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☆ Preparations Ramp Up for Global Security Force to Quell Haitian Violence
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-07 | by ( David C. Adams | Frances Robles | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

U.S. military planes filled with civilian contractors and supplies have begun landing in Haiti, paving the way for a seven-nation security mission, led by Kenya, to deploy to the troubled Caribbean nation in the coming weeks, American officials say. But even as the security situation worsens and millions of Haitians go hungry, a military-style deployment that is estimated to cost $600 million has just a fraction of the funding required. Biden administration officials would not say whether a precise date for the deployment date had been set. The Kenyan government did not respond to requests for comment. Several flights from Charleston Air Force Base in South Carolina have landed at Toussaint Louverture International Airport in Port-au-Prince, the capital, in the past week, according to the U.S. Southern Command.

Persons: Toussaint Organizations: Biden, Kenyan, Charleston Air Force Base, U.S . Southern Command Locations: Haiti, Kenya, South Carolina, Port

☆ Star Wars was the first Lego license — 25 years later, it's stronger than ever
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-04 | by ( Sarah Whitten | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Star Wars Lego models are seen at the Bricks & Figs museum in Krakow, Poland, on April 15, 2023. A design director at the Denmark-based Lego company, he has spent the past 25 years creating Lego Star Wars sets. Now, Lego Star Wars has become a blueprint for the company's other brand deals — think Harry Potter, Batman and Marvel's Avengers. The Lego Star Wars collaboration came at a time of financial turmoil for Lego. Lego Icons, Lego Technic, Lego City and Lego Harry Potter also performed well.

Persons: Jens Kronvold Frederiksen, Frederiksen, Darth Vader, Harry Potter, Jill Wilfert, Wilfert, It's, Paul Southern, Shirlaine Forrest, " Frederiksen, we're, Southern, We've Organizations: Anadolu, Getty, Star, CNBC, Disney, Epic Games, Lego Star, Lego, Force, Manchester Central, Imperial, Star Wars, Lucasfilm, Walt Disney Company, Lego Star Wars, Warner Bros, Games Locations: Krakow, Poland, Denmark, Lego, Manchester, England

☆ 8 Daily Newspapers Sue OpenAI and Microsoft Over A.I.
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-30 | by ( Katie Robertson | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Eight daily newspapers owned by Alden Global Capital sued OpenAI and Microsoft on Tuesday, accusing the tech companies of illegally using news articles to power their A.I. All are owned by MediaNews Group or Tribune Publishing, subsidiaries of Alden, the country’s second-largest newspaper operator. In the complaint, the publications accuse OpenAI and Microsoft of using millions of copyrighted articles without permission to train and feed their generative A.I. products, including ChatGPT and Microsoft Copilot. This, it said, reduced the need for readers to pay subscriptions to support local newspapers and deprived the publishers of revenue both from subscriptions and from licensing their content elsewhere.

Persons: OpenAI, Paul, Paul Pioneer Press — Organizations: Alden Global Capital, Microsoft, New York Daily News, The Chicago Tribune, The Orlando Sentinel, The Sun Sentinel, San Jose Mercury News, The Denver Post, Orange County Register, Paul Pioneer Press, U.S . Southern, of, MediaNews Group, Tribune Publishing Locations: Florida, Orange, U.S, of New York, Alden

☆ UAW says Volkswagen workers vote overwhelmingly to join union, giving it groundbreaking win
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-19 | by ( Chris Isidore | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

If the union can win the right to represent workers across the broad swath of the nonunion auto plants, it could increase their leverage in future contract negotiations. Most of the nonunion auto plants are spread across the south. It is also seeking to represent workers at three American automakers making electric vehicles – Tesla, Rivian and Lucid. Many of the nonunion automakers, including Volkswagen, gave their workers similar raises in the wake of the UAW contracts. And the UAW has had little success winning the right to represent nonunion auto workers since then, until Friday’s vote.

