国铁集团：节后铁路春运累计发送旅客突破1亿人次******
中新网2月2日电 据中国国家铁路集团有限公司(以下简称国铁集团)消息，春节以来，铁路春运客流持续回升，1月22日至2月1日，全国铁路累计发送旅客1.02亿人次，同比增加3351万人次，增长48.7%，日均发送旅客931万人次，恢复至2019年春运同期的90%，其中1月26日至2月1日旅客发送量连续7天超千万人次，铁路运输安全平稳有序。
国铁集团客运部负责人介绍，节后春运，铁路部门更好统筹新阶段疫情防控和铁路春运重点工作，更好统筹发展和安全，全力以赴打好春运攻坚战，保障广大旅客平安、有序、温馨出行，努力让广大旅客春运体验更美好。
一是最大限度安排运力。根据客票预售情况和客票候补大数据，动态优化旅客列车开行方案，最大限度满足旅客返岗需求。针对成都、重庆、武汉、长沙、南宁、昆明至广州、深圳，哈尔滨至北京，兰州至乌鲁木齐等热门方向客流增加的情况，及时采取开行夜间高铁、动车组重联、增开临客、普速列车加挂车辆等多种措施，千方百计增加运力投放，节后日均开行旅客列车近9300列，比2019年同期增长了6.8%，全国铁路单日最高开行旅客列车10600余列，较2019年春运同期增长15%。同时，保持普速列车开行规模，开好公益性慢火车，努力满足旅客出行需求。
二是持续提升服务品质。针对节后四川、重庆、河南、湖南广西、陕西等地务工人员集中出行的情况，与地方政府、用工企业紧密联动，大力开行“点对点”务工专列，在进站、候车、检票、乘车等环节开辟专用通道和候车区域，提供全程服务，助力务工人员安全顺利返岗。加大餐饮、供水、保洁等旅途服务保障力度，继续落实好按年龄实行儿童优惠票、便捷中转换乘、网络订餐等便民利民惠民举措，加强老幼病残孕等重点旅客服务，持续提升旅客出行体验。优化旅客乘降组织，动态增加进出站通道数量，深入开展青年志愿者服务活动，强化与公交、地铁等市政交通接驳，打通旅客出行服务“最先一公里”和“最后一公里”。
三是保障健康安全出行。严格落实站车疫情防控措施，引导旅客有序分散进站候车，保持安全距离，做好站车通风消毒，积极推广无接触服务，加强旅行健康站车宣传提示，引导旅客全程佩戴口罩，加强自身健康防护，强化路地联防联控，有序做好应急处置工作，全力打造平安健康旅途。春节假期，国铁集团各级领导干部下沉春运一线，带领广大铁路职工加强调度指挥、线路巡查、设备检修等工作，积极应对大范围雨雪天气，有力保障了铁路春运安全和秩序。
该负责人指出，从目前铁路12306售票数据分析看，元宵节前后，务工流、学生流叠加，铁路春运客流仍将保持高位运行，部分地区客流高峰将超过2019年同期。铁路部门将根据客流需求，最大限度增加运力，加强旅客运输组织，科学有效应对大客流，在前期安排的基础上，日均再增加开行临客200余列。同时，提示广大旅客朋友，春运期间客流量大，请严格按照车票到发站乘车，加强自身健康防护，共同维护良好出行环境。在列车超员情况下，为保障运行安全，旅客列车将不办理旅客延长乘车服务，对于故意不按照票面到站下车，不符合继续乘车条件的旅客，列车工作人员将劝导其在就近的前方站下车。(中新财经)
中新网评：美国众议长选举“连续剧”暴露美式民主痼疾******
中新网北京1月9日电(蒋鲤)在15轮投票表决后，美国众议院议长选举这场“连续剧”终于落下帷幕，众议院共和党领袖凯文·麦卡锡最终成功当选第55任美国众议院议长。这是美国国会过去164年来耗时最久的一次议长选举记录，将美国“对抗式民主”的弊端暴露无遗。
资料图：美国众议院共和党领袖麦卡锡。中新社记者 沙晗汀摄
由于两党对立加剧、党派内斗、利益分配不均等因素，众议长选举陷入一场拉锯战。在此次众议长竞选中，美国民主党议员继续抱团，多轮投票中，一票不投麦卡锡，共和党右翼“强硬派”领头的约20人小团体也拒绝投票麦卡锡。
麦卡锡的当选之路一波三折，除了本人的“政治投机派”角色在国会不受欢迎外，与共和党内部政治分歧关系密切。
一方面，共和党党内反对者认为，麦卡锡对民主党态度过于软弱，无力对抗民主党控制的参议院和拜登政府，另一方面，因为共和党的多数优势微弱，党内一些影响力较小的派系的政治力量则被放大，有利于他们巩固自己的选票。
此外，党内反对者也认为，自己的选票没有换取更多利益，希望以此作为筹码换取麦卡锡更大的让步，比如让他们获得众议院重要委员会中的职务。
作为仅次于美国总统、副总统的政坛三号人物，众议院议长通常由众议院多数党领袖担任，选举几乎没有悬念。然而，麦卡锡此次为当选，不得不做出多个关键让步，其中可能包括恢复一项罢黜议长动议机制，使得众议长的权力被削弱，难以掌控众议院。
美国有线电视新闻网CNN称，麦卡锡在这场不合时宜的政治勒索中作出让步，这种绥靖政策只会让极端主义势力更加强大。
这场引发全世界围观的尴尬选举暴露出美国政治存在严重的对立和分化。在权力博弈思维的裹挟下，党派利益凌驾于国家和人民利益之上，美国两党相互拆台，陷入“为反对而反对”的无脑对垒。而即便是一党内，也会因为利益分配问题产生不同的小派系，相互对抗，选票变成了谋利益的工具。
从国会山骚乱到打破记历史记录的15轮众议长选举，“对抗式民主”让美国政治陷入瓶颈，长期对抗势必会让政客们丧失客观公正的判断能力，其政治阶层是否有能力治理国家也会引发质疑。
两党之争和党派内斗进一步放大了美国政治体制弊病，美国所谓的“民主”形象，让全世界大跌眼镜。鼓吹以选民利益为先的美式选举，变成了政客们利益置换的游戏，进一步彰显出美国“民主政治”日渐失能，不断极化的党争已使美国政治制度陷入死循环。
House speaker election reveals deep-rooted problems in U.S. democracy
(ECNS) -- The Republican leader Kevin McCarthy was elected as the 55th speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives after 15 ballots. As the most grueling House speaker election in the past 164 years, the election has highlighted the defects of the country’s "confrontational democracy".
The election once reached a stalemate due to intense partisan strife, inner-party struggle among the Republicans, uneven distribution of interests, and more. Democratic Party members forged a close alliance, refusing to vote for McCarthy, while about 20 Republicans also declined to cast ballots for the GOP leader.
