Jury awards Illinois woman $363M in suit over plant's gas
CHICAGO (AP) — A jury has awarded $363 million to a woman who alleged that a now-shuttered suburban Chicago plant that sterilized medical equipment exposed residents to a toxic industrial gas and gave her breast cancer.
After a five-week trial, the Cook County jurors on Monday awarded Sue Kamuda $38 million in compensatory damages for the past and future loss of a normal life, emotional distress, disfigurement and shortened life expectancy, and $325 million in punitive damages.
Kamuda, 70, developed breast cancer in 2007 despite having no predisposition to it, her lawyers said. She is the first of more than 700 people seeking damages from Oak Brook, Illinois-based Sterigenics to go to trial over health claims over the plant’s releases of ethylene oxide gas.
Those lawsuits have been filed against Sterigenics since 2018, when the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency published research showing people living near the plant in the DuPage County village of Willowbrook faced some of the nation’s highest cancer risks from toxic air pollution.
Sterigenics, the former plant's most recent owner, was ordered to pay Kamuda $220 million in punitive damages; parent company Sotera Health was directed to pay $100 million and Griffith Foods, the current name of the plant’s original owner, $5 million.
Monday’s verdict exceeded the $346 million Kamuda’s lawyers sought in closing arguments last Thursday against Sterigenics.
“It was such a relief,” Kamuda said of the verdict. The retired school administrator told reporters one of her sons has been diagnosed with cancer and has filed his own lawsuit against the company.
Lawyers for the companies argued that Kamuda’s attorneys offered no proof that her breast cancer was caused by exposure to ethylene oxide, an odorless gas pumped into fumigation chambers inside the sterilization plant and then released into surrounding neighborhoods.
The companies also brought in industry-connected scientists who tried to persuade jurors the plant never posed a danger to its neighbors, the Chicago Sun-Times reported.
Emails and documents presented during the trial showed the companies knew long ago that ethylene oxide is extremely dangerous, but delayed installing pollution-control equipment. The documents also showed the companies attempted to undermine federal regulations that would require costly improvements at sterilization facilities, the Chicago Tribune reported.
The plant had been releasing ethylene oxide from 1985 until it was temporarily shut down by the state in 2019 after authorities detected the gas nearby. Amid public pressure, Sterigenics closed the plant permanently later that year.
Patrick Salvi Jr., one of Kamuda’s attorneys, said Monday's verdict likely will affect rulings in other lawsuits.
“We think this ought to set the tone. There’s a lot of victims out there," he said.
Sterigenics and Sotera said in a statement they might appeal the verdict, saying it does not reflect the evidence presented in court.
“We will continue to vigorously defend against allegations about our ethylene oxide operations and emissions,” the companies said.
“As we have consistently done throughout our history, we will continue to operate in compliance with applicable rules and regulations to ensure the safety of our employees, the communities in which we operate and patients around the world.”
Griffith Foods, an Alsip, Illinois company, said the lawsuit was a “case of overreach” by the plaintiff’s lawyers. The company said it hasn’t been connected to Sterigenics in over 20 years.
Wednesday, September 21, 2022
Detroit sues Census in 2nd fight over population counts
DETROIT (AP) — Detroit sued the U.S. Census Bureau on Tuesday over population estimates from last year that show it lost an additional 7,100 residents, opening another front against the agency in a battle over how the city's people have been counted in the past two years.
Mayor Mike Duggan told reporters that the city wants the Census Bureau to reveal how it produced its population loss estimates for Detroit. Duggan claimed the bureau was going against its own policy by refusing to divulge to Detroit the way the estimates for the city were calculated and not allowing challenges this year.
The lawsuit appears to be the first litigation to challenge population results since the release of 2020 census data, which traditionally has formed the foundation of the annual population estimates.
The Census Bureau’s refusal this year to consider evidence that the 2021 population estimates were wrong perpetuates racial inequality and threatens the city’s reputation, Detroit said in its lawsuit.
“The Bureau’s failure to consider evidence of its inaccurate 2021 estimate costs the City and its residents millions of dollars of funding to which they are entitled while threatening the City’s historic turnaround by advancing the narrative that Detroit is losing population,” the lawsuit said.
The Census Bureau said in an emailed statement that it doesn't comment on litigation.
