The Laken Riley Act defeated the legislative filibuster during a procedural vote on Thursday, amassing more than 60 votes to advance it to a final vote. 

The bill was quickly re-introduced by Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., in the Senate and Rep. Mike Collins, R-Ga., in the House once the new Congress began. 

"Today’s vote on the Laken Riley Act is an important step forward in making our country safer, but there’s still more work to be done to get this commonsense legislation across the finish line," Britt said in a statement. 

"Laken’s horrific murder should never have happened. While we cannot bring Laken back, Congress can and must pass the Laken Riley Act to save American lives and prevent this tragedy from repeating itself. Congress has an obligation to Laken, her family, and to Americans in every corner of our country to get this bill passed and signed into law."

NEW GOP SENATOR TEARS INTO DEMS 'SEEKING TO DELAY' PETE HEGSETH DOD CONFIRMATION

The bill was named for a 22-year-old Augusta University nursing student who was found dead on the University of Georgia's campus in February. Jose Ibarra, a 26-year-old illegal immigrant, was found guilty of 10 total counts, including felony murder. He initially pleaded not guilty but was ultimately sentenced to life without the possibility of parole in November. 

Britt and Collins' bill would require Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to arrest and detain illegal immigrants that have committed theft, burglary or shoplifting until they are deported. States would also be granted standing under the legislation to take civil action against members of the federal government that do not enforce immigration laws. 

The measure was blessed by new Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., who teed it up to be the first major vote in the upper chamber. 

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With all Senate Republicans on board, it was initially unclear whether they would be able to get enough Democrats to advance the bill and beat the filibuster's 60-vote threshold. However, Democratic support began to snowball after Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., was the first to say he would vote in favor of it. He and Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., both opted to become co-sponsors of the bill. 

Fox News had confirmed as of Thursday morning that at least 13 Democrats said they would vote to advance the bill. 

Sens. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., Gallego, Gary Peters, D-Mich., John Hickenlooper, D-Colo., Angus King, I-Maine, Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., and Fetterman, each said they would vote yes on the procedural hurdle. 

On the Senate floor, Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., revealed he would also be voting to advance the bill. He explained that he would vote in favor of the cloture motion in order to have the opportunity for debate and for Democrats to offer amendments. The Democrat leader further said he believed there are enough votes for the measure to beat the filibuster. 

SENATE DEMS TO JOIN REPUBLICANS TO ADVANCE ANTI-ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION BILL NAMED AFTER LAKEN RILEY

In addition, Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., said he would likely support advancing the bill. 

This isn't a guarantee that the Democrats will all vote on final passage of the bill. However, the final vote only requires a simple majority to pass, whereas the cloture vote needed 60. 

BORDER STATE DEMOCRAT RUBEN GALLEGO BACKS GOP'S LAKEN RILEY ACT AHEAD OF SENATE VOTE

The successful filibuster defeat effectively ensures that the GOP's priority immigration bill will be sent to President-elect Trump's desk and ultimately become law. 

A handful of the Democrats that helped the measure advance are up for re-election in potentially competitive states come 2026. They include Ossoff, Shaheen, Peters and Hickenlooper. 

• Starbucks is hosting a three-hour meeting for store employees later this month.
• The meeting will focus on ways that employees can make Starbucks "a welcoming coffeehouse" again.
• Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol is trying to turn around results at the coffee chain.

Starbucks store employees in the US will have to attend a three-hour training session later this month, Business Insider has learned, as the coffee chain's new CEO attempts to revitalize it.

Starbucks' role as a place for customers to hang out is expected to be a key topic at the meeting, according to a description from Starbucks' intranet seen by BI.

"We will be talking about an opportunity to refocus on what has always set Starbucks apart — a welcoming coffeehouse where people gather and we serve the finest coffee, handcrafted by skilled baristas," the description reads.

The meetings will take place at different times at different stores, four store employees told BI. They'll happen between January 21 and 26 and will be entitled "Welcome Back to Starbucks," according to one sign posted at a store and seen by BI.

