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The San Francisco federal court had ruled in favor of Microsoft on Tuesday, saying the FTC had failed to show the deal would be illegal under antitrust law. "The FTC asks this Court to enjoin the merger at issue pending resolution of the FTC’s appeal to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. The FTC had said it was seeking a preliminary injunction to temporarily stop the deal until an internal FTC judge could assess it. It is rare for a merger fight to go to an appeals court. The agency settled with the companies before the appeals court made a decision.

Persons: We're, Brad Smith, Jacqueline Scott Corley, Corley, Diane Bartz, David Shepardson, Kanishka Singh, Tim Ahmann, Josie Kao, Jamie Freed Organizations: U.S . Federal Trade Commission, Microsoft, Activision, San, FTC, Ninth Circuit, Appeals, Nintendo, Britain's, Markets Authority, Foods, Oats, Thomson Locations: San Francisco, Britain, California

Still, any outstanding regulatory hurdle makes it more likely that the agreement between Microsoft and Activision will expire on July 18 without the deal having been completed. The FTC's court filing about the appeal gave no details, which will go before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals on the West Coast. The FTC may request a stay from the appeals court stopping the deal from closing. When U.S. antitrust agencies lose merger challenges in court, appeals are rare. The agency settled with the companies before the appeals court made a decision.

Persons: We’re, Brad Smith, Jacqueline Scott Corley, Corley, Diane Bartz, Diane Craft Organizations: U.S . Federal Trade Commission, Microsoft, Activision, Microsoft's, Ninth Circuit, FTC, Biden, Markets Authority, Japan's Nintendo, Foods, Oats, Thomson Locations: West Coast, San Francisco

WASHINGTON, July 13 (Reuters) - The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) asked a federal court on Thursday for a stay that would prevent Microsoft (MSFT.O) from closing its $69 billion purchase of "Call of Duty" maker Activision Blizzard (ATVI.O). A federal judge had ruled for Microsoft on Tuesday, saying the agency had failed to show the deal would be illegal under antitrust law. The FTC appealed that loss late on Wednesday, and Microsoft has said it would fight that appeal. In its motion, the FTC asked for an order that would prevent the deal from closing until after the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled on a separate stay request filed with that court.

Persons: Jacqueline Scott Corley, Diane Bartz, Tim Ahmann, Josie Kao Organizations: U.S . Federal Trade Commission, Microsoft, Activision, FTC, U.S, Circuit, Appeals, Britain's, Markets Authority, Thomson Locations: Britain, California

[1/2] The sun sets behind the U.S. Capitol dome in Washington, U.S., on midterm election day, November 6, 2018. It was not the first loss for the agency under Khan. In addition, an internal FTC judge ruled for Illumina's (ILMN.O) purchase of Grail (GRAL.O). Lawmakers are also expected to bring up the committee's requests for documents regarding the agency's review of billionaire Elon Musk's purchase of Twitter. Conservatives have accused social media companies, including Twitter before it was acquired by Musk, of seeking to stifle conservative voices.

Persons: James Lawler Duggan, Lina Khan, Jim Jordan, Trump, Black Knight, Amgen's, Elon Musk's, Diane Bartz, Matthew Lewis Organizations: U.S, Capitol, REUTERS, WASHINGTON, U.S . Federal Trade Commission, Republican, Committee, FTC, Microsoft, Activision, Khan, Facebook, Illumina's, Black, Horizon Therapeutics, Twitter, Musk, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, Washington

☆ Guatemala court suspends anti-graft presidential candidate's party
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( Sofia Menchu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

GUATEMALA CITY, July 12 (Reuters) - A court in Guatemala suspended the party of anti-graft presidential candidate Bernardo Arevalo, a prosecutor at the Attorney General's Office said on Wednesday, throwing into question his place in a second round run-off vote. "In no way will we obey a spurious and illegal decision like the one issued by that court." Shortly after, the electoral court confirmed the first-round results, which put Arevalo into a second round. "It's something that concerns us as a court, because we know that elections are won at the polls," Irma Palencia, head of the electoral court, said when asked about the suspension. This would certainly represent an astounding new low for Guatemala," said Donald J. Planty, a former U.S. ambassador to Guatemala, about the possible suspension.

