty
Post Image
Ingredients:
– 2 cups (8 ounces) masa harina
– ¾ teaspoon salt
– 1½ cups (12 ounces) warm water
– 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
– Vegetable oil spray
– 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese (8 ounces)

 
Directions:
1. In bowl, stir together masa harina and salt. Add warm water and oil. Stir well until no dry masa remains and soft dough forms, about 1 minute. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 15 minutes.

2. While dough rests, use scissors to cut side seams of large zipper-lock plastic bag, leaving bottom seam intact. Open bag and spray inside of bag lightly with vegetable oil spray. Set aside.

3. When dough is ready, roll dough into 8 equal balls (about ⅓ cup each). Place on large plate and cover with damp dish towel.

4. Pat 1 dough ball into 4-inch circle. Squeeze ¼ cup Monterey Jack into ball. Place cheese ball in center of dough circle, pull sides over, and pinch at top. Roll into smooth ball. Repeat with remaining dough.

5. Open bag, place 1 filled pupusa ball inside, and fold over top of bag. Place pie plate on top of bag and press ball into 4-inch circle. Return pressed pupusa to large plate and cover with damp dish towel. Repeat with remaining 7 filled pupusa balls.

6. Spray skillet lightly with vegetable oil spray. Heat over medium-high heat until hot, about 1 minute. Add 4 pupusas to skillet and cook until spotty brown, 6 to 8 minutes, flipping halfway through cooking. Repeat with remaining 4 pupusas.
CRAFT OF THE WEEK: 
GUATEMALAN WORRY DOLLS
Adapted from HappyHooligans

Worry dolls (also called trouble dolls; in Spanish, they're called "muñecas quitapena") are small, hand-made dolls that originated in Guatemala.

Legend has it that if whisper your worries to the dolls and place them under your pillow before going to bed, by morning, the dolls will have gifted you with the wisdom and knowledge to eliminate your worries.

Supplies:
– Twigs
– Sharp scissors or gardening shears
– Fine yarn or embroidery floss in a variety of colors
– Permanent marker
– Low heat glue gun

Instructions:
1. Gather twigs from around your yard. If damp, dry them indoors overnight before cutting them into 1″- 2″ pieces.

2. Wrap the twigs with various colors of yarn or embroidery floss.

3. To secure the starting piece, leave a little tail, and wrap over it a few times with your yarn.

4. Do the same when changing colors.

5. To finish, cut your yarn and tie a knot to secure it, or dab with a bit of glue from a low heat glue gun.

6. Use a permanent marker to draw eyes and a mouth on your worry doll. You can even get really creative and add hair to your worry doll.

8.  Make as many Worry Dolls as you need, either to give as gifts, to trade with friends or just to have on hand in case you need to tuck one under your pillow at night in a pinch!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY to the following POLITICO'sPOLITI-Kids and celebrities. Is your birthday coming up? Let us know by submitting your name and date of birth here!

October 1: Evan Semones, Marie French, Andy Goodwin, Mallory Sheehan, President Jimmy Carter, Julie Andrews, Brie Larson, Zach Galifianakis

October 2: Shannon Young, Thomas Zhang, Zoe Mitchell, Mahatma Gandhi, Kelly Ripa

October 3: Ursula Perano, A$AP Rocky, Gwen Stefani

October 4: Susan Sarandon, Alicia Silverstone, Dakota Johnson

October 5: Ana Faguy,
 Jacob Tremblay, Kate Winslet, Nicky Hilton, President Chester A. Arthur

October 6: Cara Collins, Sara Schonhardt, Jazz Jennings, Addison Rae

October 7: Simon Cowell

October 8: Terrence Golway, Katherine Herbert, 
Bruno Mars, Matt Damon, Bella Thorne, Barbara Palvin

October 9: Arianna Skibell, Bella Hadid, John Lennon


October 10: Laura DiAngelo, Clea Benson, Bianca Flores, Mario Lopez

October 11: Sara Smith, Brad Anderson, Javeria Khan, Cardi B, Jane Krakowski, Joan Cusack, Eleanor Roosevelt 

October 12: Hugh Jackman, Chris Wallace, Josh Hutcherson, Iris Apatow


October 13: Ry Rivard, Emily Cadei, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Margaret Thatcher, Kate Walsh, Paul Simon, Ashanti, Sacha Baron Cohen

October 14:
 Bianca Quilantan, Erin Aulov, Aaron McBurnie, George Floyd, Usher, President Dwight D. Eisenhower, Rowan Blanchard, Ralph Lauren
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