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In his ruling, U.S. District Judge Leo Sorokin said the partnership "substantially diminishes competition in the domestic market for air travel." American is the largest U.S. airline by fleet size and low-cost carrier JetBlue is the sixth-largest. The Justice Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The judge gave the airlines 30 days to end the alliance. TD Cowen analyst Helane Becker said she believes the American JetBlue ruling "has negative implications for the JetBlue/Spirit merger."

WASHINGTON, May 19 (Reuters) - A U.S. judge ruled on Friday that American Airlines Group (AAL.O) must end its alliance with JetBlue Airways Corp (JBLU.O), agreeing with the U.S. Justice Department that it means higher prices for consumers. U.S. District Judge Leo Sorokin said the agreement "entangles JetBlue with American in a way that diminishes its status as an independent low-cost player in the market." The judge gave the airlines 30 days to end the alliance. The department sued in 2021 asking Sorokin to stop the "Northeast Alliance" partnership, announced in July 2020 and approved by the U.S. Transportation Department shortly before the end of the Trump administration. It took aim at American Airlines, saying the alliance would cost consumers hundreds of millions of dollars.

☆ Migrant encounters down 70% since end of Title 42, US official says
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

MEXICO CITY, May 19 (Reuters) - Migrant encounters at the U.S.-Mexico border have dropped 70% since COVID-era border restrictions ended last week, U.S. Homeland Security official Blas Nunez-Neto said on Friday. Speaking in a call with reporters, Nunez-Neto said the number had continued to tick down after an average 4,000 encounters a day as of May 12. "In the last 48 hours there were 3,000 encounters a day on the border, this is a more than 70% reduction," he said. Reporting by Lizbeth Diaz; Writing by Valentine Hilaire, Editing by Daina Beth SolomonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

That would appear to contradict the FTC's practice of preventing companies from using market power to push up prices. The FTC lawsuit spurred concern among investors who had brushed off the antitrust risk in Amgen's deal because of its limited business overlap with Horizon. "Our complaint is firmly rooted in longstanding antitrust law and we look forward to making our argument in court," an FTC spokesperson said. AMGEN OFFERS REMEDYAmgen said on Tuesday it had made an offer to the FTC in hopes of resolving the issue. "These are valid concerns that FTC has raised but what a court will do about it is uncertain," he said.

[1/4] OpenAI CEO Sam Altman testifies before a Senate Judiciary Privacy, Technology & the Law Subcommittee hearing titled 'Oversight of A.I. Some critics fear the technology will exacerbate societal harms, among them prejudice and misinformation, while others warn AI could end humanity itself. Globally, this is exploding," said Senator Cory Booker, one of many lawmakers with questions about how best to regulate AI. The White House has convened top technology CEOs including Altman to address AI. An OpenAI staffer recently proposed the creation of a U.S. licensing agency for AI, which could be called the Office for AI Safety and Infrastructure Security, or OASIS, Reuters has reported.

In his first appearance before a congressional panel, CEO Sam Altman is set to advocate licensing or registration requirements for AI with certain capabilities, his written testimony shows. That way, the U.S. can hold companies to safety standards, for instance testing systems before their release and publishing the results. "Regulation of AI is essential," Altman said in the prepared remarks which were seen by Reuters. An OpenAI staffer recently proposed the creation of a U.S. licensing agency for AI, which could be called the Office for AI Safety and Infrastructure Security, or OASIS, Reuters has reported. She is expected to urge Congress to focus regulation on areas with the potential to do the greatest societal harm.

☆ Title 42 dramatically changed who arrived at U.S.-Mexico border
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

Title 42 dramatically changed who arrived at the borderChart showing that before Title 42 began, most people apprehended at the U.S.-Mexico border were Mexican, Guatemalan, Slavadorian or Honduran. Title 42 mostly applied to Mexican migrants Mexicans are the nationality most frequently caught crossing the U.S.-Mexico border and also made up the largest group of quick Title 42 expulsions. With Title 42 in place, Mexican migrants processed under Title 8 dropped, as most were deported to Mexico under Title 42. Chart showing the breakdown of migrants from Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador apprehended under Title 8 and Title 42. All four nationalities began to increase once Title 42 began until Title 42 was expanded to include people from Venezuela in October 2022 and people from Cuba, Haiti and Nicaragua in January 2023.