Persons: Bernardo Arevalo, Attorney General's, Arevalo, Rafael Curruchiche, Sandra Torres, Irma Palencia, Brian A, Nichols, Guatemalans, Juan Jose Arevalo, Carlos Pineda, Will Freeman, Semilla, Critics, Alejandro Giammattei, Donald J, Sofia Menchu, Valentine Hilaire, David Alire, Adriana Barrera, Cassandra Garrison, Brendan O'Boyle, Stephen Eisenhammer, Lincoln, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: GUATEMALA CITY, Attorney, CNN, Twitter, U.S, Western Hemisphere Affairs, Central American, Council, Foreign Relations, Thomson Locations: GUATEMALA, Guatemala, Nicaragua, U.S

WASHINGTON, July 11 (Reuters) - A U.S. judge ruled on Tuesday that Microsoft may go forward with its planned acquisition of videogame maker Activision Blizzard, turning aside antitrust enforcers' request for a preliminary injunction to temporarily stop the $69 billion deal. The FTC had originally asked the judge to stop the proposed deal, arguing it would give Microsoft Corp (MSFT.O), maker of the Xbox gaming console, exclusive access to Activision (ATVI.O) games including the best-selling "Call of Duty." The deal would be the largest for Microsoft and the biggest in the history of the videogame business. The FTC's complaint had cited concerns about loss of competition in console gaming, as well as subscriptions and cloud gaming. And while much of the testimony in the recent trial focused on "Call of Duty," Activision produces other bestsellers like "World of Warcraft," "Diablo" and the mobile game "Candy Crush Saga."

Persons: Jacqueline Scott Corley, Douglas Farrar, we'll, Brad Smith, Bobby Kotick, Satya Nadella, Diane Bartz, Caitlin Webber Organizations: Microsoft, Activision, Britain's, Markets Authority, Federal Trade Commission, FTC, Microsoft Corp, Sony PlayStation, Nintendo, Sony Group, Activision Blizzard, PlayStation, Thomson Locations: U.S, San Francisco

Activision shares surged 10% on the day, as the U.S. and Britain have been the two countries opposed to what would be Microsoft's biggest deal ever and the largest transaction in the videogame industry's history. Microsoft shares rose 64 cents to $332.47. Microsoft logo is seen on a smartphone placed on displayed Activision Blizzard's games characters in this illustration taken January 18, 2022. "It does seem like the Microsoft and the CMA could work out a deal within the next couple of weeks," said D.A. The FTC's complaint had cited concerns about loss of competition in console gaming, as well as subscriptions and cloud gaming.

Persons: Jacqueline Scott Corley, ”, Joost Van Dreunen, University's, Corley, Douglas Farrar, we'll, Dado Ruvic, Biden, Brad Smith, Franco Granda, Satya Nadella, Diane Bartz, David Shepardson, Jaspreet Singh, Aditya Soni, Chris Sanders, Caitlin Webber, Matthew Lewis David Gregorio, Muralikumar Organizations: Activision, Microsoft, Biden, U.S, Markets Authority, University's Stern School of Business, U.S . Federal Trade Commission, Nintendo, Sony Group, FTC, Sony PlayStation, REUTERS, FOCUS Gaming, CMA, Davidson &, PlayStation, Thomson Locations: WASHINGTON, U.S, British, Britain, San Francisco, New, Washington, Bengaluru

☆ Insight: Catholic clergy report surveillance, beatings amid Nicaragua's crackdown
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-07 | by ( David Alire Garcia | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega's five-year campaign against the Catholic church has intensified since February, according to interviews with five priests inside and outside the country. This week's brief release of Nicaraguan Bishop Rolando Alvarez raised hopes for a turning point. The priests describe heavy surveillance of church services by police or civilian members of government-sponsored community councils, especially since Easter. His latest restrictions seem aimed at silencing priests, Erick Diaz, 33, a Nicaraguan priest in exile in Chicago, said. Nine church leaders inside and outside Nicaragua did not respond to interview requests for this story.

