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☆ In Darfur, Genocide May Be Happening Again - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-15 | by ( Nicholas Kristof | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

“Then they piled up the children and shot them,” a witness told Human Rights Watch. It’s a conflict, by some accounts a genocide, unfolding particularly in the Darfur region there. You may remember Darfur: It was the site of a genocide two decades ago. While hundreds of thousands were slaughtered in Darfur at that time, the campaign also probably saved the lives of hundreds of thousands of others. Other countries imposed sanctions and an arms embargo, peacekeeping forces were established by the African Union and the United Nations, and the Sudanese leader who commanded the genocide was eventually ousted.

Persons: ”, “, Barack Obama, Joe Biden Organizations: Human Rights Watch, African Union, United Nations Locations: Sudan, Gaza, Ukraine, Darfur, United States

☆ Embattled Georgia DA Fani Willis and Trump trial judge hit the campaign trail
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-15 | by ( Sara Murray | Jason Morris | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Wise Smith, meantime, has faced some skepticism from voters worried that if he ousts Willis it could endanger the Trump case. The disqualification drama surrounding Willis hasn’t spared Wise Smith from skepticism from some Democrats who believe Willis will most aggressively prosecute the Trump case. “Some folks were worried that me jumping in the race, you know, might mean we lose that case,” Wise Smith said in an interview with CNN. Let me say this, I think the case is in grave jeopardy right now,” Wise Smith said of the Trump case. In a rarity for a sitting judge, McAfee has also been granting interviews to local media.

Persons: Donald Trump, Fani Willis, Scott McAfee, ” Willis, “, Trump, Willis, Christian Wise Smith, Willis ’, Wise Smith, McAfee, Robert Patillo, he’s, Courtney Kramer, ”, Michael J, Moore, she’s, Willis hasn’t, ” Wise Smith, Wise Smith –, –, ” McAfee, wouldn’t, “ I’ve, Patillo’s, ” Patillo, “ It’s, Patillo, Brian Kemp, Roy Barnes, Kemp, Barnes, Ray Smith III, Smith, ” Moore, that’s Organizations: CNN, Democratic Party, Democratic, Trump, Trump White House, Middle, Middle District of, WSB, Georgia Gov, Republican, Democrat, McAfee, Boy Scouts Locations: Georgia, Fulton County, Middle District, Middle District of Georgia, Inman

☆ Drugs, Sacraments or Medicine? Psychedelic Churches Blur the Line.
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-12 | by ( Ernesto Londoño | Meridith Kohut | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Facing the latest participants attending her four-day psychedelic retreat, Whitney Lasseter made a bold claim: The ceremonies they would take part in were sanctioned by federal law, which sets a high bar for the government to interfere in religious practices. “We are using these medicines to connect with the divine,” said Ms. Lasseter, the founder of All Tribes Medicine Assembly, one of dozens of organizations that describe themselves as churches and view their use of psychoactive substances as sacramental, even though they are generally illegal under federal law. “It’s your right to practice your religion however you are guided.”Eight guests seated in a circle in a suburban Austin, Texas, living room nodded, some looking apprehensive, as Ms. Lasseter outlined the sequence of body-jolting, mind-altering rituals ahead. First, there would be a detoxification protocol in which poisonous secretions of a frog from the Amazon are dabbed on tiny burn marks on a person’s skin, often inducing nausea and projectile vomiting.

Persons: Whitney Lasseter, ”, Lasseter, “ Organizations: All Tribes Medicine Assembly Locations: Austin , Texas

☆ New York City Deserves a Birthday Party Worthy of Its Greatness - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-12 | by ( Kenneth T. Jackson | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

New York City has an image problem. The nightly news typically has a Big Apple spot about unprovoked street violence, subway attacks, drive-by shootings, shoplifting gangs and homeless encampments. The upcoming 400th anniversary of New York City in 2025 offers a great opportunity to change the prevailing narrative. A world-class party could attract more tourists to the world’s greatest city. And Gotham has thousands of citizens who care deeply about the past and who would eagerly embrace the opportunity to show their love for the city.

