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☆ President Biden seizes on tougher border measures as he tries to fend off Trump attacks
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-27 | by ( Priscilla Alvarez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —President Joe Biden is embracing tougher border measures, including shutting down the US-Mexico border, marking a stark shift from his early days in office as he tries to fend off former President Donald Trump’s attacks on immigration policy ahead of the election. “(The compromise) would give me, as President, a new emergency authority to shut down the border when it becomes overwhelmed. Johnson on Saturday attacked Biden over his endorsement of the potential border deal, arguing the president can take executive action without Congress to clamp down on migrant crossings. And in his first statement on the Senate deal, Johnson claimed that it would force the US to surrender to illegal migration. Immigrant advocates quickly slammed Biden over his statement — revealing the deepening rift between the president and the advocacy community.

Persons: Joe Biden, Donald Trump’s, Mike Johnson, ” Biden, Trump, Biden, ”, Johnson, ” Johnson, “, Stringer, Robyn Barnard, ” Barnard, Kerri Talbot, Democratic Sen, Alex Padilla, It’s, ‘, ’ ” Padilla, CNN’s Manu Raju, Trump’s Organizations: CNN, House Republicans, “, America, Republicans, Saturday, Senate, Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security, Biden, Trump, Getty, Human, Immigration, Democratic Locations: Mexico, America, United States, Chiapas State, AFP, Southern, ’, California

☆ A 27-year-old Berkeley city council member wanted to build more affordable housing. Relentless harassment from 'left NIMBYs' pushed him to resign.
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-27 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | Eliza Relman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Read previewWhen Rigel Robinson was elected to the Berkeley City Council in 2018 — just months after graduating from UC Berkeley — he was determined to tackle the city's housing crisis as its youngest-ever council member. As an undergrad serving on Berkeley's student government, Robinson grew passionate about building more affordable student housing in the notoriously expensive city. Meanwhile, the university is facing a severe student housing shortage amid a broader affordability crisis. But Robinson's advocacy for housing in People's Park was met with a wave of harassment from residents who wanted to keep the park as is. Earlier this month, the conflict escalated as hundreds of police officers arrested dozens of protesters and cleared tents at People's Park.

Persons: —, Rigel Robinson, Robinson, Gavin Newsom, it's, hasn't, Terry Taplin, he'll, what's Organizations: Service, Berkeley City Council, UC Berkeley —, Business, Economic, Gov, Berkeley, City of Locations: Berkeley, People's, Berkeley's, West Coast, YIMBYs, City, City of Berkeley

COLUMBIA, South Carolina (AP) — Bidding to salvage a border deal in Congress that also would unlock money for Ukraine, President Joe Biden offered fresh assurances Saturday night that he would be willing to close the U.S.-Mexico border if lawmakers would only send him a bill to sign. Biden — also eager to disarm GOP criticism of his handling of migration at the border — said at a political event in South Carolina that he would shut down the border ’“right now” if Congress passed the proposed deal. “It’ll also give me as president, the emergency authority to shut down the border until it could get back under control. If that bill were the law today, I’d shut down the border right now and fix it quickly.”The deal being negotiated in Congress would require the U.S. to shutter the border if roughly 5,000 migrants cross illegally on any given day. Political Cartoons View All 253 ImagesIn a written statement on Friday evening, Biden said the deal would allow him “a new emergency authority” to close the border.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden —, “, Biden, “ It’ll, I’d, Donald Trump, He's, Trump’s admonitions, Deirdre Schifeling, ”, Mike Johnson, Guatemalans, ___ Long Organizations: COLUMBIA, Senate Democrats, Republicans, GOP, America, Biden, House, Democratic, “, American Civil Liberties Union, Border Patrol, Hondurans Locations: South Carolina, Ukraine, U.S, Mexico, Venezuela, Washington

☆ Worries in Europe Over the White House Move to Delay Gas Terminals
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-26 | by ( Stanley Reed | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The Biden administration’s decision to delay approval of new liquefied natural gas terminals in the United States has been hailed as a major victory for environmental advocacy groups, but it is creating unease outside the United States about future energy supplies. exports have been a real boon to global energy security,” said Ben Cahill, a senior fellow in the energy security and climate change program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a research institution in Washington. The Biden administration’s move on Friday to pause the permitting process for new liquefied natural gas export facilities is not expected to have an impact on global gas supplies soon. But it could create uncertainty, especially in Europe, which has only recently weathered a major energy shock after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine almost two years ago. Tankers full of liquefied gas from the United States helped mitigate what could have been a dire situation.