Persons: Daniel Ortega's, Nicaraguan Bishop Rolando Alvarez, Mexican Bishop Ramon Castro, Pope Francis, Nicaragua's, Ortega, Rosario Murillo, Bishop Alvarez, Alvarez, Cardinal Leopoldo Brenes, Brenes, Martha Patricia Molina, Molina, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Erick Diaz, David Alire Garcia, Philip Pullella, Ismael Lopez, Suzanne Goldenberg Organizations: MEXICO CITY, Sunday, Nicaraguan, Catholic, Vatican, Reuters, Organization of American, Thomson Locations: MEXICO, Nicaraguan, Managua, Nicaragua, Mexican, Eastern Europe, Matagalpa, Texas, Leon, Vatican, Chicago, Rome, San Jose

In its lawsuit filed in March aimed at stopping JetBlue's purchase of Spirit, the U.S. Justice Department (DOJ) cited as evidence JetBlue's alliance with American at airports in New York and Boston several times. Calling the partnership a "de facto merger," the DOJ argued that JetBlue's proposed purchase of Spirit, a Florida-based ultra-low cost carrier, would lead to further industry concentration. On Wednesday, JetBlue CEO Robin Hayes said ending the partnership with American has taken the DOJ's "misplaced" concerns off the table and would help when the Spirit case goes to trial in October. New York-based JetBlue, however, views the Spirit deal as a way to expand its domestic footprint amid persistent labor and aircraft shortages. American, Delta (DAL.N), United (UAL.O) and Southwest Airlines (LUV.N) control nearly 80% of the U.S. airline industry.

Persons: JetBlue's, Robin Hayes, Eleanor Fox, Fox, William Kovacic, James Speta, Speta, Rajesh Kumar Singh, Diane Bartz, David Shepardson, Richard Chang Organizations: JetBlue Airways, American Airlines, Spirit Airlines, U.S . Justice Department, DOJ, Wednesday, JetBlue, American, New York University School of Law, Spirit, Former Federal Trade, George Washington University, Virgin America, Alaska Air Group, LaGuardia, Frontier Group Holdings, Northwestern University, Northeast Alliance, Southwest Airlines, U.S, Thomson Locations: CHICAGO, WASHINGTON, American, New York, Boston, Florida, Boston . New York, New, U.S, Chicago, Washington

JetBlue said it had informed American last week of its decision to terminate the three-year-old alliance, which allowed the two carriers to coordinate flights and pool revenue. The "Northeast Alliance" with JetBlue helped American compete in the New York market, where it had been losing money. On May 19, U.S. District Judge Leo Sorokin in Boston ordered JetBlue and American to end the partnership, saying it "substantially" diminished competition in the domestic market. JetBlue said its decision to unwind the alliance would not result in any immediate changes for customers. But without the alliance, Hayes said JetBlue would likely need fewer employees in New York and Boston.

Persons: judge's, U.S . Justice Department's, Robin Hayes, Andre Barlow, Doyle, Barlow, Mazard PLLC, Leo Sorokin, Hayes, Rajesh Kumar Singh, David Shepardson Diane Bartz, Will Dunham, David Gregorio, Jamie Freed Organizations: JetBlue Airways, Spirit Airlines, American Airlines, The, JetBlue, American, U.S, U.S ., US Airways, DOJ, ALLIANCE, District, Northeast Alliance, furloughs, Thomson Locations: U.S, The New York, American, New York, Boston, Chicago, Washington

☆ Nicaraguan Catholic Bishop Alvarez freed, talks going on - source
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

July 4 (Reuters) - Nicaraguan Catholic Bishop Rolando Alvarez was released from prison late on Monday, a diplomatic source said, marking a possible turning point in the government's prolonged crackdown on the Catholic Church. The diplomatic source said on Tuesday that negotiations between the government and the country's Catholic bishops were going on over Alvarez's future, and the prelate was at the Catholic episcopal compound in the capital. The source, who declined to be identified, added that talks included the possibility that the bishop might be expelled from the Central American country or otherwise sent into exile. If the bishop refused to leave the country, he could be returned to prison, the source said. Earlier in the day, the news outlet Confidencial reported that Alvarez had been released on Monday night, citing church and diplomatic sources.