Persons: Eric Adams, we’ve Organizations: Apple, New Locations: York City, Gotham, United States, New York City

☆ How 360,000 Haitians Wound Up Living in Empty Lots and Crowded Schools
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-08 | by ( Frances Robles | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Many places have no running water, flushing toilets or garbage pickup. The lucky ones are sleeping on a friend’s sofa. “There are kids at my camp who have no parents,” said Agenithe Jean, 39, who left her home in the Carrefour Feuilles neighborhood of Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince, in August for an improvised camp in an empty lot about six miles away. “We need latrines. We need somewhere to go.”

Persons: ”, Agenithe Jean Organizations: United Nations Locations: Haiti, United, Carrefour Feuilles, Haiti’s, Port

☆ United Methodist Church embraces the LGBTQ after decades of division
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-05 | by ( Chelsea Bailey | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Courtesy Neighborhood Church AtlantaA church at war with itselfThe United Methodist Church has been at war with itself for decades over its stance on homosexuality. In 2019, the United Methodist Church’s governing body opened a temporary window for congregations to petition to leave over the issue. Andy Oliver reacts after the United Methodist Church removes a rule forbidding "self-avowed practicing homosexuals" from being ordained or appointed as ministers. And yet you stay, and you fight because you know, a better church is possible.”A sign outside the Allendale United Methodist Church in St. Petersburg, Florida. Andy OliverThe Real Work BeginsThe United Methodist Church, is one of the largest mainline Protestant Christian denominations in the United States, according to the Pew Research Center.

Persons: Andi Woodworth, Woodworth, Anjie, ”, “, that’s, ” Woodworth, Anjie Woodworth, Rev, Kristin Stoneking, “ We’ve, “ There’s, ” Anjie, she’s, …, Andy Oliver, Chris Carlson, Robert “ BJ ” Jackson, Oliver, Jackson, Tim, Tim’s, he’s, ” Oliver, Jackson’s, ‘, BJ, – John Wesley –, Billy Hester, Hester, disaffiliate, ” CNN’s Justin Gamble Organizations: CNN, Neighborhood Church, United Methodist Church, Methodist, Church, United Methodist, Christian, “, Conference, Network, Allendale United Methodist Church, Pew Research Center, Asbury Memorial Church Locations: Atlanta , Georgia, Atlanta, Church Atlanta, Allendale, St . Petersburg , Florida, United States, Savannah , Georgia, Savannah

☆ I grew up in Athens. Here are 8 things I wish tourists would stop doing when they come here.
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-01 | by ( Konstantina Pyrnokoki | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Read previewI was born and raised in Athens, so I've seen a lot of tourists. Here are things I wish people would stop doing when they visit Athens. AdvertisementIf you insist on riding the bus, ask someone at the stop when your specific bus passed last. When in doubt, ask a local for the best restaurants in Athens rather than blindly following travel guides. AdvertisementCrosswalks are rarely seen by Greek drivers as a sign to stop, so crossing one whenever you want is unwise.

Persons: —, I've, SHansche, you've, zucchini, SEN LI, it's Organizations: Service, Business, Acropolis Locations: Athens, Delta, Greece, cafés

☆ How evangelical leader Jim Wallis uses the Bible to expose the ‘False White Gospel’
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-28 | by ( John Blake | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +14 min

Some may already be tired of the debate over White Christian nationalism, whose followers blend sexism, racism and hostility to non-White immigrants in a quest to create a White Christian America. But Wallis has been warning people about the dangers of White Christian nationalist beliefs long before the term became popular. You write that White Christian nationalism is not new, and that it’s a form of heresy. This [White Christian nationalism] is an old idea from the Doctrine of Discovery, which says that this country was for people who were White Americans. Tom Brenner/ReutersWhat’s the difference between patriotism — believing that the US is an exceptional country — and White Christian nationalism?