Persons: ”, Ben Cahill, Biden Organizations: Biden, Center for Strategic, International Studies Locations: United States, Washington, Europe, Ukraine, Russia

☆ Lia Thomas: Transgender swimmer begins legal case against swimming’s world governing body
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-26 | by ( David Close | Emma Tucker | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Transgender swimmer Lia Thomas has begun legal proceedings against World Aquatics, swimming’s governing body, after it voted to restrict transgender athletes from competing in elite women’s aquatics competitions, according to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. The swimmer is challenging certain parts of the World Aquatics’ gender inclusion policy, which went into effect on June 20, 2022, according to the international court body. CNN has reached out to World Aquatics for comment. At the time of her transition in 2019, the NCAA required transgender athletes to have one year of hormone replacement therapy to be cleared to compete. Advocates of banning transgender women from women’s sport have argued transgender women have a physical advantage over cisgender women in sports.

Persons: Lia Thomas, Thomas, Ms Thomas, “, Thomas ’, Danne Diamond, Ally, ”, CNN’s Ben Church Organizations: CNN, World Aquatics, Sport, Olympic Charter, Aquatics, European, Human Rights, Women, NCAA, University of Pennsylvania, UPenn, University of Pennsylvania’s, Ivy League, Penn Athletics, Sports Medicine Locations: Berlin

NORTH BELLMORE, N.Y. (AP) — Authorities seized about a hundred animals from a Long Island home packed with exotic species — including a giant African snail, a sulcata tortoise and a South American ostrich, advocates said Friday. The menagerie's owner was cited for 30 violations related to the illegal possession of animals, according to the advocacy group Humane Long Island. Especially not in someone’s shed or their basement,” said John Di Leonardo, the group's president and executive director. The group took custody of several dozen animals, including a five-month-old, female South American ostrich — or lesser rhea — named Eddy found in the crowded basement. Authorities said the investigation began after the man began appearing with animals at events like birthday shows and street fairs.

Persons: ”, John Di Leonardo, rhea —, Eddy, Di Leonardo, rhea, Matt Roper, Roper, ” Roper Organizations: — Authorities, Nassau County SPCA, Authorities Locations: North Bellmore, New York City, Nassau County

☆ One in six Black men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime. Early detection is key to saving lives
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-26 | by ( Nicquel Terry Ellis | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

“That was really scary to hear.”One in six Black men will develop prostate cancer in their lifetime, according to the advocacy organization ZERO Prostate Cancer. The rate of prostate cancer among Black men has been underscored in recent weeks as Dexter King, the youngest son of the Rev. And in December, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin underwent a prostatectomy to treat prostate cancer that was discovered that same month. Bugler said ZERO Prostate Cancer recommends that Black men start talking to their doctors about the risks and benefits of prostate cancer screening at the age of 40. He blames toxic masculinity and stubbornness, which he said can also play a role in preventing Black men from getting screened for prostate cancer.

Persons: Nate Battle, doctor’s, “, ‘, ”, Dexter King, Martin Luther King Jr, Lloyd Austin, aren’t, it’s, Otis Brawley, ” Brawley, Brawley, Johns Hopkins, ” Courtney Bugler, Bugler Organizations: CNN, Prostate Cancer, Research, American Cancer Society, US, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore and, ZERO Prostate, Cancer Locations: Black, barbershops, Baltimore, Baltimore and Washington

☆ Some Amazon employees discuss unionizing over the company's return-to-office mandate
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-26 | by ( Ashley Stewart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Read previewA small number of Amazon employees are discussing unionizing over the company's return-to-office policy. AdvertisementAmazon's RTO policy is unusually strict. Some Amazon employees recently took to the Slack channel to announce their resignations specifically over the return-to-hub policy. "Tomorrow is my last day at Amazon," one of the employees wrote in December. Unionization among corporate tech employees is rare.

