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☆ Ex-Member of Menudo Says He Was Raped by Father of the Menendez Brothers
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( Matt Stevens | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

It was a gripping case that was one of the first to draw a daily national audience to a televised criminal trial. Lyle and Erik Menendez were convicted in 1996 of murdering their mother, Mary Louise, a former beauty queen who went by Kitty, and their father, Jose, a music executive, despite defense arguments that the brothers had been sexually molested for years by their father, and had killed out of fear. Now, Roy Rosselló, a former member of Menudo, the boy band of the 1980s that became a global sensation, is coming forward with an allegation that he was sexually assaulted as a teenager by Jose Menendez. The series, “Menendez + Menudo: Boys Betrayed,” based on reporting by the journalists Robert Rand and Nery Ynclan, is largely focused on Mr. Rosselló. He describes an encounter with Mr. Menendez but also recounts separate incidents of sexual abuse that he says were inflicted on him by one of Menudo’s former managers when he sang as part of the group.

The state's 21-year age minimum, enacted as part of a 2003 gun control law, had been challenged in a 2021 lawsuit by three gun rights groups - Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus, Firearms Policy Coalition and Second Amendment Foundation - and three individuals. The plaintiffs argued in their lawsuit that the age minimum violated the Second Amendment because 18- to 20-year-olds were permitted to possess guns at the time of the United States' founding. Menendez wrote that she had "reservations" about the historical analysis demanded by the Supreme Court, noting that "judges are not historians." Circuit Court of Appeals recently upheld a 21-year age minimum for handgun purchases in Florida, based on 19th-century laws, but said those laws only concerned gun sales, not the right to carry guns. Reporting By Brendan Pierson in New York, Editing by Alexia Garamfalvi and Bill BerkrotOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

President Joe Biden has said he will sign the measure if it passes both the Senate and House and reaches his desk. Supporters of repeal also said it recognized that Iraq is no longer an adversary but has become a U.S. security partner. The resolution also would repeal the Gulf War AUMF approved in 1991 after Saddam's Iraq invaded Kuwait. The Iraq AUMFs have been labeled "zombie" authorizations because they never expire but their original purpose no longer applies. In 1971, Congress voted to repeal the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, which had provided authority for the Vietnam War.

[1/2] Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ), speaks during a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on the Fiscal Year 2023 Budget at the Capitol in Washington, U.S., April 26, 2022. The bill is led by Senator Bob Menendez, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Representative Gregory Meeks, the ranking Democrat on the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee. Under U.S. law, the chair and ranking member of the Foreign Relations and Foreign Affairs committees review major weapons transfers. They often take human rights into account and at times seek to delay or block planned sales. For example, Menendez opposes the sale of Lockheed Martin F-16 aircraft to Turkey for reasons including its record on human rights.

WASHINGTON, March 27 (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate voted overwhelmingly on Monday to advance legislation to repeal two decades-old authorizations for past wars in Iraq, as Congress pushed to reassert its role over deciding whether to send troops into combat. Under the Constitution, Congress, not the president, has the right to declare war. Proponents of the current bill call the 1991 and 2002 Authorizations for the Use of Military Force, or AUMFs, against Iraq "zombie" authorizations. They say they are outdated and inappropriate, given that the wars are long over and Iraq is now a U.S. partner. This month marked the 20th anniversary of the start of the 2003 Iraq war.

WASHINGTON, March 24 (Reuters) - Democratic and Republican U.S. senators urged the Biden administration on Friday to share information with the International Criminal Court that could assist as it pursues war crimes charges against Russian President Vladimir Putin. Last week, the court issued an arrest warrant for Putin, accusing him of the war crime of illegally deporting hundreds of children from Ukraine. The legal move will obligate the court's 123 member states to arrest Putin and transfer him to The Hague for trial if he sets foot on their territory. Although the United States is not a party to the ICC, Biden said last week that Putin has clearly committed war crimes, adding that the ICC warrant was justified. Reporting by Patricia Zengerle; Editing by Alex RichardsonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ US attorneys general condemn credit-card firms for backtracking on gun sale code
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

March 16 (Reuters) - A coalition of 14 attorneys general condemned payment networks majors including Visa Inc (V.N), American Express Co (AXP.N) and Mastercard Inc (MA.N) for pausing work on a merchant code to help detect suspicious gun sales in the United States. Visa, Mastercard and American Express did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment. Senators Bob Menendez and Elizabeth Warren have also called on federal regulators to help speed up the adoption of the MCC by payment networks. The MCC, aimed at identifying firearms sellers, would identify the type of store where consumers shopped, though not the individual items they bought. Reporting by Deborah Sophia in Bengaluru; Editing by Shinjini GanguliOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

