Senator Ted Cruz launched a blistering attack against Democratic leadership, blaming them squarely for a government shutdown that has lingered into its 29th day.
According to Cruz, the shutdown is not about genuine policy negotiation but about protecting Chuck Schumer and appeasing the radical left‑wing of his party.
Cruz argued that Democrats, under Schumer’s guidance, intentionally allowed the funding for the federal government to lapse.
He said their demands—among them taxpayer‑funded healthcare for undocumented immigrants and the reversal of work requirements for able‑bodied adults—are so extreme they have effectively triggered this standoff.
In Cruz’s view, this is not a simple budget dispute but a political maneuver. “This is all about political saving Chuck Schumer’s rear end,” Cruz declared, accusing Schumer of throwing American taxpayers under the bus in order to placate his party’s base.
He said: “We’re on day 29 of the stupidest shutdown. This is the SCHUMER Shutdown.”
Cruz’s words reflect deep frustration over the failure of the Senate to approve even a clean funding measure, even though the House passed one.
He painted the situation starkly: “The reason the government is shut down is that Chuck Schumer has a political problem. And he has a political problem from right where you’re sitting right now, from New York.” Cruz went on to assert that progressives in the Democratic Party almost removed Schumer from his leadership post after an earlier decision to allow funding to continue—yet now Schumer is playing to that same base by refusing to open the government.
Cruz accused Democrats of hypocrisy, pointing out that when shutdowns happened under Democratic leadership in the past, they condemned the tactic. Now, he says, they are using it as a weapon for pure politics rather than public service.
He warned that at some point “seven or eight Democrats are going to have some sense come into them.” According to Cruz, it’s likely that these will be retiring Democrats—those no longer worried about a primary challenge—who are free to break ranks because they don’t face the same pressure from the radical left‑wing base. In his telling, those in danger of primaries must pander to extreme positions, thus forcing the shutdown.
Cruz emphasized that while the shutdown continues, essential services are still functioning, but many federal workers are going without pay. The underlying damage, he said, goes beyond the immediate. He argued the shutdown erodes public trust in government, hurts working families and veterans, and punishes taxpayers who did nothing to create the mess.
Pregnant Woman Among At Least Five Dead As Indonesian Ferry Bursts Into Flames
In Indonesia, a boat carrying hundreds of people caught fire, forcing frightened passengers to jump overboard into the sea, killing at least five people, including a pregnant mother.
Following the tragedy on Sunday, over 280 individuals were rescued, and evacuation operations were still in progress.
According to Vice Admiral Denih Hendrata, commander of the Indonesian Fleet Command, the KM Barcelona 5 caught fire in waters close to Talise while it was traveling from Talaud, an island district in the province, to Manado, the capital of North Sulawesi province.
According to the senior commander, 284 passengers and crew members have been evacuated thus far from three navy ships that have been sent.
Source: Unsplash
However, according to Nuriadin Gumeleng, public relations officer for the Manado SAR Office, one terrible victim was a pregnant woman who was sent to Manado from Talaud.
“Currently, only one person has been identified as having died, a pregnant woman. Her body is now on land,” Gumeleng told local news site Harian Jogja.
Local fisherman helped with the rescue effort, saving a few people who were wearing life jackets as they floated to neighboring islands in the rough seas.
The precise number of passengers and staff members on board the boat was unknown, and there were no early reports of injuries.
As plumes of grey smoke rise above the debris, striking video of the tragedy shows the entire ship completely consumed by blazing orange flames.
A recording of the wrecked boat shows several passengers sitting on the side of the ship in orange life vests, driven into the sea, and a woman sobbing uncontrollably.
After swimming away from the boat, the camera suddenly shows several hundred individuals already in the water.
A man recounting his story of the horrific events appears to be saving a toddler from the sea in another video.
As the father talks, he is seen recording the debris from a distance while holding the small infant in his arms while the child coughs.
In one chilling broadcast uploaded to Facebook a passenger named Abdul Rahmad Agu pleaded:
“We are burning at sea… we need help… fast…”
Emergency personnel are rushing to make sure that every passenger is safe as rescue efforts continue.
The three rescue vessels sent to the area were identified as the KM Barcelona III, KM Venecian, and KM Cantika Lestari 9F by a Manado KSOP officer.
According to local publication IDN Times, the boat was supposed to dock at Manado Port when the catastrophe occurred.
Official updates have been requested, and families of those on board have been asked to remain calm.
A tourist boat carrying 53 persons sank in Vietnam a few days prior, killing at least 38 people.
The Wonder Sea boat was hit by strong winds in Halong Bay. Rescue workers rescued 11 people and recovered 37 bodies, while five people are still missing, according to Vn Express.