Persons: —, RTO, Ashley Stewart Organizations: Service, Business, Amazon, Amazonians Locations: Staten Island

WASHINGTON (AP) — House Speaker Mike Johnson took a strong stand Friday against a bipartisan Senate deal to pair border enforcement measures with Ukraine aid, sending a letter to colleagues that aligns him with hardline conservatives determined to sink the compromise on border and immigration policy. Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, said that the legislation would have been “dead on arrival in the House” if leaked reports about the legislation were true. He later clarified that he was still supportive of pairing border measures with Ukraine aid — an arrangement that Senate Republicans initially demanded to gain their votes for funding Ukraine's war. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a hard-right Republican of Georgia, has threatened to initiate an effort to oust Johnson if he put the Senate deal on the House floor. “This bill represents Senate Republican leadership waging war on House Republican leadership,” said Sen. Ted Cruz, a Republican of Texas, at a news conference this week.

Persons: Mike Johnson, Johnson, Donald Trump, “ Rather, Biden, Mitch McConnell, Joe Biden, Alejandro Mayorkas “, Greg Abbott, Vladimir Putin's, Marjorie Taylor Greene, ”, Sen, Ted Cruz, ” Sen, Markwayne Mullin, ” Mullin, you’re Organizations: WASHINGTON, —, Louisiana Republican, Republican, Republicans, White, Russia, Democratic, impeaching Homeland, Texas Gov, Border Patrol, Ukraine, Trump, Oklahoma Republican Locations: Ukraine, Louisiana, Trump, Israel, Europe, Georgia, Texas, Oklahoma

☆ Phones Track Everything but Their Role in Car Wrecks
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-26 | by ( Matt Richtel | More About Matt Richtel | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

Cellphones can track what we say and write, where we go, what we buy and what we search on the internet. But they still aren’t being used to track one of the biggest public health threats: crashes caused by drivers distracted by the phones. Safety experts say that current estimates most likely understate a worsening problem. Car crashes recorded by the police rose 16 percent from 2020 to 2021, to 16,700 a day from 14,400 a day, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, or N.H.T.S.A. But those figures do not capture all cellphone distraction; they include only crashes in which a police report specifically mentions such distraction.

Persons: ”, David Strayer, It’s, Jake Nelson, “ Organizations: National, Traffic Safety Administration, University of Utah, Traffic, Research, AAA, The New York Times, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety

A Pennsylvania law that makes it a crime to release information about teacher disciplinary complaints is an unconstitutional violation of the First Amendment, a federal judge has ruled. The law's confidentiality provision makes it a misdemeanor to disclose the existence of a state complaint or any information about it unless and until discipline is imposed. U.S. District Judge Karen S. Marston did not strike down the law itself in her Jan. 10 ruling. “The confidentiality provision exists to protect the reputation, privacy, and due process rights of educators” who are accused, and ultimately cleared, of wrongdoing, said Chris Lilienthal, a spokesperson for the Pennsylvania State Education Association. Pepper's misconduct complaint centers on a January 2023 email that school psychologist Julia Szarko sent to his school district account.

Persons: —, Jimmy Adams, he’s, Karen S, Marston, James Pepper, Pepper, “ weaponizing ”, Aaron Martin, Martin, ”, Chris Lilienthal, Jennifer Schorn, Julia Szarko, Szarko, Szarko —, Pepper's, she's, “ Dr, ” Pepper, “ Organizations: Pennsylvania Department of Education, National Association of State, Education, U.S, District, Central Bucks School District, Central Bucks, Department of, Pennsylvania State Education Association, Republican, of Education Locations: Pennsylvania, Bucks County, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania’s

SYDNEY (AP) — Thousands of Australians protested the anniversary of British colonization of their country with large crowds Friday urging for Australia Day to be moved and for a day of mourning on the holiday some call "Invasion Day." The holiday marks the arrival of 11 British ships carrying convicts at Port Jackson in present-day Sydney on Jan. 26, 1788. For many activists, the day marked the beginning of a sustained period of discrimination and expulsion of Indigenous people from their land without a treaty. Large crowds in Sydney chanted for the Australia Day date to be moved. The government had proposed the first constitutional change since 1977 as a step forward in Indigenous rights.