WASHINGTON, March 15 (Reuters) - Forty of the 100 U.S. senators co-sponsored a resolution on Wednesday urging a strong U.S. government response to any Chinese efforts to clamp down on dissent in Hong Kong, including the use of sanctions and other tools. The resolution is non-binding, but is intended to convey a strong sense that lawmakers are closely watching events in China and will respond. China imposed a national security law on Hong Kong in 2020 outlawing acts including subversion with up to life in prison. The law has been criticized by some Western governments as a tool to crush dissent, but the Chinese and Hong Kong governments say it has restored stability to the city after protracted pro-democracy protests in 2019. Reporting by Patricia Zengerle; Editing by Stephen CoatesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ US would handle an extradition request for Brazil's Bolsonaro 'expeditiously' - official
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, March 15 (Reuters) - A senior U.S. official declined on Wednesday at a Senate hearing to comment on the status in the United States of former far-right Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, but said any such request from Brazil would be handled "expeditiously." Speaking at a Senate Foreign Relations Committee on the future of relations with Brazil, Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs Brian Nichols said: "We would handle any request from the Brazilian government expeditiously." Committee Chairman Robert Menendez said Bolsonaro "continues to spew disinformation about Brazil's election" from Florida. The United States is expected to join the multilateral Amazon Fund to help sustainability projects in the Amazon. Following Lula's visit to Washington, the U.S government plans to make an initial donation of $50 million to the fund.

☆ US Senators Menendez, Warren urge regulators to support new gun sale code
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( Ross Kerber | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Senators Bob Menendez and Elizabeth Warren on Wednesday called on federal regulators to issue guidance to speed the adoption of a new merchant category code (MCC) by payment networks to identify firearms sellers. The Republicans say the codes could be used to improperly track gun purchases. The letter noted reports that mass shooters had used credit or debit cards to buy the guns and ammunition they used. There are more than 40,000 U.S. gun deaths per year, and regulations around guns are again emerging as a major political issue. On Tuesday, U.S. President Joe Biden issued an executive order that reinforced background checks for gun buyers.

☆ Ayanna Pressley says it's not time for a student-debt relief backup plan yet, as a conservative-majority Supreme Court decides whether Biden's plan is legal
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Rep. Ayanna Pressley told Insider it's not the time for a backup plan on student-debt relief. The Supreme Court concluded oral arguments on the cases challenging Biden's debt relief on Tuesday. The Supreme Court needs to apply the letter of the law, and we need to get this done." Pressley was among a group of Democratic lawmakers who voiced support for student-debt relief outside the Supreme Court on Tuesday morning. "Even this far-right Supreme Court should be able to recognize that these claims against student debt relief are baseless and politically-motivated.

☆ Over 500 students are at the Supreme Court to plug Biden's student-loan forgiveness because the 'economic mobility of over 40 million Americans is dependent on the survival of this program'
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Over 500 students are flooding the Supreme Court on Tuesday to support student-debt relief. The Supreme Court will hear arguments and likely make a final decision on the relief in May or June. Today, over 500 students have gathered on the steps of the Supreme Court to fight back against any attempt to restrict such freedom. "Our government must relieve borrowers of the crushing weight of student debt which will keep an entire generation from reaching their full potential," he continued. All eyes now turn to the conservative-majority Supreme Court, which will likely make a final ruling on Biden's debt relief in May or June.

☆ A Senate hearing on drug trafficking shows how meaningless the world 'cartel' has become
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-26 | by ( Steven Dudley | Insight Crime | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

During a recent Senate hearing on fentanyl trafficking, lawmakers and officials used the word "cartel" 90 times. InSight Crime analysisA Sinaloa Cartel leadership chart from November 2015 with "El Chapo" Guzmán and two of his sons, Ivan Archivaldo and Jesus Alfredo. The Sinaloa Cartel, for instance, has at least three major poles of power, each of which is controlled by different leaders. Sinaloa cartel chief Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman arrives in New York after his extradition in January 2017. Milgram, for instance, pointed to the DEA's laser focus on the Sinaloa Cartel and the CJNG as the path to success.