Persons: Nicaraguan Catholic Bishop Rolando Alvarez, Alvarez, Daniel Ortega, Pope Francis, Ortega's, Ismael Lopez, David Alire Garcia, Robert Birsel Organizations: Nicaraguan Catholic, Catholic Church, Central American, Thomson Locations: Nicaraguan, Matagalpa, United States

☆ Number of Migrants Crossing U.S. Southern Border Is Down. But for How Long?
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-03 | by ( Eileen Sullivan | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

New options to come to the United States mean fewer illegal crossings. In central and northern Mexico, migrants can gain access to a government app on smartphones, where they can apply for an appointment at an official port of entry at the U.S. border. In April, the Biden administration announced that migrants from El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras would be eligible for a family reunification program. The measures Mexico has taken include limiting migrants’ abilities to travel throughout the country, making it harder for them to reach the U.S. border. Mexico is also flying migrants whom the United States has recently deported to southern parts of the country.

Persons: Biden, ” Benjamine Huffman Organizations: Central, Customs, Border Protection Locations: United States, Mexico, U.S, Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, Venezuela, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico’s, Colombia

The deal had been announced in January 2022 and the FTC sued to stop it in December last year. Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley in San Francisco pressed FTC lawyers on where their economist got the data to show the deal would harm consumers. The FTC has said that if Microsoft bought Activision, Microsoft would have the incentive and the ability to harm competition in markets related to consoles, subscription game services and cloud gaming. "The harm here is we think is substantial in locking up Activision content," said FTC lawyer James Weingarten. To address the FTC concerns, Microsoft has agreed to license "Call of Duty" to rivals.

Persons: Microsoft Corporation Satya Nadella, Read, Microsoft's, Jacqueline Scott Corley, James Weingarten, Corley, Microsoft's Beth Wilkinson, it's, Satya Nadella, Nadella, Biden, Diane Bartz, Lincoln Organizations: Microsoft Corporation, . Federal Trade Commission, Microsoft, Activision Blizzard, U.S . Federal Trade, Activision, Federal Trade Commission, Nintendo, Sony Group, FTC, PlayStation, Thomson Locations: California, Downtown San Francisco , California, U.S, WASHINGTON, San Francisco, British, Canada

☆ Heat dome, explained
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-26 | by ( Jennifer Gray | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Summer is notorious for producing punishing heat waves, often referred to as heat domes. Most heat records are set within a heat dome. Sanjeev Verma/Hindustan Times/Getty Images• Chicago, 1995: More than 700 people died in the metro area as a heat dome settled over the Midwest. This new all-time high temperature broke the record set two days earlier at 113 during an unusually strong heat dome for the month of June. • Siberia set dozens of records in June as temperatures climbed above 100 degrees during a heat dome that formed especially far north.

Persons: Sanjeev Verma, Ian Waldie, Del, •, Tuong Duong, Maximiliano Herrera Organizations: CNN, Hospital, Hindustan Times, Environment, Central America, Nature Communications, • Shanghai Locations: Europe, France, • India, Delhi, New Delhi, India, Chicago, Afghanistan, Papua New Guinea, Central, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Trafalgar, London, South Texas, Del Rio, Vietnam’s, Tuong, Thailand, Bangkok, Siberia

☆ Guatemala will vote for new president but critics say many anti-corruption candidates were weeded out
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-24 | by ( Tara John | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

One of the expelled candidates, the rightwing Roberto Arzú, was a vocal critic of President Alejandro Giammattei. Employees of the Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE) arrange ahead of the general elections in Guatemala City on June 20, 2023. Johan Ordonez/AFP/Getty ImagesIt’s not the first time that Guatemala’s electoral tribunal eliminates presidential hopefuls, but this year’s cycle is happening in rapidly shrinking civic space. Failing battle against corruptionRights groups say graft and impunity accelerated in the country after former President Jimmy Morales dissolved a United Nations-backed anti-corruption commission in 2019. The candidatesThe US and Western allies have raised concerns about the exclusion of presidential candidates in Guatemala.