Persons: James Cook, resoundingly, Anthony Albanese Organizations: SYDNEY, Australia, Port Jackson, Sydney, Torres Strait Locations: Port, Sydney, Victoria, Melbourne, Australia, Asia, asia

☆ TikTok's Lunden and Olivia Stallings are straight people's favorite lesbian couple. What do they owe queer fans?
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-25 | by ( Kate Taylor | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +29 min

Lunden and Olivia told me their mission as influencers was to "represent and inspire others to be their authentic self." Advertisement"I did feel represented by them," Asia said, but the tweets "showed me that they are still white women." "We are especially confident in our sexuality and the way that we feel and who we are," Olivia told me. Lunden and Olivia told me they want to advocate for all LGBTQ+ people, including those who don't look like them. It's a chance, the couple told me, to combat the hate and negativity LGBTQ+ parents face.

Persons: Lunden Stallings, Olivia Bennett, Monique Lhuillier, Lunden, Taylor Swift, Stallings, David Yurman, preppy, Olivia, TikTok, Kendrick Brinson, who's, you've, Madison Mathews, sunnies, peck, they'd, Brooklynites, Remington, Zeta Tau, Olivia DMed Lunden —, Justin Bieber, snapbacks, haven't, Lunden's, Ellie Goulding's, Olivia couldn't, Caroline Bayne, Lunden's TikTok, Zara, Mercedes, Sophie, It's, Jackie J, Jackie, There's, Bud Light, Dylan Mulvaney, influencers, They've, KenzKustomz, Krysten Stein, Black influencers, Stein, Hill, millennials Organizations: Naylor, People, Business, Alabama, Chevrolet, New York Post, Daily Mail, Madison, University of Central, Jacksonville State University, Zeta Tau Alpha, University of Alabama's, University, Minnesota, BI, Braves, Rover, Pride, Nielsen, Saks, University of Illinois Locations: Roswell , Georgia, Asia, Olivia, Charleston, LoveShackFancy, Powder Springs , Georgia, Atlanta, Blytheville , Arkansas, University of Central Arkansas, Alabama, Roswell, Austin, RushTok, Alpharetta, Charleston , South Carolina, Southern, Publix, Fayetteville , Arkansas, University of Illinois Chicago

Saudi Arabia began hosting the men’s tour’s Next Gen ATP Finals for top 21-and-under players in Jedda last year in a deal that runs through 2027. And the WTA has been in talks to place its season-ending WTA Finals in Saudi Arabia. If so, we would endorse engagement there.”Another Hall of Fame player, Billie Jean King, has said she supports the idea of trying to encourage change by heading to Saudi Arabia now. “I’m a huge believer in engagement," King, a founder of the WTA and an equal rights champion, said last year. In recent years, Saudi Arabia has enacted wide-ranging social reforms, including granting women the right to drive and largely dismantling male guardianship laws that had allowed husbands and male relatives to control many aspects of women’s lives.

Persons: of Famers Chris Evert, Martina Navratilova, Rafael Nadal, ”, Evert, Navratilova, Billie Jean King, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Jamal Khashoggi, Coco Gauff, John Pye, ___ Organizations: of Famers, WTA, The Washington, Saudi Tennis Federation, Rafael Nadal Academy, Fame, Washington Post, Authorities, ” Locations: Saudi Arabia, The, Saudi, East, Jedda, ” U.S, Melbourne, Australia

☆ Amazon’s Ring to shutter video-sharing program popular with police
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-24 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Authorities seeking Ring surveillance videos must now submit a formal legal request to the company, rather than soliciting footage directly from users through the app, Ring said in a blog post Wednesday. Hundreds of law enforcement agencies have struck up partnerships with Ring, according to a tracker maintained by the consumer advocacy group Fight for the Future. But, he warned, it would not necessarily stop police from continuing to persuade Ring users to voluntarily give up their rights. Police are able to contact Ring users off the app. And Ring users can still decide if they want to voluntarily send video, sounds or images from their Ring devices to law enforcement.

Persons: ”, Evan Greer, Matthew Guariglia, Guariglia, didn’t, Ring, Massachusetts Democratic Sen, Ed Markey, “, enforcement’s Organizations: CNN, “, Electronic Frontier Foundation, Police, Fraternal, of Police, EFF, Massachusetts Democratic Locations: Massachusetts

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Ohio has banned gender-affirming care for minors and restricted transgender women’s and girls’ participation on sports teams, a move that has families of transgender children scrambling over how best to care for them. The new law bans gender-affirming surgeries and hormone therapies, and restricts mental health care for transgender individuals under 18. The measure also bans transgender girls and women from girls and women’s sports teams at both the K-12 and collegiate level. One advocate, while singing that Jesus loves transgender children, was escorted out of the Senate chamber. At least 23 states have now enacted laws restricting or banning gender-affirming medical care for transgender minors, and many of those states face lawsuits.