The bureau two years ago temporarily suspended its program allowing local governments to challenge their population estimates so more resources could be devoted to the execution of the once-a-decade census. The program isn't expected to resume until next year.
Detroit's lawsuit follows the city's appeal of the 2020 census data that showed Detroit with 639,111 residents, while estimates from 2019 put the city’s population at 670,052 residents.
Undercounts from the census and population estimates could cost Detroit tens of millions of dollars in federal funding over the next decade. Over the past decade or so, the city has received around $3.5 billion in annual federal funding tied to census figures.
“We have absolutely no idea what formula they could have possibly used," Duggan said Tuesday. “We don’t know what formula they used because they won’t tell us."
Duggan said 14 new apartment buildings opened in Detroit last year. DTE Energy has said 7,544 new utility accounts have been added, while the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department said new service has been added to 6,964 housing units, he added.
The U.S. Postal Service also has said it is delivering mail to 4,475 more residences in the city, according to Duggan.
“It's now clear the data coming out of the U.S. Census Bureau is completely divorced from reality,” he said. “We're drawing a line in the sand, and we're going to try to force accuracy out of these guys one way or the other. ”
“I think what the formula would show — it would show the error in their calculations, but if we get a formula that turns out they're right, we’ll admit they're right,” Duggan added.
Because of delays in releasing the 2020 census numbers, the Census Bureau broke with tradition and didn’t rely only on census figures for creating the foundation of its 2021 estimates of the U.S. population. Instead, statisticians “blended” the 2020 census numbers with other data sets to form the base of the annual population estimates used to help distribute $1.5 trillion in federal funding each year and measure annual population change through 2030.
Detroit is among several large cities to file a challenge of their figures from the 2020 census, following a national head count in which the Census Bureau acknowledged that a higher percentage of African Americans and Hispanics were undercounted than the previous decade. About 77% of Detroit's residents are African American, and Hispanics make up almost 8% of the population.
Leaders of Michigan’s largest city had questioned the results of the 2020 census since December 2021, when they released a report suggesting that more than 8% of the occupied homes in 10 Detroit neighborhoods may have been undercounted.
Duggan has said in a letter to the Census Bureau that insufficient resources and not enough census takers were devoted to the count in Detroit, resulting in an undercount of unoccupied homes that could amount to tens of thousands of residents being overlooked.
____
Schneider reported from Orlando, Florida.
Corey Williams And Mike Schneider, The Associated Press
DETROIT (AP) — Detroit sued the U.S. Census Bureau on Tuesday over population estimates from last year that show it lost an additional 7,100 residents, opening another front against the agency in a battle over how the city's people have been counted in the past two years.
Mayor Mike Duggan told reporters that the city wants the Census Bureau to reveal how it produced its population loss estimates for Detroit. Duggan claimed the bureau was going against its own policy by refusing to divulge to Detroit the way the estimates for the city were calculated and not allowing challenges this year.
The lawsuit appears to be the first litigation to challenge population results since the release of 2020 census data, which traditionally has formed the foundation of the annual population estimates.
The Census Bureau’s refusal this year to consider evidence that the 2021 population estimates were wrong perpetuates racial inequality and threatens the city’s reputation, Detroit said in its lawsuit.
“The Bureau’s failure to consider evidence of its inaccurate 2021 estimate costs the City and its residents millions of dollars of funding to which they are entitled while threatening the City’s historic turnaround by advancing the narrative that Detroit is losing population,” the lawsuit said.
The Census Bureau said in an emailed statement that it doesn't comment on litigation.
The bureau two years ago temporarily suspended its program allowing local governments to challenge their population estimates so more resources could be devoted to the execution of the once-a-decade census. The program isn't expected to resume until next year.
Detroit's lawsuit follows the city's appeal of the 2020 census data that showed Detroit with 639,111 residents, while estimates from 2019 put the city’s population at 670,052 residents.
Undercounts from the census and population estimates could cost Detroit tens of millions of dollars in federal funding over the next decade. Over the past decade or so, the city has received around $3.5 billion in annual federal funding tied to census figures.
“We have absolutely no idea what formula they could have possibly used," Duggan said Tuesday. “We don’t know what formula they used because they won’t tell us."
Duggan said 14 new apartment buildings opened in Detroit last year. DTE Energy has said 7,544 new utility accounts have been added, while the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department said new service has been added to 6,964 housing units, he added.