Interviews with a U.S. senator, congressional staffers, AI companies and interest groups show there are a number of options under discussion. Some proposals focus on AI that may put people's lives or livelihoods at risk, like in medicine and finance. Other possibilities include rules to ensure AI isn't used to discriminate or violate someone's civil rights. Another debate is whether to regulate the developer of AI or the company that uses it to interact with consumers. GOVERNMENT MICROMANAGEMENTThe risk-based approach means AI used to diagnose cancer, for example, would be scrutinized by the Food and Drug Administration, while AI for entertainment would not be regulated.

☆ Drivers are delivering food orders to migrants stuck at the Mexican border near San Diego, report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-14 | by ( Sam Tabahriti | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Some have resorted to placing food delivery orders to eat, Rest of World reported. One woman told Rest of World she paid $100 for a whole chicken because the Uber Eats driver didn't have change. Jesús Vargas, a delivery driver based in Tijuana, told Rest of World he's delivered Taiwanese food to some migrants. Immigration advocates previously told Insider that migrants who failed to use the app were being penalized. Border patrol agents were stopping volunteers on the US side of the border from providing charging stations, per the outlet.

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas defended the Biden regulation, saying it aims to encourage migrants to enter using legal pathways. U.S. asylum officers hurried to figure out the logistics of applying the new asylum regulation. COVID EMERGENCY ENDS, ASYLUM BAN BEGINSTrump first implemented Title 42 in March 2020 as COVID swept the globe. The order allowed American authorities to quickly expel migrants to Mexico or other countries without a chance to request asylum. Migrants have been expelled more than 2.7 million times under Title 42, although the total includes repeat crossers.

On Friday, that changed when the administration of President Joe Biden ended Title 42, a COVID-inspired provision that allowed the U.S. government to turn away asylum-seekers for public health reasons. At the same time Title 42 expired, the Biden administration implemented a new regulation that presumes most migrants will be ineligible for asylum if they failed to use legal pathways for U.S. entry like CBP One. "This is mostly for my children," Lupita said. Tens of thousands of migrants rushed to the border last week trying to enter the country before the new asylum rules took effect. Reporting by Daniel Trotta in Tijuana and Lizbeth Diaz in Mexico City; Editing by Mica Rosenberg and Diane CraftOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ The app designed to help asylum-seekers has inadvertently separated families as Title 42 expires, advocates say
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-13 | by ( Azmi Haroun | Erin Snodgrass | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

On Friday, restrictive immigration policy Title 42 expired after being imposed in March 2020. Asylum seekers have been asked to make appointments to apply for asylum through a new app. But the slots are limited, the app is glitchy, and it is causing family separations, advocates say. Friday marked the official end of Title 42, a public health measure imposed by the Trump administration in March 2020. "It has forced families to make really hard choices when the whole group can't get the appointment together," Gonzalez told Insider.

☆ The Biden administration built a 'digital wall' by requiring asylum-seekers to use a glitchy app in the aftermath of Title 42, immigration experts say
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-13 | by ( Azmi Haroun | Erin Snodgrass | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

That's because the Biden administration is handling almost all asylum claims through a glitchy app. Friday marked the official end of Title 42, a public health measure imposed by the Trump administration in March 2020. The catch, immigration advocates said, is that the app is borderline unusable for many migrants who have reached the border. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)Advocates working at the border told Insider that on the day Title 42 expired, the app was not working. The Biden administration did not immediately return Insider's request for comment.