Persons: Mike DeWine’s, Sen, Nathan Manning, Kat Scaglione’s, Amity, Matt, Lexi, we’re, ” Scaglione, “ It’s, you’re, ” DeWine, Kristina Roegner, ”, Jesus, Biden, Nickie J, Antonio, “, Maria Bruno, ___ Samantha Hendrickson Organizations: —, Republican, Statehouse, Equality Ohio, Associated Press, America Statehouse News Initiative, America Locations: COLUMBUS , Ohio, — Ohio, Cuyahoga County, Amity, Ohio, Summit County, Arkansas, United States, Cleveland

☆ Opinion: Donald Trump wins against Nikki Haley, but loses it
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-24 | by ( Opinion Cnn Contributors | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +24 min

The problem with this approach is that most Republican voters do not want an alternative to Trump; they overwhelmingly back him. At least that’s what the Nikki Haley campaign said after finishing second to former President Donald Trump in the New Hampshire primaries on Tuesday. Democratic nominee Bill Clinton and third-party candidate Ross Perot exploited that division in the Republican Party against Bush in the fall. The Republican Party is united behind Trump, and with optimal conditions for an opponent like Haley, Trump was still unstoppable. “Democrats deserve options, and it’s not clear at all that President Biden can beat Donald Trump.

Persons: Raul A, Reyes, Nikki Haley’s, Nikki Haley, Donald Trump, bode, Reyes CNN Haley, Trump, Haley, “, CNN’s Dana Bash, That’s, it’s, Trump …, Nikki, –, She’s, Paul Begala, Donald Trump’s, Paul Begala CNN Trump, Joe Biden, Reagan, Bush, Bill Clinton’s, Clinton, Ana Marie Cox, Ana Marie Cox Faith Fonseca, ” Trump, Biden, Jamal Simmons, Biden’s, he’s, Dean Phillips, Jimmy Carter, Edward Kennedy, Kennedy, Carter, Republican Ronald Reagan, George H.W, Pat Buchanan, Bill Clinton, Ross Perot, Eugene McCarthy’s, Lyndon Johnson, Marianne Williamson, Sen, Bernie Sanders, Pramila, Kamala Harris, Daniel McCarthy, John McCain, George W, Ron DeSantis, Biden —, ”, Rizwan Virk, Williamson, Sanders, Andrew Yang, Dean Philips, Yang, ” Rizwan Virk, Patrick T, Brown, Barack Obama, Dozens, Scott Walker, Jeb Bush, South Carolina Sen, Tim Scott, Texas Sen, Ted Cruz, Florida Sen, Marco Rubio, John Kasich, Cruz, Sophia A, DeSantis, Nelson Stephanie Honikel, Harris, Nelson, Tuesday’s, Phillips ’, Phillips, Arick, Michael Bloomberg Organizations: CNN, GOP, South Carolina Gov, Republican, Reyes CNN, Trump, Independents, Polling, White, USA, Twitter, New, South, Biden, diehard Republicans, New Hampshire, Republican Party, Bush Republicans, NATO, Republicans, Democratic, Minnesota Rep, Hamas, Washington Rep, Former South Carolina Gov, mavericks, New Hampshire Democratic, Florida Gov, The, Syndicate, Democratic Party, Democrat, Labs, MIT, Physics, Eastern, Arizona State University’s College of Global Futures, Wisconsin Gov, Ohio Gov, Public Policy Center, Economic, Florida’s, America, Trump Party, Congressional, UN, Tuesday’s New, Tuesday’s New Hampshire Democratic, Democratic National, Biden –, Medicare, New York Locations: Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina, America, Granite, Trump, Michigan, New Hampshire , Iowa, Austin, Israel, Vietnam, Granite State . South Carolina, Gaza, Yemen, Ukraine, Vermont, Wisconsin, Florida, Texas, Ohio, New York, Washington , DC, Virginia, Minnesota, Tuesday’s New Hampshire, Hampshire

☆ With a Mask and Nitrogen Tank, Alabama Pioneers Execution Method
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-24 | by ( Jan. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +4 min