The U.S. Postal Service also has said it is delivering mail to 4,475 more residences in the city, according to Duggan.
“It's now clear the data coming out of the U.S. Census Bureau is completely divorced from reality,” he said. “We're drawing a line in the sand, and we're going to try to force accuracy out of these guys one way or the other. ”
“I think what the formula would show — it would show the error in their calculations, but if we get a formula that turns out they're right, we’ll admit they're right,” Duggan added.
Because of delays in releasing the 2020 census numbers, the Census Bureau broke with tradition and didn’t rely only on census figures for creating the foundation of its 2021 estimates of the U.S. population. Instead, statisticians “blended” the 2020 census numbers with other data sets to form the base of the annual population estimates used to help distribute $1.5 trillion in federal funding each year and measure annual population change through 2030.
Detroit is among several large cities to file a challenge of their figures from the 2020 census, following a national head count in which the Census Bureau acknowledged that a higher percentage of African Americans and Hispanics were undercounted than the previous decade. About 77% of Detroit's residents are African American, and Hispanics make up almost 8% of the population.
Leaders of Michigan’s largest city had questioned the results of the 2020 census since December 2021, when they released a report suggesting that more than 8% of the occupied homes in 10 Detroit neighborhoods may have been undercounted.
Duggan has said in a letter to the Census Bureau that insufficient resources and not enough census takers were devoted to the count in Detroit, resulting in an undercount of unoccupied homes that could amount to tens of thousands of residents being overlooked.
____
Schneider reported from Orlando, Florida.
Corey Williams And Mike Schneider, The Associated Press
American Airlines says data breach affected some customers, employees
(Reuters) -American Airlines Inc on Tuesday confirmed a data breach and said while an "unauthorized actor" gained access to personal information of a small number of customers and employees through a phishing campaign, there was no evidence of data misuse. Shares of the carrier, the latest U.S. company to suffer a cyber attack, fell 2.6% in afternoon trade. Recently, Uber Technologies Inc and Take-Two Interactive Software Inc also disclosed similar breaches, leaving investors and customers worried about data security.
"We are also currently implementing additional technical safeguards to prevent a similar incident from occurring in the future," the airline said on Tuesday. It discovered the breach in July and engaged a third party cybersecurity forensic firm to conduct an investigation to determine the nature and the scope of the incident, according to a Sept. 16 consumer notification letter. American Airlines has notified customers that personal information such as address, phone number, driver's license number, passport number and/or certain medical information may have been accessed by the hacker, the letter showed. "We regret that this incident occurred and take the security of your personal information very seriously," Chief Privacy and Data Protection Officer Russell Hubbard said in the letter.
(Reporting by Nathan Gomes in Bengaluru; Additional reporting by Rajesh Kumar Singh in Chicago; Editing by Anil D'Silva and Shinjini Ganguli)
(Reuters) -American Airlines Inc on Tuesday confirmed a data breach and said while an "unauthorized actor" gained access to personal information of a small number of customers and employees through a phishing campaign, there was no evidence of data misuse. Shares of the carrier, the latest U.S. company to suffer a cyber attack, fell 2.6% in afternoon trade. Recently, Uber Technologies Inc and Take-Two Interactive Software Inc also disclosed similar breaches, leaving investors and customers worried about data security.
"We are also currently implementing additional technical safeguards to prevent a similar incident from occurring in the future," the airline said on Tuesday. It discovered the breach in July and engaged a third party cybersecurity forensic firm to conduct an investigation to determine the nature and the scope of the incident, according to a Sept. 16 consumer notification letter. American Airlines has notified customers that personal information such as address, phone number, driver's license number, passport number and/or certain medical information may have been accessed by the hacker, the letter showed. "We regret that this incident occurred and take the security of your personal information very seriously," Chief Privacy and Data Protection Officer Russell Hubbard said in the letter.
(Reporting by Nathan Gomes in Bengaluru; Additional reporting by Rajesh Kumar Singh in Chicago; Editing by Anil D'Silva and Shinjini Ganguli)
Drought in Western US heats up as a Senate campaign issue
RENO, Nev. (AP) — In a midterm campaign season dominated by inflation, abortion and crime, there’s another issue that is becoming more urgent in Western states: drought.