Persons: CNN —, Sandra Torres, Thelma Cabrera, Carlos Pineda –, ” Will Freeman, Roberto Arzú, Alejandro Giammattei, Cabrera, Pineda, Tik Tok, ”, Johan Ordonez, we’ve, Caren, Jimmy Morales, Consuelo Porras Argueta, Antony Blinken, José Rubén Zamora, Moises Castillo, Porras, –, Kevin López, Giammattei, Freeman, Biden, “, ” Freeman, Western Hemisphere Affairs Brian Nichols, Guatemalans, Maria Consuelo Porras, Mulet, Carin, Edmont, Ríos, Torres, Rios, El, Nayib Bukele, Álvaro Colom, Colom, Efraín Ríos Montt, CICIG Organizations: CNN, Council, Foreign Relations, Twitter, “ Corruption, Constitutional, ” CNN, Getty, Americas Society, United, International Commission, Washington Office, Guatemala Human Rights, USA, Prosecutors, US, State, José Rubén Zamora –, . Press, Patrol, Western Hemisphere Affairs, Public Ministry, United Nations, Agence, France Presse, Analysts Locations: Central America’s, Guatemala, America, Guatemala City, Americas, United Nations, Guatemalan, Central America, American, Washington, United States, Haiti, Nicaragua, France

☆ The 20 best countries for women—the U.S. isn’t one of them
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-23 | by ( Morgan Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

No country has yet achieved full equality between men and women — but some countries are doing a better job of closing the gender gap than others. The Global Gender Gap Report, now in its 17th year, compares countries' gender gaps across four dimensions: economic opportunities; educational attainment; health and survival; and political empowerment. Nordic countries, such as Finland and Iceland, have been exemplary in this regard, having elected several female heads of government. There are a number of reasons why Europe has been more successful in closing the gender gap than the U.S., says Zahidi. One reason is that European countries have invested more in care infrastructure, offering affordable child care, paid parental leave and universal health care.

Persons: Saadia Zahidi, Joe Biden's, Noreen Farrell, Zahidi, Roe, Wade, Farrell Organizations: Economic, Iceland Norway Finland New Zealand, Iceland Norway Finland New Zealand Sweden Germany Nicaragua Namibia Lithuania Belgium Ireland Rwanda, Iceland Norway Finland New Zealand Sweden Germany Nicaragua Namibia Lithuania Belgium Ireland Rwanda Latvia Costa Rica United, Iceland Norway Finland New Zealand Sweden Germany Nicaragua Namibia Lithuania Belgium Ireland Rwanda Latvia Costa Rica United Kingdom Philippines Albania Spain The Republic of Moldova South, WEF, Yale Locations: Iceland, Norway, Finland, New Zealand, Sweden, Iceland Norway Finland, Iceland Norway Finland New Zealand Sweden Germany Nicaragua Namibia Lithuania Belgium Ireland, Iceland Norway Finland New Zealand Sweden Germany Nicaragua Namibia Lithuania Belgium Ireland Rwanda Latvia Costa, Iceland Norway Finland New Zealand Sweden Germany Nicaragua Namibia Lithuania Belgium Ireland Rwanda Latvia Costa Rica United Kingdom Philippines Albania Spain The Republic of Moldova, Iceland Norway Finland New Zealand Sweden Germany Nicaragua Namibia Lithuania Belgium Ireland Rwanda Latvia Costa Rica United Kingdom Philippines Albania Spain The Republic of Moldova South Africa, U.S, Europe, North America