☆ Pandemic-related asylum restrictions known as Title 42 expire, straining U.S. immigration system
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-12 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +10 min

The expired rule, known as Title 42, was in place since March 2020. While Title 42 prevented many from seeking asylum, it carried no legal consequences, encouraging repeat attempts. Migrants cross the Rio Bravo river to turn themselves in to U.S. Border Patrol agents before Title 42 ends, in Matamoros, Mexico May 10, 2023. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas had already warned of more crowded Border Patrol facilities to come. They were quickly apprehended by Border Patrol agents.

☆ DeSantis signed a bill into law that creates new hurdles for undocumented workers and patients in Florida. It provides $12 million to relocate migrants to blue states
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Kimberly Leonard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

DeSantis signed a bill into law to crack down on undocumented workers in Florida. The legislation includes $12 million to relocate migrants to blue states. Ron DeSantis signed a sweeping bill into law Wednesday that will make it harder for undocumented people to work in Florida, even though the measure fell short of his demands. DeSantis boasted about the stunt during a press conference in Jacksonville, Florida, on Wednesday, saying officials in blue states expected border states to "grin and bear" the care of an influx of migrants. DeSantis signed the immigration measures into law a day before before the federal Title 42 is set to expire.

☆ What the End of Title 42 In the U.S. Means - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( Alejandra Oliva | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

On the face of it, the end of Title 42 — reopening the border and an ostensible return to normalcy — may seem like a good thing. I’ve helped asylum seekers fill out their applications in a New York City clinic within their first year in a new home. We must not forget that the United States has legal obligations to provide protection to people who qualify as refugees under international law. The choice to come to the United States is not an easy or uncomplicated one. They are often frustrated and angry at how the United States government has treated them.

☆ US to continue humanitarian program after Title 42 end date - joint statement
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

MEXICO CITY, May 2 (Reuters) - The United States will continue to accept migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela under a humanitarian program after May 11, when the COVID-19 health policy known as Title 42 is set to end, the U.S. and Mexican governments said on Tuesday. Mexico, for its part, will continue accepting back migrants returned to Mexico on humanitarian grounds, the two countries said in a joint statement. The statement also said the United States would accept some 100,000 people from El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras under a family reunification program announced last week, but did not give a time frame for that number. The statement came after Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador met with White House Homeland Security Advisor Elizabeth Sherwood-Randall on Tuesday to discuss migration ahead Title 42's impending end. Tuesday's announcement indicates that a humanitarian parole program providing legal migration pathways for Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans will continue after Title 42's end.

WASHINGTON, April 27 (Reuters) - The United States will expand a family-reunification parole program currently available to Cubans and Haitians to include additional nationalities, U.S. officials said on Thursday, as part of a suite of measures aimed at curbing record border crossings. The program will be expanded to nationals of Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras in an effort to create new lawful pathways for migrants, the officials said during a briefing with reporters. Biden, a Democrat seeking re-election in 2024, has struggled politically with record numbers of migrants caught crossing the U.S.-Mexico border illegally. Reuters reported on Wednesday that the United States is also discussing increased refugee processing in Ecuador and Costa Rica. The family reunification program is distinct from a program that Biden launched in January that allows up to 30,000 migrants per month from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela with U.S. sponsors to enter the country by air.

☆ Colombia's Gustavo Petro finds his opening in Washington
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Stefano Pozzebon | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

So what was the most solid common ground President Biden, as host, could find for his guest? Leaders from the region tend to see the climate issue as their platform in international summits. Like many countries in Latin America, Colombia has received considerable investments from Chinese companies in recent years, mostly in the transport and mining sectors. “Petro has the aspiration of leading the new phase of Latin America’s geopolitics. And Biden can also tout a considerable concession from his meeting with Petro, who had always refused to condemn Russia’s actions in Ukraine – until now.

☆ These are the places most at risk from record-breaking heat waves as the planet warms
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-25 | by ( Laura Paddison | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

They identified Afghanistan, Papua New Guinea and Central America – including Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua – as “hot spots” for high-risk heat waves. Not only is there high potential for record-breaking extreme heat, but the impacts will be intensified by the huge difficulties the country already faces, he said. “When a really extreme heat wave does finally come along, then there are instantly going to be a lot of problems,” Mitchell said. Heat waves have a wide-ranging negative impact. They also take a heavy toll on human health, and extreme heat is one of the deadliest natural disasters.

