Final Senate bill: Aye 74, Nay 26.

EPI estimates that this bill could result in 1.8 million fewer jobs.

He climbed into the great chair and made himself as comfortable as he could. The microphone, already alive, was waiting for him: something that was the equivalent of a TV camera must be watching, but he could not locate it.

Beyond the desk and its meaningless instrument panels, the wide windows looked out into the starry night, across a valley sleeping beneath a gibbous moon, and to the distant range of mountains. A river wound along the valley, glittering here and there as the moonlight struck upon some patch of troubled water. It was all so peaceful. It might have been thus at Man’s birth as it was now at his ending.

Out there across unknown millions of kilometres of space, Karellen would be waiting. It was strange to think that the ship of the Overlords was racing away from Earth almost as swiftly as his signal could speed after it. Almost-but not quite. It would be a long chase, but his words would catch the Supervisor and he would have repaid the debt he owed. – Arthur C. Clarke, Childhood’s End

Thanks to everyone who joined in the watch parties, and who did what they could over the course of the past two and a half years to try and stop this from happening, even though they knew there was no hope. The record is there.  I respect you tremendously.