Persons: Jim Wallis, Marx, Wallis, ” Wallis, “, Obama, White, ” Wallis ’, Jesus, You’ve, Donald Trump, Tom Brenner, Pete Seeger’s, It’s, Trump, that’s, it’s, don’t, they’re, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Adolf Hitler, Michael Gonzalez, haven’t, Let’s, I’ve, Martin Luther, King didn’t, he’s, King, Michael Nigro, Mark Twain, Hitler, —, didn’t, you’ll, John Blake, ” Organizations: CNN, ”, White, Christian America, New York Times, Macmillan “, MAGA, Faith, Justice, Georgetown University, Commission, White Americans, Reuters, Pastors, Candler, Emory University’s Candler, of Theology, Cornerstone, Justice Department Locations: Vietnam, Detroit, America, Washington, Circleville , Ohio, Atlanta , Georgia, German, Germany, Quemado , Texas, Southern, That’s, Pittsburgh, Blacks, White, Hungary, Turkey, Black

☆ Pope’s Visit to Art Exhibition in Prison Is a First for Venice Biennale
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-28 | by ( Elisabetta Povoledo | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Landing by helicopter at a women’s prison where the Vatican has mounted its pavilion for the Venice Biennale international art exhibition, Pope Francis on Sunday told the women incarcerated there that they had a “special place in my heart.”“Grazie,” one woman called out. Others applauded. Over the decades, countries participating in the Biennale — the world’s principal showcase for new art — have used deconsecrated churches, former beer factories, water buses and various other sites to display their art, but this was the first time a prison was selected. That made the project “more complex and more difficult to implement,” Bruno Racine, the director of two venues of the Pinault Collection in Venice and a co-curator of the Vatican Pavilion, said in an interview. But the setting is consistent with Francis’ message of inclusivity toward marginalized people, he added.

Persons: Pope Francis, “, ” Francis, ” Bruno Racine, Francis ’ Organizations: Venice Biennale, Sunday Locations: Venice

☆ The ‘outside agitator’ narrative has a long history
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-27 | by ( Harmeet Kaur | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

In these instances, and others, authorities have not offered many specifics about who the “outside agitators” are, how significant their numbers are or how they differentiated outsiders from university-affiliated protesters. “It seems to me that the ‘outside agitator’ claim is one to shift the focus away from the grievances of the students and their protest.”The emphasis on “outside agitators,” Morris says, detracts from the central issue that is driving students to protest: Israel’s war in Gaza. ‘Outside agitator’ trope has a long historyYou don’t have to look far back in history to find examples of the “outside agitator” narrative. “We want to say as clearly as possible - we welcome ‘outside agitators’ to our struggle against the ruthless genocide of Palestinians.”Still, the use of the term is more complicated than it seems. As pro-Israel politicians have amplified concerns around antisemitism, some supporters of students’ right to free expression have suggested “outside agitators” are undermining otherwise peaceful protests.

Persons: ”, Eric Adams, Kaz Daughtry, Gregory Fenves, Aldon Morris, Morris, aren’t, ” Morris, ’, detracts, Donald Trump, Trump, George Floyd, Jose Lusi Magana, —, Kathleen Fitzgerald, White, ” Fitzgerald, Bruce Solomon, Solomon, Martin Luther King Jr, “, Emory, Ayanna Pressley, Hank Johnson, Netanyahu, ” Alex Slitz, ” What’s Organizations: CNN, New York Police Department, Columbia University, New York University, New York City, NYPD, Fox, Emory University, University, Emory, Northwestern University, Associated, AP, White House, Washington D.C, Getty, Parkland, Civil Rights Movement, University of North, Southern Christian Leadership Conference, ”, Atlanta, Spelman College, Yale University, Chapel Hill, University of Texas Locations: Gaza, New York, York, ”, Washington, AFP, Oklahoma, Ferguson , Missouri, University of North Carolina, Mississippi, Brooklyn, Jackson, Miss, Birmingham, United States, Israel, Atlanta, Georgia, Columbia, Austin

☆ A Catholic 'priest' has been defrocked for being AI
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-26 | by ( Katie Notopoulos | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

A Catholic advocacy group created an AI chatbot that claimed to be a priest and offered to take confession. "We won't say he's been laicized, because he never was a real priest!" Say, a chatbot that acts like a Catholic priest? Futurism reports that a group called Catholic Answers made an AI chatbot that people could interact with to help learn about Catholicism. This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers.