☆ Taiwan or China? Paraguay's dilemma puts election race in the spotlight
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( Lucindaalice Elliott | Daniela Desantis | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

[1/2] Paraguayan presidential candidate Santiago Pena from ruling Colorado Party, attends his campaign rally, in Asuncion, Paraguay April 18, 2023. REUTERS/Cesar OlmedoASUNCION, April 24 (Reuters) - From Paraguayan capital Asuncion to Taipei and Washington, diplomats, officials - and farmers - are closely watching a tight election race that could determine Paraguay's future ties with Taiwan. "How can I deny a relationship that is beneficial for all Paraguayans, a people that need development, need investment, need industry?" China has long argued that democratically-ruled Taiwan is part of its own territory with no right to state-to-state ties, a position Taipei strongly rejects. 'WHEN, NOT IF'Among diplomatic circles in Asuncion there is a sense a switch is inevitable - regardless of the election outcome.

☆ Probe of OAS chief draws members' push for ethics reforms
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( Matt Spetalnick | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The OAS Permanent Council approved the document by consensus, but Mexico took the opportunity to criticize Secretary General Luis Almagro, saying he should have resigned and could not be trusted. The findings of the probe, launched late last year following a whistleblower's complaint, were laid out in a 121-page report distributed to member-states on Monday. It was founded 75 years ago to promote regional cooperation, but in recent years has struggled with ideological divisions among its 34 members. The resolution called on OAS officers to present "proposals for the further updating of the Code of Ethics and the Staff Regulations of the Organization." Luz Elena Banos Rivas, Mexico's OAS ambassador and a frequent critic of Almagro, said he should have resigned after admitting to the relationship.

☆ Russia-Ukraine War News: Live Updates
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( Anushka Patil | Juston Jones | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

“We are nine hours apart and over 10,000 kilometers apart,” Mr. Zelensky told Mexico’s lower house of congress — the Chamber of Deputies — in a virtual address shortly before 1 p.m. there. But speaking to Mexican lawmakers, Mr. Zelensky did not ask for military hardware or money. President Andrés Manuel López Obrador of Mexico has said little publicly since he condemned the war days after it started in February 2022. Mr. López Obrador, who leads the left-wing Morena Party, did not show up in the chamber where Mr. Zelensky spoke over a video link. “We recognize in you the struggle that you have been waging all this time in defense of your homeland and the dignity of your people,” he said, addressing Mr. Zelensky.

☆ Ukraine's Zelenskiy urges Mexico to help deliver his peace plan
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Henry RomeroMEXICO CITY, April 20 (Reuters) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Thursday urged Mexico to help make the case in Latin America for his peace plan for Ukraine, even as tensions persist within the country's ruling party about offering support to Kyiv. The plan includes Russia withdrawing all of its troops from Ukraine's territory, and he set it out to world leaders last November. "I think with Mexico's help, this could be much quicker," Zelenskiy said via videolink, speaking through an interpreter. Zelenskiy has said he will only consider peace settlements once Russian troops leave Ukrainian territory. Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard met separately with his Russian and Ukrainian counterparts to discuss the peace plan at the U.N. General Assembly last year.

☆ Russia´s Lavrov in Havana on Latin America drive to shore up support
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Dave Sherwood | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/5] Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov attends a meeting with his Cuban counterpart Bruno Rodriguez in Havana, Cuba April 20, 2023. Russian Foreign Ministry/Handout via REUTERSHAVANA, April 20 (Reuters) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov met on Thursday with Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel and Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez in Havana, the latest in a series of visits to shore up support among Russia's closest allies in Latin America. Lavrov told reporters that Russia and Cuba, both facing sanctions from the United States, understood one another. Russia´s foreign minister earlier this week visited Brazil, Venezuela and Nicaragua, meeting with the presidents and top officials in each country. Lavrov told reporters in Havana that another such deal to provide wheat to Cuba was in the works.

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