Persons: ”, Kelcey Smith, Bill Lee Organizations: New, New York CNN, United Auto Workers, National Labor Relations Board, UAW, Volkswagen, – General Motors, Ford, BMW, Honda, Hyundai, Mazda, Nissan, Subaru, Toyota, Volvo, American, Mercedes, Tennessee Gov Locations: New York, Chattanooga , Tennessee, United States, Southern, Vance , Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Volkswagen’s Chattanooga, Alabama, Georgia , Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, American, Pennsylvania

☆ Kamala Harris Pushes the Envelope as Biden Struggles With Some Democrats
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-29 | by ( March | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +7 min

Harris' evolving role comes as progressive Democrats target Biden over his pro-Israel stance, polls show him in a tight race against Republican rival Donald Trump. While some have knocked Harris's performance as vice president and value to the reelection campaign in the past, she's moved into a starring role. Current and former Harris aides disputed the idea of any difference in policy between Biden, characterizing their efforts as a difference in tone and emphasis. Biden cannot emphasize divisive cultural issues without alienating more conservative voters he needs to win, current and former aides said. If Trump wins white voters, the largest U.S. racial group, for the third election in a row, Biden needs a dominant showing among a diverse set of groups that typically favor Democrats.

Persons: Trevor Hunnicutt, Joe, Kamala Harris, Joe Biden, Harris, Biden, Donald Trump ., she's, Abbas Alawieh, She's, Dave Cavell, HARRIS Biden, Trump, Read, Arlene Eiras, Nandita Bose, Heather Timmons, Deepa Babington, Chizu Organizations: White, U.S, Republican, Trump, Hamas, Democratic, Freedoms, Reuters, Puerto Rican, Biden, Harris, Read Reuters Locations: Gaza, Selma, Alabama, Parkland , Florida, Israel, Minneapolis, Wisconsin , Michigan, Pennsylvania, U.S, San Juan, United States, Caribbean, Washington

Migrants were streaming across the U.S. southern border in record numbers, international rail bridges were abruptly shut down and official ports of entry closed. Desperate for help in December, President Biden called President Andrés Manuel López Obrador of Mexico, who told him to quickly send a delegation to the Mexican capital, according to several U.S. officials. The White House rushed to do so. Illegal border crossings into the United States plummeted by January. As immigration moves to the forefront of the U.S. presidential campaign, Mexico has emerged as a key player on an issue with the potential to sway the election, and the White House has worked hard to preserve Mr. López Obrador’s cooperation.

Persons: Biden, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, López Organizations: White, U.S Locations: U.S, Mexico, United

How the Key Bridge Collapsed in Baltimore: Maps and PhotosOn Tuesday, a major bridge in Baltimore collapsed into the water seconds after it was struck by a cargo ship, sending vehicles on the bridge into the river below. The collapsed span, the Francis Scott Key Bridge, is part of Interstate 695 and spans 1.6 miles over the Baltimore Harbor. Baltimore Francis Scott Key Bridge Patapsco River Patapsco River The ship left the Port of Baltimore around 1 a.m. on Tuesday. Francis Scott Key Bridge The ship hit the bridge at 1:28 a.m. 1 mile Francis Scott Key Bridge Patapsco River Where impact occurred Direction of the ship 200 feet Baltimore The ship left the Port of Baltimore around 1 a.m. on Tuesday. Patapsco River Francis Scott Key Bridge The ship hit the bridge at 1:28 a.m. 1 mile Francis Scott Key Bridge Patapsco River Where impact occurred Direction of the ship 200 feet Sources: Spire Global, Google Earth The New York TimesThe ship that hit the bridge is a 948-foot-long cargo vessel called Dali.

Persons: Francis Scott Key, Baltimore Harbor . Baltimore Francis Scott Key, Scott Key, Wes Moore Organizations: Baltimore, Port, Google, New York Times, YouTube, Coast Guard Locations: Baltimore, Baltimore Harbor . Baltimore, Port of Baltimore, Patapsco, Dali, Colombo, Sri Lanka, Port, Southern, Maryland

☆ We're watching an American retirement crisis unfold
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-25 | by ( Jordan Parker Erb | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

The big storyRetirement crisisart-4-art/Getty Images; Adobe Firefly; Jenny Chang-Rodriguez/BIWhat was once a natural part of the American dream — retirement — is now a luxury many workers can't afford. All of that combines to form a growing, and increasingly bleak, American retirement crisis. Plus, some who do leave work early end up regretting it . AdvertisementWhile early retirement isn't for everyone, retirement at its most basic level — leaving work after most of our adult lives — should be. The notion that people who've done everything they were supposed to, and still can't retire, points to major problems in the system at large.