Except for his unpopular role as a "political speculator" in Congress, McCarthy’s hard-won election can be attributed to turmoil within the Republican Party.
On the one hand, opponents in the Republican Party believe that the GOP leader's attitude toward the Democrats is too weak to confront the Senate controlled by Democrats and the Biden administration.
On the other hand, the political power of some less influential factions in the Republican Party has been amplified due to the Party’s weak majority advantage in the House of Representatives, which is conducive to consolidating their ticket warehouses.
Meanwhile, these opponents believe that their votes failed to win them more benefits, hoping to use this as a bargaining chip for McCarthy's further concessions, such as getting them positions in important House Committees.
As the third political figure after the President and Vice President of the U.S., the speaker, by tradition, is the head of the majority party in the House of Representatives.
But McCarthy has made many concessions in order to bring the ultra conservatives along, involving what’s known as the “motion to vacate,” a mechanism by which members can force a vote to depose the speaker. The reported concessions will empower individual members at the expense of McCarthy’s sway as speaker.
CNN thought the concessions he made during this unseemly political shakedown would only make the extremist faction more powerful.
This embarrassing election, which has drawn global attention, exposed the serious opposition and polarization in American politics. Both Democrats and Republicans put their interests before that of the country and its people, attacking and opposing each other irrationally.
Besides, different factions arise within a single party and confront each other because of the distribution of interests. Votes have become a tool to win more benefits.
From Capitol riots to the House Speaker election with record-breaking ballots, "confrontational democracy" has become a bottleneck of American politics. Long-term confrontation will surely impede politicians to think objectively and fairly while their capacity of governing the country will also raise doubts among the public.
Both parties’ struggle and infighting among the Republicans have further amplified the defects of the American political system, with its "democratic" image shocking the world.
The U.S.-style election, which advocates putting voters' interests first, has become a game of interest exchange among politicians. In addition, it further demonstrates the malfunction of American "democratic politics" and the constantly polarized party struggle that has trapped the American political system into an infinite cycle.