Persons: Justin, — Organizations: Service, Business

☆ The Venice Biennale and the Art of Turning Backward
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-24 | by ( Jason Farago | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

There is a sour tendency in cultural politics today — a growing gap between speaking about the world and acting in it. In the domain of rhetoric, everyone has grown gifted at pulling back the curtain. We are losing faith with so many institutions of culture and society — the museum, the market, and, especially this week, the university — but cannot imagine an exit from them. I’ve just spent a week tramping across Venice, a city of more than 250 churches, and where did I encounter the most doctrinaire catechism? It was in the galleries of the 2024 Venice Biennale, still the world’s principal appointment to discover new art, whose current edition is at best a missed opportunity, and at worst something like a tragedy.

Locations: Venice

☆ The extraordinary ancient secret places hidden under Turkey
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-23 | by ( Lisa Morrow | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

Less obviously visible but equally impressive are the historical treasures, some more than 12,000 years old, that can be found underground. Unlike the Basilica, this underground chamber was completely forgotten about until less than 15 years ago. Other than locals herding their livestock through the ruins of a garrison city dating to the 6th century, few people went there. Now, the site has given up numerous treasures including rock-cut tombs, an olive processing workshop and a series of underground cisterns. Yeraltı, literally meaning underground, was originally a dungeon in the basement of a fort built by the Byzantines in the 8th century CE.

Persons: James Bond, Theodosius II, Theodosius, Derinkuyu, tufa, émigrés, Han, Rümeli Han, Sarıcazade Ragıp Pasha, Sultan Abdülhamid II’s, Sancaklar, Göbeklitepe, Yeraltı, –, Fatih Sultan Mehmet, Grand Vizier Bahir Mustafa Paşa, dervish Organizations: CNN, Love, UNESCO, Şanlıurfa Archaeology Locations: Turkey, Europe, Asia, Russia, Faith, Istanbul, Constantinople, Fatih, Belgrade Forest, Valens, Dara, Mardin, Nevşehir, Cappadocia, Derinkuyu, Taksim, stairwells, Sancaklar, Büyükçekmece, Mecca, Göbeklitepe, everyone’s, Şanlıurfa, Karaköy, Yeraltı, Ottoman, Grand

☆ I've visited 93 countries, 57 of them with kids. These 5 underrated spots are great places to enjoy with your family.
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-23 | by ( Alcynna Lloyd | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Since 2000, I've visited 93 countries and 57 of them have been with my four children who are all under the age of 10. We went on a safari tour in TanzaniaOur family visited Tanzania in 2019 in collaboration with a tourism brand. We love Sri Lanka so much, we're building a villa thereIn 2022, my family and I moved to Sri Lanka from Abu Dhabi. Edwards' daughter and son on a beach in Sri Lanka. Courtesy of Karen EdwardsI visited the country in 2008, and then again in 2012 with my then-boyfriend and now-husband.

Persons: Karen Edwards, Edwards, —, I've, Abu, Abu Dhabi, you'll, Al, we're, It's, We'd Organizations: Service, Disney, Mto, United Arab, Oasis, Catalonian Locations: Tanzania, Abu Dhabi, America, California, Florida, Zanzibar, Tanzanian, Lake, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Al Ain, Hafeet, Sri Lanka, Galle, Andorra, Pyrenees, Spain, Barcelona, Toulouse, France, Karen Edwards Andorra, Macedonia Macedonia, Balkan, Greece, Europe, Albania, Macedonia

☆ Parents are feeling lonely. Here’s why it matters
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-23 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —Despite working a full-time job in human relations and caring for her 6-year-old son Chase and 3-year-old daughter Millie, Anne Helmes often feels isolated and lonely. In fact, 66% of 1,005 surveyed parents felt the demands of parenthood sometimes or frequently left them feeling isolated and lonely, while nearly 40% felt as if they have no one to support them in their parenting role. “When parents are feeling lonely and isolated, that tells me their adult needs aren’t being met because they’re pouring what they can into their child. By definition, burnout is an overwhelming feeling of exhaustion, Gawlik said. “Burnout is not new for parents, but I think the pandemic took it to a totally different level,” she added.