Persons: —, Jordan Parker Erb, Dan DeFrancesco, Haven't, Jenny Chang, Rodriguez, they've, Juliana Kaplan, doesn't, Juliana, who's, she's, Alounthong, Getty, Klaus Vedfelt, Tyler Le, Zers, millennials, Warren Buffett's, Buffett, Sam Bankman, Daniel Jurman, it's, Rebecca Zisser, Elon Musk, Donald Trump, Hallam Bullock, George Glover, Grace Lett, Lisa Ryan Organizations: Service, Business, Pensions, Social Security, Prosecutors, BI, Apple, Accenture, Deloitte, Google Locations: America, India, China, American, New York, London, Chicago

WASHINGTON (AP) — The number of arrests for illegally crossing the U.S. southern border with Mexico nudged upward February over the previous month. But at a time when immigration is increasingly a concern for voters, the numbers were still among the lowest of Joe Biden's presidency. According to figures from Customs and Border Protection, Border Patrol agents made 140,644 arrests of people attempting to enter the country between the legal border crossing points during February. The numbers come after a December that saw the Border Patrol tally 249,785 arrests — a record high that increased tensions over immigration — before plunging in January. Separately, 42,100 migrants used an app called CBP One to schedule an appointment to present themselves at an official border crossing point to seek entry into the United States.

Persons: Joe Biden's, Biden, Donald Trump, —, Alejandro Mayorkas Organizations: WASHINGTON, Customs, Border Patrol, CBP, Republicans, Republican, Patrol, Homeland Locations: U.S, Mexico, Brownsville , Texas, Arizona, Sonora, Mexican, Tucson, San Diego, El Paso , Texas, United States, Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, Venezuela

☆ Success in Ukraine has become ‘a matter of U.S. credibility,’ Poland minister says
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-20 | by ( Sophie Kiderlin | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Roberto Schmidt | Getty ImagesUkraine succeeding against Russia in the war has become a question of U.S. credibility, Radoslaw Sikorski, Poland's foreign minister, told CNBC. "The success of Ukraine is now a matter of U.S. credibility. Many GOP politicians have called for the aid to be tied to funding for national security efforts at the U.S. southern border and discussions about the Senate-approved aid package to be reformed into a loan package have emerged. Messaging from Trump has however been mixed, as he has also said he would do more than President Joe Biden's administration has done to support Ukraine. His rhetoric has raised questions and concerns about what U.S. support for Ukraine would look like, and if it could even cease if he were reelected.

Persons: Roberto Schmidt, Radoslaw Sikorski, CNBC's Steve Sedgwick, Republican Sen, Lindsey Graham of, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Zelensky, Trump's, Donald Trump, Trump, Vladimir Putin, Joe Biden's, Dmytro Kuleba, Antony Blinken, Kuleba Organizations: U.S . Capitol, Getty, Russia, CNBC, U.S . House, Representatives, U.S . Senate, Republican, GOP, Ukraine, Messaging, Trump, U.S Locations: Ukraine, Ukrainian, Israel, Washington , DC, U.S, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, United States, Russia

Congress has until Friday at midnight to pass six major spending bills to avert a partial government shutdown. Six spending bills that cover roughly three-quarters of all federal discretionary spending are at stake:– Defense: Includes funding for nearly all military-related activities. – State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs: Includes funding for U.S. diplomatic activities, cultural exchanges, development and humanitarian assistance. As of Monday morning, appropriators had yet to release any of the six funding bills they’ll need to pass. The stalemate comes in the wake of Republicans killing the bipartisan Senate border deal last month.