☆ A growing group of lawmakers think TikTok is 'digital fentanyl' and want to ban it. Many others remain skeptical.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

Some members of Congress have begun pushing to ban TikTok in the US. "I'm a little less enthusiastic about an all-out ban of it," said Republican Sen. Kevin Cramer of North Dakota. "I'm an incrementalist on a lot of things, and I would be on this as well," said Republican Sen. Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming. Last week, the Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing on social media and the internet's impact on children. Democratic Sen. Mazie Hirono of Hawaii, another committee member, said she's most concerned about how social media platforms are impacting kids.

☆ Analysis: With record diversity on their boards, Fed bank chiefs see lower chances of policy error
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( Ann Saphir | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

Fed bank directors generally stay out of the limelight, but many U.S. central bankers view them as a critical resource. "I think the probabilities are far higher of achieving that gentle transition, that smoother transition," San Francisco Fed President Mary Daly told Reuters in an interview. This year, of the 108 spots on the 12 Fed bank boards, 44% are filled by women, and 41% by people of color, a review of the data shows. Still, a majority of the Fed's economists are white men, as are its top two monetary policymakers: Powell and New York Fed President John Williams. Hispanics and Latinos, Menendez notes, are a fast-growing segment of the population but are underrepresented at the Fed at all levels, including on Fed bank boards.

☆ U.S. weapons sales to get stricter human rights review under Biden
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( Patricia Zengerle | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

"We are looking at a policy of prevention when there is a risk of violation of human rights," one official said. Biden's administration was criticized last year for approving the potential sale of radars and aircraft to Egypt despite what Human Rights Watch called Egypt's "atrocious human rights record." Reuters reported in 2021 that the Biden administration was considering a CAT policy shift to emphasize human rights. For example, Senator Bob Menendez, Democratic chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, opposes the sale of Lockheed Martin F-16 aircraft to Turkey for reasons including disregard for human rights. He rolled out a CAT policy in 2018 that gave commercial concerns as much weight as human rights in deciding whether to approve weapons sales.

☆ Senators urge halt to Chinese carriers overflying Russia on U.S. flights
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Al Drago/Pool via REUTERS/File PhotoFeb 23 (Reuters) - The chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the committee's top Republican urged the Biden administration to halt Chinese airlines and other non-American carriers from flying over Russia on U.S. routes. U.S. airlines and other foreign carriers are barred from flying over Russia. Russia banned airlines from the United States from overflights after the U.S. barred Russia flights in March 2022 following its invasion of Ukraine. U.S. air carriers currently serve Shanghai from the United States through a stop in Incheon, South Korea, while Chinese carriers serve the United States directly, flying through Russian airspace. The senators want the Biden administration to prohibit U.S. government personnel on official travel from taking flights known to use Russian airspace.

That money was to be given in $2 billion annual installments of Foreign Military Financing, or FMF, grants over five years. Republicans accused Biden's administration of failing to advocate strongly enough for the Taiwan grants, given that his fellow Democrats controlled both the Senate and House last year. "Securing FMF funding is always a challenge given the tight budget constraints, even for priority partners like Taiwan," said Eric Lee of the Project 2049 Institute think tank. "I would prefer to see a revival of FMF grants, but with clear strings attached," said Michael Hunzeker, a Taiwan military expert at George Mason University. Grants to buy specific weapons could be made on condition of Taiwan showing further moves toward asymmetric defense, he said.

They are demanding steep spending cuts to tame the deficit at a time when the United States is pumping billions of dollars in military and other aid into Ukraine. For now, Republican leaders in Congress, who fiercely oppose Biden on most issues, support aid for Ukraine's defense, even calling for Washington to send more powerful weapons, more quickly. "Americans' support for Ukraine is reflected in strong bipartisan support Ukraine assistance has received in both houses of Congress," Watson said. A global Ipsos poll late last year found that majorities in NATO members including Canada, Great Britain, France, the Netherlands and Poland back continued military support to Ukraine. Only in Hungary and Italy did more oppose than support it, and those countries' leaders have fallen in line with European initiatives to support Ukraine.