The topic of water historically has played little to no role in campaign ads in much of the region, but funding to fight drought is coming up now in door-knocking campaigns and is on the long list of talking points that advocacy groups are using to rally voters in two states with vulnerable Democratic incumbents and looming water cuts: Nevada and Arizona.
“This issue appeals to the economic anxiety of our voters and our people,” said Angel Lazcano, a Las Vegas-based organizer for Somos Votantes, which seeks to mobilize Latino voters across swing states.
Federal officials recently announced that Nevada and Arizona would get far less water in 2023 as the stranglehold on the Colorado River worsens because of drought, climate change and demand. The federal government threatened to impose deeper, broader cuts if the seven states that depend on the waterway can’t agree on how to use less.
The two vulnerable incumbents whose states are hit hardest by the cuts — Catherine Cortez Masto, of Nevada, and Mark Kelly, of Arizona — seized on the opportunity to seek funding through the federal legislation. They were joined by U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet, who is seeking reelection in Colorado, and Arizona’s Sen. Kyrsten Sinema. The four Western senators negotiated $4 billion in last-minute funding to help address the region’s growing water crisis in the Inflation Reduction Act.
In tight races in Nevada and Arizona, the Colorado River basin cuts and last-minute $4 billion in drought-relief funding will serve as a test of how influential access to water will be in deciding two of the most consequential Senate races this cycle.
Though still not allocated, the drought relief funding will generally pay farmers to leave fields unplanted and will pay for water conservation and habitat restoration projects.
Cortez Masto said in a brief interview that she doesn’t see it as a campaign issue, but rather an issue for the entire West.
Somos Votantes released ads in English and Spanish, thanking Cortez Masto for the funding. In Arizona, the Environmental Defense Fund and its advocacy partner did the same for Sinema and Kelly, who has touted the funding on social media.
Kathleen Ferris, a senior water policy researcher at Arizona State University, said drought is a politically murky subject. She doubts the relief funding will have any sway on the election, and even the Colorado River cuts have not risen to the level of other hot-button issues.
Campaigns historically have trouble communicating complex water policies because there are so many interest groups that have a stake, she said.
"It’s not necessarily easy to say, ‘Well, I will do this,’ which would hurt this group, or ‘I will do that,’ which would hurt another group,” said Ferris, a senior research fellow at ASU’s Morrison Institute for Public Policy. “So mostly, what they say is ’I will convene stakeholders’ and ‘We will have robust discussions’ and ‘We will figure out a path.’ Well, that’s not very sexy for the electorate.”
The funding is small in the wider context of a historic megadrought. Farmers in Yuma, Arizona, are already requesting over a quarter of the funding, and projects elsewhere to convert ocean water to drinking water often cost billions.
Though projects in Nevada and Arizona may get priority, 17 states are eligible for the funding, which will be doled out through 2026.
Questions also remain about whether the one-time allocation will turn into an annual stipend. If so, experts say, other funding requests could come under scrutiny from states not reliant on the river.
Though the basin cuts will not result in immediate new restrictions, they signal that unpopular decisions about how to reduce consumption could come soon.
Nowhere have the effects of drought been as visible as in Lake Mead, the Colorado River’s largest reservoir, which supplies water to nearby Las Vegas. Residents have watched human remains and old artifacts reveal themselves as levels drop.
Lazcano, the community organizer at Somos Votantes, which endorsed Cortez Masto, brings up Las Vegas’ robust water recycling infrastructure and the $4 billion in drought relief funding while door-knocking or hosting events in Las Vegas' Latino neighborhoods.
He pitches drought relief as an environmental and economic issue — affecting jobs and opportunities next to rising gas prices, labor shortages and inflation.
“I feel like people have that surface-level understanding of these things that are happening,” he said. “Like they hear about the cuts and the money coming in, but they’re not too sure with how to take that in, and that’s where we come in. To tell them about how it is, or what these investments mean.”
The funding has earned mixed reactions from Republican candidates in Nevada.
While the inflation measure was universally vilified by the party, GOP lawmakers and candidates did not deny that drought needs urgent attention.
Adam Laxalt, who is running against Cortez Masto, has mostly stayed away from talking about drought. In an email, he said he supports efforts to address water problems in Nevada, noting that the crunch “didn’t just happen overnight.”