Persons: appropriators, they’re Organizations: –, – Financial Services, General Government, Department of, Treasury, of Columbia, – Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Coast Guard, Customs, Immigration Services, Labor, Health, Human Services, Education, Centers for Disease Control, Food and Drug Administration, Social Security, National Labor Relations Board, Senate, U.S . Capitol Police, of Congress, Foreign, House Republican, White House, Department of Homeland Security Locations: U.S, – State

☆ Border funding battle snags budget talks in Congress with shutdown days away
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-18 | by ( Rebecca Picciotto | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Congress is back at the budget negotiation table this week and border security disputes again are threatening to torpedo talks as a weekend government shutdown inches closer. Congress successfully struck a deal on the first six appropriations bills in February, but the remaining half relate to thornier agencies like labor, homeland security, education and more. "This second batch, they're tougher because they're more partisan," said Bobby Kogan, a former budget advisor under President Joe Biden. The border is a top voting issue in the 2024 election and amid the heat of the border controversy, House Republicans impeached Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas in February after several failed attempts. In early February, Republicans killed a foreign aid package that would have provided $20 billion in funding for the U.S. southern border.

Persons: Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, Mitch McConnell, Mike Johnson, Chuck Schumer, Hakeem Jeffries, Biden administration's pushback, Bobby Kogan, Alejandro Mayorkas Organizations: White, White House, Department of Homeland Security, GOP, Politico, DHS, CNBC, Democratic, NBC News, Congress, Republicans, Homeland, Senate Locations: WASHINGTON, DC, Washington , DC, U.S

☆ U.S. forces fly in to beef up security at embassy in Haiti and evacuate nonessential personnel
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-10 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

A man walks next the U.S. embassy building where the U.S. military airlifted embassy non-essential personnel due to violence, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on March 10, 2024. The U.S. military said Sunday that it had flown in forces to beef up security at the U.S. Embassy in Haiti and allow nonessential personnel to leave. "This airlift of personnel into and out of the Embassy is consistent with our standard practice for Embassy security augmentation worldwide, and no Haitians were on board the military aircraft," according to the Southcom statement. In many cases, nonessential personnel can include the families of diplomats, but the embassy had already ordered departure for nonessential staff and all family members in July. The personnel ferried out of the embassy may have simply been rotating out, to be refreshed by new staff.

Persons: Ariel Henry, Henry, Luis Abinader, Jovenel Moise Organizations: U.S ., U.S, Embassy, U.S . Southern Command, Dominican, Haitian, United Nations, Caricom, Guards, Prince Locations: U.S, Port, Prince, Haiti, United States, Kenya, East, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Hispaniola, Dominican, Jamaica, France, Canada, Brazil, Caricom

☆ China PMI: Factories send mixed signals about the economy, pressing Beijing to do more
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-01 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

But the Caixin manufacturing PMI — which focuses on smaller, private companies — rose to 50.9 in February, up from 50.8 in January, according to S&P Global, which compiled the survey. The divergence in the output and new order sub-indexes is likely related to differences in geographic and sector coverage, as the Caixin PMI covers more southern regions, they said. “Overall, the manufacturing sector continued to improve in February,” said Wang Zhe, senior economist at Caixin Insight Group, in a statement that accompanied the Caixin PMI data. “Looking ahead, the focus should be on the effectiveness of the measures [announced previously by Beijing to boost growth],” Wang said. “Fiscal policy will lead the way,” HSBC analysts said Friday.

Persons: ” Goldman Sachs, ”, Wang Zhe, ” Wang, Xi Jinping, Lintao Zhang, “ Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, National Bureau of Statistics, P, National People’s Congress, PMI, Caixin Insight, “, of People, Communist Party’s Politburo, NPC, Xinhua, HSBC Locations: China, Hong Kong, Beijing, Southern China, Guangdong, Zheijang, ” China

☆ Market strategist Adam Parker gives his investment predictions for the next decade, including selling crypto
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-26 | by ( Tanaya Macheel | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

That's one of 10 investing predictions for the next 10 years by the Trivariate Research market strategist. "We have always said 'we prefer a basket of high-quality US growth equities'" when asked about crypto, Parker said in a note over the weekend. "Missing the appreciation of the asset class is not good, but participating in US growth equities has been more than adequate." "Because it is just a proxy for risk taking, investors can mirror the exposure of a basket of crypto through low quality hyper growth stocks," he added. "This sector checks all the boxes … We think there will be continued consolidation, so owning oil-sensitive energy stocks that are mid-cap likely will prove prudent," he said.