☆ Brazil's Lula will ask Nicaragua's Ortega to release jailed bishop
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

ROME, June 22 (Reuters) - Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said on Thursday he would personally lobby Nicaragua's Daniel Ortega to release a bishop who has been imprisoned in the Central American state. Speaking to reporters a day after meeting Pope Francis, Lula said the Nicaraguan president should have "the courage" to recognize that a mistake had been made. "I intend to speak with Daniel Ortega about this to release the bishop. There is no reason for the bishop to be prevented from exercising his function in the Church," Lula said. "The only thing the Church wants is for Nicaragua to free them," Lula said, referring to Alvarez and a number of detained priests.

Persons: Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Nicaragua's Daniel Ortega, Pope Francis, Lula, Bishop Rolando Alvarez, Ortega, Daniel Ortega, Francis, Alvarez, Alvazez, Philip Pulella, Catarina Demony, Federico Maccioni, Crispian Balmer Organizations: Central, Roman Catholic Church, Thomson Locations: Central American, Nicaraguan, Nicaragua, Latin America, Brazil, United States

☆ Global gender gap could take 131 years to close after a generation of progress was lost to Covid, WEF says
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-21 | by ( Karen Gilchrist | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

At the current rate, it will take 131 years to close the global gender gap, according to the World Economic Forum. Sopa Images | Lightrocket | Getty ImagesIt could now take 131 years to close the global gender gap after an "entire generation" of progress was lost to Covid-19, according to the World Economic Forum. European countries lead on gender equalityThe Global Gender Gap Report, now in its 17th year, benchmarks gender-based gaps in fours areas: economic participation and opportunity; educational attainment; health and survival; and political empowerment. While no country has yet achieved full gender parity, the top nine ranking countries have closed at least 80% of their gap. watch nowOn a regional level, Europe has the highest gender parity at 76.3%, overtaking North America, where 75% of the gap is closed.

Persons: WEF, Saadia Zahidi, Zahidi, CNBC's Joumanna, there's Organizations: Economic, U.S, Pacific, Getty Locations: Iceland, Norway, Finland, New Zealand, Sweden, Germany, Nicaragua, Namibia, Lithuania, Belgium, Europe, North America, United States, Latin America, Caribbean, Eurasia, Central Asia, East Asia, Saharan Africa, Southern Asia, East, North Africa

☆ It could take 131 years for the world to close the gender gap, report shows
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-20 | by ( Alicia Wallace | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Minneapolis CNN —Progress on achieving global gender equality is languishing. A new report from the World Economic Forum estimates that women won’t attain parity with men for another 131 years. The overall gender gap — a measurement of equality across the realms of the economy, politics, health and education — closed by a mere 0.3% as compared to last year, according to the WEF’s “Global Gender Gap Report 2023,” released Wednesday. “Today, some parts of the world are seeing partial recoveries while others are experiencing deteriorations as new crises unfold.”The WEF’s Gender Gap Index measures gender parity in 146 countries and across four areas: economic participation and opportunity, educational attainment, health and survival and political empowerment. “Accelerating progress towards gender parity will not only improve outcomes for women and girls but benefit economies and societies more widely, reviving growth, boosting innovation and increasing resilience,” Zahidi wrote.

Persons: ”, Saadia Zahidi, ” Zahidi, “ Organizations: Minneapolis CNN, “, United Locations: Minneapolis, Iceland, Norway, Finland, New Zealand, Sweden, Germany, Nicaragua, Namibia, Lithuania, United States

☆ See How the G.O.P. Has Reacted to the Trump Indictment
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-16 | by ( Karen Yourish | Charlie Smart | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +10 min