Persons: Chase, Millie, Anne Helmes, Lindsay Hutchinson “, ’ ”, “, ”, Kate Gawlik, Kacey Cardwell, aren’t, Cardwell, Gawlik, ” Helmes, Justin Paget, Helmes, didn’t Organizations: CNN, Ohio State University Wexner Medical, Ohio State University College of Nursing, American Association for, Digital, Social Locations: Powell , Ohio, Columbus, Atlanta

☆ I've been to 54 countries and have lived in 10. These 5 underrated places are worth the trip.
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-20 | by ( Alcynna Lloyd | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

Kate Boardman has visited 54 countries around the world and lived in 10, including the US. She's enjoyed spots like France and Bali but says people should visit underrated places like Oman. I've been to 54 countries and lived in 10, including the US. I also think spots like Cancun are super overrated; there are way cooler places to visit in Mexico. Kate Boardman/@wildkat.wandersI first lived in Guatemala in 2021, where I worked as a teacher at an international school.

Persons: Kate Boardman, She's, —, I've, Boardman, It's, You've, they're, @wildkat.wanders, Kate Boardman There's, There's, you've, Earth Organizations: Service, Antigua —, United Arab Locations: France, Bali, Oman, Ecuador, Guatemala, Massachusetts, Germany, Tblisi , Georgia, Paris, London, Cancun, Mexico, Iran, Maharloo, Georgia, Tbilisi, It's, Soviet Union, Kazbegi , Georgia, Turkish, Central America, Costa Rica, Tikal, Guatemala City, Antigua, Boardman, Livingston , Guatemala, El, United Arab Emirates, Yemen, Muscat, Caribbean

☆ Los Angeles is using AI in a pilot program to try to predict homelessness and allocate aid
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-19 | by ( Kate Rogers | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

In December of last year, single mom Courtney Peterson was laid off from her job working for a now-shuttered inpatient transitional living program. Peterson said she began to research potential avenues for help, immediately concerned about making January's rent. "I started to reach out to local churches or places that said they offered rent assistance," Peterson told CNBC. Instead of an eviction notice, Peterson received a letter from Homelessness Prevention Unit within the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services, offering a lifeline. The pilot program uses predictive artificial intelligence to identify individuals and families at risk of becoming homeless, offering aid to help them stabilize and remain housed.

Persons: Courtney Peterson, Peterson, I'd, Dana Vanderford, they've, Vanderford, we've, Amber Lung, Lung Organizations: CNBC, Prevention, Angeles County Department of Health Services, U.S Department of Housing, Urban, county's Department of Health Services, American Locations: Van Nuys, Los Angeles, California

☆ Fake Priest Who Targeted Churches Across U.S. Is Arrested, Sheriff Says
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-18 | by ( Johnny Diaz | More About Johnny Diaz | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

A man who impersonated a priest and called himself Father Martin to steal from churches around the United States was arrested in California this month, the authorities in Riverside County said. The man, Malin Rostas, 45, of New York, was taken into custody on April 10 after sheriff’s deputies found a vehicle matching the description of one associated with the burglaries, according to the county sheriff in Riverside, Calif.Mr. Rostas, the driver of the black sedan, was arrested. Investigators determined that he was the man posing as Father Martin and that he had tried to steal from a church in Moreno Valley, a city about 60 miles east of Los Angeles, the sheriff’s office said. Mr. Rostas was booked at the Robert Presley Detention Center in Riverside on an outstanding burglary warrant from Pennsylvania. Additional charges were expected to be filed for the attempted church burglary in Moreno Valley, the authorities said.

Persons: Father Martin, Malin Rostas, Rostas Organizations: Mr, Robert Presley Detention Locations: United States, California, Riverside County, New York, Riverside , Calif, Moreno Valley, Los Angeles, Riverside, Pennsylvania

☆ Sydney: Stabbed bishop delivers first message from hospital as malicious disinformation spreads
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-18 | by ( Hilary Whiteman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

The rapid spread of disinformation fomented an already volatile situation and days later authorities, faith groups and the bishop are still trying to calm community tension. But regulators are finding it much harder to act against social media platforms for the disinformation that spread online after the attacks – especially after the mass stabbing in the eastern suburb of Bondi. After the church attack, unconfirmed speculation also swirled about the faith of the alleged attacker and his motive. A 16-year-old boy has been charged with terrorism over the alleged stabbing of the bishop, police said Thursday. Video Ad Feedback Police: Australia church stabbing was 'terrorist incident' 04:31 - Source: CNNSystem of self-regulationBut stamping out some of the hateful comments that spread online has not been so easy.