Store employees, whom Starbucks calls "partners," have to attend the meeting, even if that means going to another store's version because it fits their schedule better, two partners said. In some cases, partners will fill in shifts at other stores so that employees there can be present, one partner said.

Starbucks did not immediately respond to a request for comment from BI.

Starbucks is in the midst of a turnaround effort after reporting slumping sales in recent quarters.

Brian Niccol, who oversaw major changes at Mexican grill chain Chipotle, became Starbucks' CEO in September. Since then, he's unveiled several changes, from the reintroduction of self-service condiment bars to instituting a goal of four minutes or less for preparing customers' orders.

Niccol has also said that he wants Starbucks stores to be "inviting places to linger" while also serving customers who want quick to-go service.

One partner at a Starbucks store in Florida told BI that he hopes Starbucks will unveil more changes to streamline workflow at his store during the meeting.

He pointed to some adjustments that Starbucks has already made under Niccol's leadership, such as instructing baristas to prepare some drinks with a blender instead of shaking them — a small change that saves each barista valuable seconds when filling orders.

"I would love to see a continuation of that," he said.

Do you work at Starbucks and have a story idea to share? Reach out to this reporter at [email protected].

• At least five separate wildfires are ravaging Los Angeles and Southern California.
• The Palisades Fire alone has burned through over 17,000 acres of land in two days.
• For context, the entire island of Manhattan is 14,600 acres.

A series of wildfires have battered Los Angeles and other surrounding areas of Southern California since Tuesday, killing at least five people, burning through tends of thousands of acres of land, and destroying at least 1,000 structures.

The damage so far is estimated to be in the tens of billions of dollars.

When natural disasters strike, numbers like these — that reach the thousands, millions, and even billions — can become difficult to comprehend.

To put the wildfire destruction in California into perspective, here are seven statistics to help understand the damage they have inflicted.

• Multiple fires are devastating the Los Angeles area with over 100,000 people told to evacuate.
• Landmarks such as the Hollywood sign and the Getty Center were undamaged but engulfed in smoke.
• The Griffith Observatory will be closed until further notice.

The Los Angeles wildfires have devastated portions of the city and surrounding areas.

The Palisades fire, which started on January 7, has left more than 17,000 acres burning unchecked. In total, wildfires have burned over 27,000 acres.

Over 100,000 residents have been ordered to evacuate, and many more have lost their homes.

Here's how the fires have impacted some of the most famous landmarks in Los Angeles.

This is Rumor Replay, a weekly column at 9to5Mac offering a quick rundown of the most recent Apple product rumors, with analysis and commentary. Today: new iPads are on the way, plus a curious iOS Invites app, and more. Here are this week’s Apple rumors.

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A recent report from WalletHub has analyzed the best cities in the country for finding a job.

A viral TikTok couple shared their journey through a debilitating ordeal with fans.

Hundreds of flights into and out of Dallas-Fort Worth airport were cancelled as Texas braces for a wintry storm.

'Wheel of Fortune' has added some changes over the years, but fans aren't pleased with one.

The Blackhawks GM spoke on how Bedard is handling dwelling at the bottom of the NHL.

A Myanmar military airstrike on a village in Rakhine state killed at least 40 people and injured over 20 others, officials say.

The '19 Kids and Counting' star's wife gave birth to twin girls on Wednesday, January 8.

The Republican greeted his successor in a way that captured viewers' attention on Thursday morning.

The pair paid tribute to former President Carter at his state funeral on Thursday, performing John Lennon's "Imagine."

Extreme swings from wet to dry weather are making California more vulnerable to devastating wildfires.

Christin Coble, 45, was booked into the Sandusky County Jail on rape charge on Jan. 7

Rizzo also noted how Saget would be heartbroken over the Pacific Palisades wildfires, where he called "home for decades"

Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee share sons Brandon Thomas Lee, 28, and Dylan Jagger Lee, 27

United Arab Emirates Paralympian Abdullah Hayayei died when a metal cage fell on him while training for the World Championships in London

A 32-year-old woman turns to Reddit after she confronted her mother for criticizing the way she parents her two sons