Less conservative HOUSE MORE conservative Kevin Calvert Calif. 41st George Santos N.Y. 3rd Less conservative SENATE MORE conservative Roger Wicker Miss. Less conservative HOUSE MORE conservative Kevin Calvert Calif. 41st George Santos N.Y. 3rd Less conservative SENATE MORE conservative Roger Wicker Miss. Less conservative HOUSE MORE conservative Paul Gosar Ariz. 9th Less conservative SENATE MORE conservative Josh Hawley Mo. Less conservative HOUSE MORE conservative Paul Gosar Ariz. 9th Less conservative SENATE MORE conservative Josh Hawley Mo. SEN. HOUSE MORE conservative Less conservative HOUSE MORE conservative Less conservative SENATE MORE conservative Less conservative HOUSE MORE conservative Less conservative SENATE MORE conservative Less conservative HOUSE MORE conservative Less conservative SENATE MORE conservative SEN. HOUSE MORE conservative According to an analysis by The New York Times, a small number of Republicans have made statements about the indictment that did not immediately dismiss the investigation.

Persons: Donald J, Biden, Trump, Brian Fitzpatrick Pa, Ken Buck Colo, Romney, Romney Utah SEN, Doug LaMalfa Calif, Mike Kelly Pa, Ted Budd N.C, Kevin Calvert Calif, George Santos N.Y, Roger Wicker Miss, SEN, Lauren Boebert Colo, Tom Emmer Minn, Ted Cruz Texas, Ted Cruz Texas SEN, HOUSE Lauren Boebert Colo, Byron Donalds, Eli Crane Ariz ., Ron Johnson Wis, HOUSE, HOUSE Byron Donalds, Paul Gosar Ariz, Josh Hawley Mo, “, ”, Don Bacon of Nebraska, Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden, Kevin McCarthy, —, Daniel Webster, Donald Trump, Steve Scalise, Diana Harshbarger, Mike Lee, Jack Smith, General Merrick Garland, Garland, Biden’s, Hunter, Trump’s Organizations: Senate, MORE, SEN, HOUSE Byron, The New York Times, ”, Justice Department, Biden’s Department of Justice, DOJ, Twitter, The, Department, White Locations: United States, Ken Buck Colo ., Romney Utah, Byron Donalds Fla, SEN, HOUSE Byron Donalds Fla, Florida, Tennessee, Venezuela, Bolivia, Nicaragua, America, Utah

☆ Cuba, Iran presidents meet in Havana, vow to confront 'Yankee imperialism'
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-15 | by ( Nelson Acosta | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

HAVANA, June 15 (Reuters) - Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi met with Cuban counterpart Miguel Diaz-Canel on Thursday, his last stop on a three-nation Latin American tour aimed at shoring up support among Latin American allies saddled, like Iran, by U.S. sanctions. Raisi told reporters at a trade forum in Havana early on Thursday that Cuba and Iran would seek opportunities to work together in electricity generation, biotechnology, and mining, among other areas. "The conditions and circumstances in which Cuba and Iran find themselves today have many things in common," Raisi said in a conversation with Cuban president Miguel Diaz-Canel. Prior to arriving in Cuba, the Iranian president also met with Nicaragua´s Daniel Ortega in the Central American country. Raisi called his visit with Iran´s key Latin American allies a "turning point" in relations.

Persons: Ebrahim Raisi, Miguel Diaz, Canel, Raisi, Nicaragua ´, Daniel Ortega, Diaz, John Kirby, Kirby, We’re, Hurricane Ian, Fidel Castro ´, Donald Trump, Nelson Acosta, Dave Sherwood, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: Cuban, U.S, Central American, Yankee, White House, Communist, Thomson Locations: HAVANA, Iran, Havana, Cuba, Venezuela, Nicaragua, America, Iranian, Russia, China, Hurricane

☆ Venezuelan asylum seekers tripled in 2022, UN agency says
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

June 14 (Reuters) - Venezuelans seeking asylum abroad nearly tripled in 2022, according to the United Nations refugee agency, which found that more than two in five new asylum applicants globally last year came from Latin America and the Caribbean. Cuba, also hit by U.S. trade sanctions and fuel shortages, recorded the second highest asylum figure at 194,700, a six-fold increase on 2021. Asylum seekers primarily stayed within the region, particularly in neighboring countries, the UNHCR found, with the United States, Costa Rica and Mexico receiving the most requests. While 2022 saw countries process asylum requests faster than previous years, the UNHCR said that backlogs keep growing due to "the sheer volume of new applications." The administration of U.S. President Joe Biden has urged migrants to use legal pathways to enter the United States, including using a mobile app called CBP One to schedule appointments to request asylum.