By Jonathan Allen(Reuters) - If federal courts give the green light, Alabama plans on Thursday to pioneer the first new method of judicial execution since lethal injections were introduced in 1982. "If this execution is successful then we're going to see nitrogen hypoxia take off across the country," said Rev. Smith is scheduled to be the first prisoner subjected to the method, which Alabama refers to as 'nitrogen hypoxia,' on Thursday evening at Alabama's Holman Correctional Facility. Alabama Solicitor General Edmund LaCour told federal judges last week that the state has since developed "the most painless and humane method of execution known to man." This is the first time he has had to sign a form acknowledging the risk that an execution method poses to others in the execution chamber.

Persons: Jonathan Allen, Jeff Hood, Kenneth Smith, Elizabeth Sennett, Smith, Kenny, Hood, Edmund LaCour, We're, Stéphanie Boucher, Paul Thomasch, Diane Craft Organizations: Reuters, Alabama Department, Corrections, Alabama's Holman Correctional Facility, 11th Circuit U.S, Alabama, Veterinary Medical Association, Worth, Allegro Industries, Allegro's, Walter Surface Technologies Locations: Alabama, . Oklahoma, Mississippi, New York, South Carolina, Allegro's Canada

But it is actually registered as a nonprofit with the IRS — not a formal political party. Both the FEC and the IRS have been hesitant in recent years to police groups that push the boundaries of campaign finance law. The IRS, meanwhile, has largely shrunk from enforcement ever since attempts to crack down on tea party groups during Barack Obama's presidency drew massive backlash. Still, campaign finance experts say many of the legal arguments made by the Democratic groups are solid. Under a widely held interpretation of IRS rules, political nonprofit groups are limited to making political activity 50% of their activity.

Persons: Joe Biden, Donald Trump, ”, Tiffany Muller, “, Biden, Barack Obama's, Adav Noti, Ryan Clancy, Clancy, ” Noti, ___ Cooper Organizations: WASHINGTON, Biden, Trump, Democratic, Citizens United, End Citizens, Federal, Commission, IRS, FEC, Republicans, Citizens Locations: Washington, Colorado, Phoenix

☆ US Aims to Impose Tighter Curbs on Civilian Gun Exports: Bloomberg
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-24 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

(Reuters) - The Biden administration is seeking to reduce the use of U.S.-made guns in foreign crimes and human rights violations by tightening oversight and rules governing commercial exports of semiautomatic weapons, Bloomberg reported on Wednesday.This follows a review by the U.S. Commerce Department of its support for American gunmakers after a Bloomberg investigation linked increasing civilian gun exports to higher rates of global gun crime, according to the report, which cited draft rules obtained by Bloomberg. Commerce Department officials described the proposed changes to advocacy groups and others last week, telling them that the U.S. State Department would have more influence over vetting exports to countries with poor human-rights records, the Bloomberg report said, citing people who were briefed. Under the draft rules, officials would create distinct trade categories for semiautomatic firearms - including pistols, rifles and shotguns, making it easier for federal regulators to scrutinize exports of those weapons, Bloomberg said. In October last year, the Commerce Department stopped issuing export licenses for most civilian firearms and ammunition for 90 days to assess the "risk of firearms being diverted to entities or activities that promote regional instability, violate human rights, or fuel criminal activities." (Reporting by Devika Nair in Bengaluru; editing by Mark Heinrich)

Persons: Biden, Devika Nair, Mark Heinrich Organizations: Reuters, Bloomberg, U.S . Commerce Department, Bloomberg . Commerce Department, U.S . State Department, Commerce Department Locations: U.S, Bengaluru

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris will share the stage on Tuesday in Virginia as they campaign for abortion rights, a top issue for Democrats in an election expected to feature a rematch with Donald Trump, the former Republican president. Biden and Harris will be joined by their spouses, first lady Jill Biden and second gentleman Doug Emhoff. Harris was in Wisconsin in Monday to mark the 51st anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the U.S. Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion nationwide. “In Texas, you are forced to carry that pregnancy, and that is because of Donald Trump overturning Roe v. Wade,” Dennard said. Although he is a longtime supporter of abortion rights, he mentions the issue less often and sometimes avoids using the word abortion even when he discusses the issue.