Persons: Adam Parker, That's, Bitcoin, Parker Organizations: Trivariate Research, Metrics, Own U.S, Mining, BHP Group, Microsoft, BHP, Vale, Southern Copper, Marathon Petroleum, Treasury, U.S . Treasury Locations: CRE, New York, San Francisco, Chicago, decarbonization, Freeport, McMoRan, Australia, Rio Tinto, Greece, France, Italy, Spain, Portugal

☆ Democrats see New York special election win as a blueprint for defeating Trump in November
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-14 | by ( Kevin Breuninger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Stephanie Keith | Getty ImagesDemocrats aren't just breathing a sigh of relief after flipping a red seat blue in New York's special election — they're taking notes. On the same day as the special election in New York, House Republicans voted to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. Republicans backing Pilip, who was born in Ethiopia and served in the Israel Defense Forces, worked hard to make the special election a referendum on immigration. Special election, special circumstancesDespite Murphy's warning, many political watchers are quick to note that the New York special election is far from a perfect bellwether for the general election. New York Republican Chair Ed Cox in a statement Tuesday night blamed "the specific circumstances that brought about this special election" for Pilip's loss.

Persons: Tom Suozzi, George Santos, Stephanie Keith, they're, Mazi Pilip, Mike Johnson, Joe Biden, Donald Trump, Alejandro Mayorkas, Pilip, Suozzi, Trump, Sen, Chris Murphy, Conn, Tom Suozzi's, Murphy, Santos, Ed Cox, Biden Organizations: Democratic U.S ., Republican, Getty, Rep, Democratic, GOP, Republicans, Biden, Homeland, Israel Defense Forces, NBC News, New, Congressional, Congress, Democrats Locations: Woodbury , New York, U.S, Mexico, New York, Ethiopia

(AP) — Inmates at a Mississippi prison were forced to mix raw cleaning chemicals without protective equipment, with one alleging she later contracted terminal cancer and was denied timely medical care, a federal lawsuit filed Wednesday alleges. Susan Balfour, 62, was incarcerated for 33 years at the Central Mississippi Correctional Facility until her release in December 2021. Prisoners were required to clean the facility, without protective equipment, using chemicals that might cause cancer, Balfour's lawsuit says. “I feel betrayed by our system that failed to provide timely medical care for me. The companies contracted to provide health care to prisoners at the facility — Wexford Health Sources, Centurion Health and VitalCore — delayed or failed to schedule follow-up cancer screenings for Baflour even though they had been recommended by prison physicians, the lawsuit says.

Persons: JACKSON, Susan Balfour, Balfour, I'm, VitalCore —, Drew Tominello, Tominello, Pauline Rogers ,, ” Rogers, ” ___ Michael Goldberg Organizations: Central Mississippi Correctional Facility, U.S . Southern, U.S . Southern District of, Centurion Health, Mississippi Department of Corrections, of Corrections, Mississippi Supreme, Rech Foundation, Associated Press, America Statehouse News Initiative, America Locations: Miss, Mississippi, U.S, U.S . Southern District, U.S . Southern District of Mississippi, Wexford, @mikergoldberg

☆ House Republicans have impeached the first Cabinet secretary in almost 150 years
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-14 | by ( Brent D. Griffiths | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

House Republicans rammed through the impeachment of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. AdvertisementHouse Republicans on Tuesday rammed through the impeachment of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, marking a historic moment exactly a week after an embarrassing failure. Three Republicans, Rep. Ken Buck of Colorado, Tom McClintock of California, and Mike Gallagher of Wisconsin, joined House Democrats in voting against the measure. The last time Congress impeached a Cabinet secretary was in 1876 when lawmakers impeached former Secretary of War William W. Belknap. Biden has emphasized how the White House tried to strike a bipartisan border-Ukraine deal only for former President Donald Trump and House Republicans to nuke the agreement shortly after its public announcement.