Persons: Australia CNN —, Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel, Jesus, ” Emmanuel, –, ”, Chris Minns, “ I’m, Steven Saphore, Australia’s, Meta, Facebook –, Marc Owen Jones, Russia influencer, Seven, Bondi, Jones, Hamad, won’t, he’s “, who’s, “, Elon Musk, That’s, Michelle Rowland, that’s, ” Rowland, Terry Flew Organizations: Australia CNN, Good Shepherd, State, Reuters, Facebook, NSW Police, West, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Police, CNN, Digital Industry Group Inc, Elon, Twitter, ABC Radio Thursday, Digital Communication, University of Sydney, European, Thursday NSW Police Locations: Brisbane, Australia, Sydney, New South Wales, NSW, Westfield, Bondi, Russia, Australian, Queensland, Gaza, Qatar, European Union

☆ Citadel's Ken Griffin wants to build a massive NYC skyscraper that the city hopes will lure more workers back to the office
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-16 | by ( Geoff Weiss | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Citadel's Ken Griffin filed plans alongside Vornado and Rudin for a 62-story NYC skyscraper. The mayor's office said the building would bolster an ongoing revitalization of midtown. NEW LOOK Sign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. Real estate developers Vornado Realty Trust and Rudin Management filed plans for the project alongside Griffin (whose Citadel and Citadel Securities will serve as anchor tenants), the mayor's office said Tuesday. The prices they paid will fund upkeep for both churches, the Mayor's office said, to the tune of $150 million.

Persons: Citadel's Ken Griffin, Rudin, Griffin, —, Ken Griffin, Adams, Griffin doesn't Organizations: Vornado, Service, Realty, Rudin Management, Citadel Securities, Saint Bartholomew's, Midtown, Bloomberg, Citadel, Business, Miami Locations: Miami, New York, St, Patrick's, Midtown Manhattan, Chicago, United States

☆ Biden and his wife report $620,000 income in 2023 tax returns
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-15 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

President Joe Biden and his wife Jill on Monday released tax returns showing that their income rose 7% to $619,976 in 2023 and that the couple paid 23.7% of their income in federal taxes. Biden released the data on the day U.S. taxes for the prior year are due, and as the Democrat seeks re-election in 2024. Joe Biden drew a $400,000 wage, while Jill Biden earned $85,985 from her job teaching English at Northern Virginia Community College. The proportion of Joe Biden's income that went to federal taxes was roughly equal to the prior year. Biden's running mate Vice President Kamala Harris and her husband, Douglas Emhoff, also released a tax return showing $450,380 income for 2023, federal taxes of $88,570 and charitable donations of $23,026.

Persons: Joe Biden, Jill Biden, Jill, Biden, Donald Trump, Trump, Joe Biden's, Kamala Harris, Douglas Emhoff Organizations: White, Democrat, Republican, Internal Revenue Service, U.S . House, Northern Virginia Community College, Epilepsy Foundation, of Police Locations: Virginia, Washington , U.S, New York, Scranton , Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania

☆ Congress cut funds cities need to handle the migrant surge
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-11 | by ( Tami Luhby | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Congress last month approved the fiscal year 2024 funding level for FEMA’s Shelter and Services Program in the federal funding package, nearly six months into the fiscal year. Rep. Joaquin Castro, a Democrat who represents San Antonio, said that immigration is a federal responsibility. “Funding from the Shelter and Services Program (SSP) has helped Catholic Charities and other groups in my city of San Antonio offer basic migrant services without straining local resources. “Due to the substantial demand that exceeds the limited SSP program funding authorized by Congress, not all requests can be fulfilled,” a DHS spokesperson told CNN. The Migrant Resource Center opened in July 2022 as a temporary place for migrants traveling through San Antonio.