☆ Exclusive: U.S. to vet human rights more closely before approving arms deals, officials say
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( Patricia Zengerle | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Defense companies and activists scrutinize such policies for insight into the administration's posture as it balances commercial interests of exporters like Lockheed Martin Co (LMT.N) and Raytheon Technologies (RTX.N) against the country's stated commitment to human rights. One change is how the CAT policy addresses the possibility that arms from the United States could be used for major human rights violations, the officials said. Previous CAT policy had said such transfers would not be authorized only when Washington had "actual knowledge" that the arms would be used in such actions. "We are looking at a policy of prevention when there is a risk of violation of human rights," one of the officials said. For example, Senator Bob Menendez, Democratic chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, opposes the sale of Lockheed Martin F-16 aircraft to Turkey for reasons including disregard for human rights.

☆ With eye on China, U.S. Democrats want more resources for Indo-Pacific
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( Patricia Zengerle | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

WASHINGTON, Feb 9(Reuters) - Washington must commit more diplomatic and security resources to the Indo-Pacific to push back against China as Beijing seeks to create a regional sphere of influence and become the world's most influential power, U.S. Senate Democrats said on Thursday. The committee's chairman, Senator Robert Menendez, is expected to discuss the report at a hearing on Thursday where senior diplomat Wendy Sherman will testify on China policy. The Senate report says that vision is "commendable," but gives recommendations as to how the U.S. government should sharpen the aims of the strategy and do more to ensure there are enough resources available to back up its efforts. The report said the Biden administration must significantly increase funding for diplomacy and development across the U.S. government and dedicate a larger portion of the Department of State operating budget and foreign assistance to the Indo-Pacific. Its recommendations include working closely with Congress, including providing a detailed list of its plans for implementing the Indo-Pacific Strategy and advancing economic integration with countries in the region, including prioritizing a meaningful trade program with Taiwan.

☆ U.S. says Russia violating New START nuclear arms control treaty
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( Humeyra Pamuk | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] Delegates from Russia attend the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty review conference in New York City, New York, U.S., August 1, 2022. REUTERS/David 'Dee' Delgado/File PhotoWASHINGTON, Jan 31 (Reuters) - The United States on Tuesday accused Russia of violating the New START Treaty, the last major pillar of post-Cold War nuclear arms control between the two countries, saying Moscow was refusing to allow inspection activities on its territory. The two countries, which during the Cold War were constrained by a tangle of arms control agreements, still account together for about 90% of the world's nuclear warheads. "The New START Treaty remains in the national security interests of the United States," the spokesperson said. Asked if Moscow could envisage there being no nuclear arms control treaty after 2026, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told the RIA state new agency: "This is quite a possible scenario."

☆ 3 dead, 1 missing as rain pounds New Zealand’s largest city
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-28 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

Authorities said Saturday that three people had died and at least one was missing after record levels of rainfall pounded New Zealand’s largest city, causing widespread disruption. He said the city was in for a big cleanup and that people should remain indoors if possible. On Friday evening, more than 15 centimeters (6 inches) of rain fell in just three hours in some places. Hundreds of people were stranded at Auckland Airport overnight after the airport stopped all flights and parts of the terminal were flooded. “It’s been a long and challenging night at Auckland Airport, we thank everyone for ongoing patience,” the airport wrote.

☆ 77 Democrats send a letter to Biden criticizing his border and immigration policies
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Julia-Ainsley-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | Julia Ainsley | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

A group of 77 Democratic lawmakers sent a letter to President Joe Biden on Wednesday criticizing his administration’s policies restricting asylum access for migrants crossing the southern border. At a press conference Thursday, Menendez said, “We recognize that the United States is experiencing a difficult migration challenge at the southern border. The Biden administration has said that its proposal is different because Miller did not allow for migrants to apply from their home countries to come to the U.S. legally. Biden has faced intense criticism over his border policies from both parties, with Republicans saying they are unwilling to negotiate on immigration legislation or more funding for border initiatives until the administration does more to secure the border. Customs and Border Protection encountered undocumented migrants more than 250,000 times in December, a record monthly high to end a record high year of border encounters.

The U.S. government’s system for labeling and tracking classified documents appears to be broken, with potentially serious consequences for the country’s national security, lawmakers, former officials and scholars said Tuesday. Democratic and Republican lawmakers said there was a “systemic failure” if both the Obama and Trump administrations could not keep track of classified documents after their tenures ended. I don’t know how anybody ends up with classified documents. “We clearly don’t have an effective management system to oversee where classified documents go and how they’re retrieved,” said Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah. Goitein and others said the recent discoveries of classified documents present a political opportunity for the White House, and possibly Congress, to at last tackle the problem.

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