Persons: Alejandro Mayorkas, —, Steve Scalise's, Mayorkas, Ken Buck, Ken Buck of Colorado, Tom McClintock of, Mike Gallagher of, Blake Moore, Joe Biden, Biden, George Santos, William W, Belknap . Belknap, aren't, Donald Trump, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Kevin McCarthy's, Greene, Sen, Lindsey Graham, Adam Schiff, Bill Clinton Organizations: Republicans, Homeland, Service, Tuesday, GOP, Rep, House Democrats, Utah Republican, White House, Homeland Security, Mayorkas, U.S, House Republicans, The Georgia Republican, California Democrat Locations: Washington, Ken Buck of, Tom McClintock of California, Mike Gallagher of Wisconsin, Utah, Belknap, U.S . Southern, Ukraine, California, Trump

☆ House Republicans prepare to vote again on Mayorkas impeachment, bolstered by return of Scalise
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-13 | by ( Rebecca Picciotto | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas holds a press conference at a U.S. Border Patrol station on January 08, 2024 in Eagle Pass, Texas. House Republicans are preparing to take another stab at impeaching Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, a week after the same effort failed in an embarrassment for Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La. This time around, Republicans are confident they will have the majority vote to impeach now that House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., has returned to Washington after cancer treatment, which prevented him from breaking last week's 215-215 tie. If Republicans eke out a majority vote against Mayorkas, he would become only the second cabinet member in U.S. history to be impeached. The White House has supported Mayorkas, condemning the impeachment effort as a political distraction by Republicans, who refused $20 billion of border security funding in a bipartisan Senate deal last week.

Persons: Alejandro Mayorkas, Mike Johnson, Steve Scalise, Tom Emmer, Ken Buck, Ken Buck of Colorado, Mike Gallagher, Tom McClintock of, Gallagher, Buck, spokespeople, McClintock, George Santos, Tom Suozzi, eke, Mayorkas, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Karine Jean, Pierre Organizations: Department of Homeland, U.S . Border Patrol, House Republicans, Homeland, Republican, Capitol, GOP House, CNBC, Democratic, Mayorkas, Rep, Press, House Press Locations: U.S, Eagle Pass , Texas, Washington, Ken Buck of, Wisconsin, Tom McClintock of California, New York, Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia

Charlotte, a rust-colored stingray the size of a serving platter, has spent much of her life gliding around the confines of a storefront aquarium in North Carolina's Appalachian Mountains. And she hasn't shared a tank of water with a male of her species in at least eight years. Let's have some pups!” said Brenda Ramer, executive director of the Aquarium and Shark Lab on Main Street in downtown Hendersonville. There’s no way,” Ramer said. Southern California lifeguards encourage people to do the so-called stingray shuffle as they wade through the water, in large part because of round stingrays.

Persons: Charlotte, hasn't, ’, ”, Brenda Ramer, Kady Lyons, Lyons, “ I’m, ” Lyons, “, ” Ramer, ” Charlotte, Ramer, that's, “ I'm, “ It’s Organizations: California condors, Georgia Aquarium Locations: California, Hendersonville, Atlanta, North Carolina, Charlotte, Mexico, Southern California

When deportation flights from the United States to Venezuela resumed last fall after four years, it was a move meant to show that President Biden was aggressively tackling the record numbers of crossings at the U.S. southern border. The expulsions were also meant to deter other Venezuelans who might be considering the journey. But on Wednesday, for the second week in a row, U.S.-run flights to Venezuela carrying migrants did not depart as planned — a move that seems to be initiated by Venezuela. The Venezuelan government did not respond to repeated requests for comment about whether it was permanently halting the deportation flights, but a social media post by Venezuela’s vice president last month threatened to stop them after the United States reimposed some economic sanctions. Officials at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security confirmed that a flight scheduled last week and another scheduled Wednesday had both been canceled.

Persons: Biden Organizations: United, U.S . Department of Homeland Security Locations: United States, Venezuela, U.S, Venezuelan

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (AP) — Bartender Catey Regis had a pricey misadventure buying a used car recently — an experience that speaks to why voters are worrying about the U.S. economy going into this year's presidential election. “To me, it’s a telltale sign about the economy," Regis explained from a bar stool after her shift. But conversations with dozens of voters around Grand Rapids — a city of 200,000 in one of Michigan’s swing counties — show they're thinking about the economy through their own experiences. Grand Rapids is the seat of Kent County, which backed Trump in 2016 and then flipped to Biden in 2020. To the extent that the economy is doing well, there is little confidence that it is necessarily sustainable.