Persons: of San Antonio doesn’t, Biden, Joaquin Castro, ”, of San Antonio, Antonio Fernandez, Fernandez, Greg Abbott, Mark Ritacco, John Giles, Giles, Ron Nirenberg, he’s, Joe Biden, Carlos Kosienski, Priscilla Alvarez Organizations: CNN, of San, Resource Center, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Democrat, “, Shelter, Services, Catholic Charities, Catholic, San, FEMA, GOP Texas Gov, Democratic, Republicans, Department of Homeland Security, Congress, National Association of Counties, US Customs, Protection, US, Mayors, Migrant Resource Center Locations: San Antonio, Washington, DC, Cities, Mexico, Atlanta ; Chicago ; New York City, Albuquerque , New Mexico, Laredo , Texas, Riverside County , California, Pima County , Arizona, Mesa , Arizona, Texas

Editor’s Note: In this appeal to Congress, more than 35 artists, activists, scholars and others call for funding for Ukraine. On territory that Russia occupies, it tortures Ukrainian citizens, kidnaps Ukrainian children and murders Ukrainian leaders. By fighting Russia alone, they protect Europe. By fighting a conventional war against a nuclear power, they are making nuclear proliferation and nuclear war less likely. Together we call upon Congress to do the right thing – right now.

Persons: Read, Stringer, Abrams, José Andrés, Gabrielle Carteris, Mona Charen, Misha Collins, Rosario Dawson, Felicia Day, Doug Fears, Jonathan Safran Foer, Francis Fukuyama, Mark Hamill, Gale Anne Hurd, Dara Khosrowshahi, William Kristol, Eric Edelman, Scott Kelly, Daniel Lubetzky, Michael McFaul, Kate McKinnon, Alyssa Milano, Viggo Mortensen, Patton Oswalt, Phillips O’Brien, Brad Paisley, Sean Penn, Serhii Plokhii, Ivanna Sakhno, Eric Schmidt, Liev Schreiber, Timothy Snyder, Terrell Jermaine Starr, Barbra Streisand, Hilary Swank, Peter Wehner, Katheryn Winnick Organizations: Ukraine, CNN, Getty Locations: Russia, Russian, Crimean Tatars, Ukrainian, Kharkiv, Mariupol, Aleppo, Grozny, Europe, Donetsk, Ukraine, AFP, China, Beijing, Asia, East, Africa, United States

☆ Plan to Stash Pollution Beneath the Sea Could Save Money and Jobs
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-04 | by ( Stanley Reed | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The manufacturing plants are of little interest to the many tourists who help sustain the area’s economy, but these sites employ tens of thousands of people. The factories, like others in Europe, face increasing pressure from regulators to reduce the climate-altering gases that their operations produce. “We are very scared about the future of our industries,” said Michele De Pascale, the mayor of Ravenna. “We have to reach this goal to reduce CO2 emissions, but we want to do it without destroying our industries,” he said. Italy’s energy giant, Eni, which has a large presence in Ravenna, is pushing a plan that the mayor says could help preserve the region’s heavy industries: create an industrial pollution collector.

Persons: Dante, ”, Michele De Pascale Organizations: Eni Locations: Ravenna, Europe, “

☆ How the Renovation of a House Rocked a Famous Church
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-01 | by ( Ronda Kaysen | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Abyssinian Baptist Church is one of the oldest Black churches in America, and certainly one of the most storied. Hundreds of mourners have gathered at the 216-year-old institution in recent years for the memorial services of Cicely Tyson and André Leon Talley. It’s the kind of church where networking mixes with Bible study, and the roll reads like a who’s who list of Black intelligentsia and entrepreneurship. A year later, Ms. Porter and her husband, Tommie Porter, hired the deacon as a contractor to lead the renovations of the $1.44 million house. “We really loved the idea of keeping it in the community,” said Ms. Porter, 44, host of “CrimeFeed” on Investigation Discovery.

Persons: Barack Obama, Cicely Tyson, André Leon Talley, Mara Porter, Porter, Tommie Porter, “, ” Organizations: Abyssinian, Church, Columbia University Locations: America, Harlem

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