Persons: Joe Biden, Sarah Morland, Raul Cortes, Grant McCool Organizations: United Nations, Refugees, UNHCR, U.S, Thomson Locations: America, Caribbean, Venezuelan, Americas, Cuba, Nicaragua, Colombia, Honduras, Haiti, UNHCR, United States, Costa Rica, Mexico, Mexico City

CNN —An “unprecedented drought” is affecting the Panama Canal’s water supply and leading authorities to impose surcharges and weight limits on ships traversing the key global trade route, according to the Panama Canal Authority. Ships move through the Panama Canal through a lock system, which uses water from several freshwater reservoirs to float the massive cargo vessels overland. But Panama is currently gripped by drought, and water levels at least one of those reservoirs – Gatun Lake – are dropping. But the start of El Niño “could worsen” conditions, the Panama Canal authority also warned. Regional neighbors have sought opportunities to compete with the lucrative Panama Canal.

Persons: El Niño, El, Cape Horn Organizations: CNN, Panama Canal Authority, Ships, Panama City, Panamanian National Government, El, Pacific, United Locations: Panama, Central America, El, South America, Cape, Asia, United States, Panamanian, Panama Canal, Nicaragua, Mexico, Pacific, Gulf of Mexico

WASHINGTON, June 13 (Reuters) - The United States will extend deportation relief and work permits through 2025 for more than 300,000 immigrants from El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua and Nepal but will not expand the program to cover additional people, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said on Tuesday. Biden's Democratic administration is rescinding Trump's earlier decisions as part of the process of extending the relief for immigrants from El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua and Nepal. The latest decision by the Biden administration will allow TPS renewals for 239,000 Salvadorans who have resided in the U.S. since 2001. Hundreds of thousands of immigrants from El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua living in the U.S. illegally will not be covered by the TPS extension since they arrived after the cutoff dates. Reporting by Ted Hesson in Washington; Editing by Mica Rosenberg, Aurora Ellis, Alexandra HudsonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Joe Biden's, Donald Trump, rescinding, Alejandro Mayorkas, Biden, Eric Adams, Ted Hesson, Mica Rosenberg, Aurora Ellis, Alexandra Hudson Organizations: U.S . Department of Homeland Security, TPS, Democratic, New York City, Alexandra Hudson Our, Thomson Locations: United States, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Nepal, U.S, Mexico, Washington

☆ DeSantis breaks silence on migrant flights that landed on Newsom's turf, boasting that the program was 'very effective'
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-07 | by ( Kimberly Leonard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

DeSantis on Wednesday defended a Florida program that relocates migrants to blue states. Until Wednesday, DeSantis hadn't commented publicly about the flights that landed in Sacramento, first on Friday and then again on Monday. "I think it's also been every effective," DeSantis said about the relocation program at the start of the roundtable. DeSantis also defended the use of a $12 million fund in Florida to pay for the relocation program. Under DeSantis, Florida sent more than 1,100 members of its national guard to Texas.

Persons: DeSantis, —, Ron DeSantis, DeSantis hadn't, Biden, Gavin Newsom, Joe Biden's, Trump, Scott Eisen, Ray Chavez, it's Organizations: Service, Gov, Florida Division, Emergency Management, US Customs, Border Patrol, Republican Gov, Democratic Gov, MediaNews, Mercury, Getty, GOP, Arizona, Biden, Republican Locations: Florida, Texas, California, Sierra Vista , Arizona, Sacramento, Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, Venezuela, Mexico, DeSantis, Vineyard , Massachusetts, DeSantis , Florida, Arizona

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