Persons: Catey Regis, it’s, Regis, Joe Biden, Donald Trump, Biden, Trump, ”, Cameron Brown, “, Scott Thompson, Uber, ” Thompson, Teresa Johnson, Johnson, Nikki Haley, Charles Kroll, he’s, ” Kroll, Arick Davis, Davis, ” Davis, ___ Boak Organizations: Founders Brewing, Toyota Corolla, Republican, Westwood, Trump, Democrat, South, Biden, Census, Chamber, Commerce, Business Locations: GRAND RAPIDS, Mich, U.S, Grand Rapids, Kentwood, East, Ukraine, Caledonia, South Carolina, Grand, Kent County, South East Grand Rapids, Commerce “, Washington

☆ U.S. Mends Fences With El Salvador's Bukele as China Lurks
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-06 | by ( Feb. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +6 min

Now, more than ever, the U.S. needs Central American nations like El Salvador to curb migration to the southern border. In October, the State Department's top Latin America diplomat, Brian Nichols, visited El Salvador and posed for photos with Bukele. WAITING IN THE WINGSAt the same time, there are growing ties between China and El Salvador. Although of limited commercial importance in itself, El Salvador offers China a foothold in Central America, and in 2017 broke relations with Taiwan in favor of China. "El Salvador wants to do trade with everyone," Bukele said during his victory speech on Sunday night.

Persons: Diego Oré, Sarah Kinosian, Nelson, Nayib Bukele, Jean Manes, Bukele's, Brian Nichols, Antony Blinken, Bukele, Manes, Ana Maria Mendez, Salvadorans, El Salvador, El, Margaret Myers, Diego Ore, Nelson Renteria, Christian Plumb, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: SALVADOR, Reuters, El Salvador, Central American, U.S, U.S ., Central, State Department's, El, U.S . State Department, Washington Office, U.S . Customs, USAID, The U.S, Inter, Huawei, Washington, Diego Locations: United States, U.S, El Salvador, Latin America, America, China, Honduras, Washington, China's, San Salvador, Central America, Taiwan, Mexico City

☆ House Republicans scramble to save Mayorkas impeachment vote as 'no' votes emerge
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-06 | by ( Rebecca Picciotto | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

House Republican leaders scrambled Tuesday to lock down enough support in their caucus to pass a bill to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. A procedural vote to begin debate on the Mayorkas impeachment resolution passed the House Tuesday afternoon, but six members missed the vote: Three Republicans and three Democrats. "I am a lean 'no,'" Rep. Ken Buck, R-Colo., told CNBC last week as the House Homeland Security Committee debated the articles of impeachment. House Republicans have 219 seats with three vacancies versus Democrats' 212, with one vacancy. House Republicans allege that Mayorkas has intentionally disobeyed federal immigration laws and has prevented oversight of the Homeland Security Department.

Persons: Alejandro Mayorkas, Ken Buck, it's, Buck, Tom McClintock, McClintock, Mayorkas, Joe Biden, Biden, Chuck Schumer Organizations: of Homeland Security, Appropriations Homeland, Capitol, Republican, Homeland, CNBC, House Homeland Security, Republicans, [ Homeland Security, Homeland Security Department, Democrat Locations: Washington, U.S

☆ House Speaker Johnson announces 'standalone' Israel funding package
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-03 | by ( Rebecca Picciotto | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) holds a news conference following a caucus meeting at the U.S. Capitol Visitors Center on January 30, 2024 in Washington, DC. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., on Saturday announced an Israel-only funding package to be voted on next week, a huge step in the deadlocked negotiations over emergency aid that President Joe Biden initially proposed in October. "Next week, we will take up and pass a clean, standalone Israel supplemental package," the speaker wrote in a "Dear Friends" letter. This bill separates aid to Israel from Ukraine, Taiwan and the U.S. southern border, all of which were linked in Biden's original $105 billion aid proposal. But disagreements over how to address the U.S. border and whether to fund Ukraine's defense against Russia stalled the passage of Biden's October aid package.

Persons: Mike Johnson, Joe Biden Organizations: U.S, Capitol Visitors Center, Saturday, Russia Locations: Washington ,, Israel, Gaza, Ukraine, Taiwan, U.S

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