First Thing: US Senate releases draft bill to secure aid to Ukraine and Israel

Biden urges Congress to pass bill that includes measures to temporarily close US-Mexico border if more than 5,000 undocumented people cross a day. Plus, why we should prioritize friendships

Good morning.

US senators released the details of a highly anticipated $118bn package yesterday evening that pairs federal enforcement policy on the US-Mexico border with wartime aid for Ukraine, Israel and others, launching a long-shot effort to push the bill past sceptical, hard-right House Republicans - whom Democrats accuse of politicizing immigration while being in thrall to Donald Trump.

What has the impact of the stall been? With Congress stalled on approving $60bn in Ukraine aid, the US has halted shipments of ammunition and missiles to Kyiv, leaving Ukrainian soldiers outgunned as they try to come out on top of a grinding stalemate with Russian troops. The United States and our allies are facing multiple, complex and, in places, coordinated challenges from adversaries who seek to disrupt democracy and expand authoritarian influence around the globe," Schumer said in a statement.

What has The National Weather Service said? This is a DANGEROUS SYSTEM [sic] with major risks to life and property," NWS Los Angeles warned in a Sunday afternoon forecast discussion, adding that roads and highways would become inaccessible, rockslides were likely through canyons, and rising waters would surge into homes and businesses in low-lying neighborhoods.