Persons: Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, Donald Trump, Biden, Harris, Jill Biden, Doug Emhoff, Roe, Wade, Trump, “, ” Harris, ”, Austin Dennard, ” Dennard, there's, they've, Nikki Haley, Ron DeSantis, ” Trump, Jamal Simmons, ” Simmons, Amanda Seitz Organizations: WASHINGTON, Republican, U.S, Supreme, OB, Labor, of Health, Human Services, Associated Press, South, Gov, Fox News Locations: Virginia, Wisconsin, America, Texas, “ In Texas, Roe, Oklahoma, South Carolina

☆ Don’t let this passport quirk upend your next vacation. It 'trips a lot of people up,' expert says
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-23 | by ( Greg Iacurci | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

However, another common passport snafu threatens to upend your trip overseas — and it involves passports that haven't yet expired but are close to doing so. Many countries require that Americans have at least a few months of validity remaining on their U.S. passport in order to travel there, or to secure a visa to that country. Many countries in the Asia-Pacific and Middle East regions require at least six months of validity for permission to enter. What this means: Gatekeepers like border officials will deny travel if your passport doesn't have a certain amount of validity remaining. The requirement "trips a lot of people up," said Charles Leocha, president and co-founder of Travelers United, a nonprofit advocacy group.

Persons: Charles Leocha Organizations: Finance, State Department, Travelers United Locations: New Europe, Schengen, Asia, Pacific, Hong Kong

☆ Some student-loan borrowers could get extra money from their school under a new Education Department proposal
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-23 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Read previewPresident Joe Biden's Education Department has kicked off another round of negotiations to craft new rules for higher education — and it could get some student-loan borrowers extra cash. One of the department's proposals concerns how schools manage students' meal plans. AdvertisementThe department will continue negotiations on these regulations in February and March sessions with stakeholders, with the opportunity for public comment. Along with the cash management proposals, the department is also in the regulatory process of crafting its second attempt at student-debt relief for borrowers. "Failing to finalize a proposal to provide relief for borrowers experiencing hardship would result in millions of borrowers — including most recent graduates, many low-income borrowers, borrowers of color, and borrowers with disabilities — being left out of the necessary debt relief," nearly 70 advocacy groups sent to Education Secretary Miguel Cardona last week.

Persons: —, Joe Biden's, They're, Biden's, Education Secretary Miguel Cardona Organizations: Service, Joe Biden's Education, Business, Education Department, Higher, Education Secretary

A science-oriented advocacy group on Tuesday said the Earth remains at its closest ever position to doomsday, citing wars in Ukraine and Gaza, the climate change crisis and advances in artificial intelligence. The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists kept its "Doomsday Clock" at 90 seconds to midnight – the same setting as in 2023. Midnight on the clock represents a theoretical point of global catastrophe and destruction. The clock dates back to 1947 and was typically “set” at minutes to midnight, though the group has switched to counting down the seconds in recent years. The clock has been as far away from midnight as 17 minutes in 1991 after the end of the Cold War.

Persons: Rachel Bronson, “, ” Bronson, ” Organizations: Atomic Scientists Locations: Ukraine, Gaza, Israel

☆ Tech execs say a type of AI that can outdo humans is coming, but have no idea what it looks like
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-23 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, during a panel session at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Jan. 18, 2024. Altman was temporarily booted from OpenAI in November in a shock move that laid bare concerns around the governance of the companies behind the most powerful AI systems. In a discussion at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Altman said his ouster was a "microcosm" of the stresses faced by OpenAI and other AI labs internally. "We're already seeing areas where AI has the ability to unlock our understanding ... where humans haven't been able to make that type of progress. Avoiding a 's--- show'Altman wasn't the only top tech executive asked about AI risks at Davos.

Persons: Sam Altman, Google's DeepMind, Salesforce, Altman, chatbot, We've, it's, Aidan Gomez, OpenAI, Gomez, CNBC's Arjun Kharpal, AGI, it'll, Lila Ibrahim, Ibrahim, CNBC's Kharpal, who've, haven't, Marc Benioff, Elon Musk, Steve Wozniak, Andrew Yang, Geoffrey Hinton, Hinton, Benioff Organizations: Economic, Bloomberg, Getty, Microsoft, Union, ABC News, ABC, OpenAI, CBS Locations: Davos, Switzerland, United States, Cohere, Hiroshima

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