The Inflation Reduction Act will contribute to more inflation, and Cortez Masto should have secured funding without having to support a larger bill, he said.
Sam Peters, a Republican candidate for Nevada’s 4th Congressional District — which covers much of rural central Nevada down to the northern edge of the Las Vegas area — criticized paying farmers not to use water, saying that Democrats “throw money at it without a real solution.” He suggested desalination as a longer-term solution.
U.S. Rep Mark Amodei, Nevada’s lone Republican congressman, supported the general idea of the funding and also pointed to desalination, the technology that removes salt from ocean water and turns it into drinking water.
A $1.4 billion desalination project was proposed in California with support from Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom but was rejected by a California coastal panel in May because of its cost and threat to marine organisms at the base of the food chain.
Days after the Inflation Reduction Act passed, Amodei sent out a blog post that didn’t mention drought but outlined the provisions he said would deepen the country’s economic woes.
Asked about the drought funding later, he said it was “maybe some of the least egregious stuff” in the act.
___
Stern is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. Follow Stern on Twitter: @gabestern326
Gabe Stern, The Associated Press
RENO, Nev. (AP) — In a midterm campaign season dominated by inflation, abortion and crime, there’s another issue that is becoming more urgent in Western states: drought.
The topic of water historically has played little to no role in campaign ads in much of the region, but funding to fight drought is coming up now in door-knocking campaigns and is on the long list of talking points that advocacy groups are using to rally voters in two states with vulnerable Democratic incumbents and looming water cuts: Nevada and Arizona.
“This issue appeals to the economic anxiety of our voters and our people,” said Angel Lazcano, a Las Vegas-based organizer for Somos Votantes, which seeks to mobilize Latino voters across swing states.
Federal officials recently announced that Nevada and Arizona would get far less water in 2023 as the stranglehold on the Colorado River worsens because of drought, climate change and demand. The federal government threatened to impose deeper, broader cuts if the seven states that depend on the waterway can’t agree on how to use less.
The two vulnerable incumbents whose states are hit hardest by the cuts — Catherine Cortez Masto, of Nevada, and Mark Kelly, of Arizona — seized on the opportunity to seek funding through the federal legislation. They were joined by U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet, who is seeking reelection in Colorado, and Arizona’s Sen. Kyrsten Sinema. The four Western senators negotiated $4 billion in last-minute funding to help address the region’s growing water crisis in the Inflation Reduction Act.
In tight races in Nevada and Arizona, the Colorado River basin cuts and last-minute $4 billion in drought-relief funding will serve as a test of how influential access to water will be in deciding two of the most consequential Senate races this cycle.
Though still not allocated, the drought relief funding will generally pay farmers to leave fields unplanted and will pay for water conservation and habitat restoration projects.
Cortez Masto said in a brief interview that she doesn’t see it as a campaign issue, but rather an issue for the entire West.
Somos Votantes released ads in English and Spanish, thanking Cortez Masto for the funding. In Arizona, the Environmental Defense Fund and its advocacy partner did the same for Sinema and Kelly, who has touted the funding on social media.
Kathleen Ferris, a senior water policy researcher at Arizona State University, said drought is a politically murky subject. She doubts the relief funding will have any sway on the election, and even the Colorado River cuts have not risen to the level of other hot-button issues.
Campaigns historically have trouble communicating complex water policies because there are so many interest groups that have a stake, she said.
"It’s not necessarily easy to say, ‘Well, I will do this,’ which would hurt this group, or ‘I will do that,’ which would hurt another group,” said Ferris, a senior research fellow at ASU’s Morrison Institute for Public Policy. “So mostly, what they say is ’I will convene stakeholders’ and ‘We will have robust discussions’ and ‘We will figure out a path.’ Well, that’s not very sexy for the electorate.”
The funding is small in the wider context of a historic megadrought. Farmers in Yuma, Arizona, are already requesting over a quarter of the funding, and projects elsewhere to convert ocean water to drinking water often cost billions.
Though projects in Nevada and Arizona may get priority, 17 states are eligible for the funding, which will be doled out through 2026.
Questions also remain about whether the one-time allocation will turn into an annual stipend. If so, experts say, other funding requests could come under scrutiny from states not reliant on the river.
Though the basin cuts will not result in immediate new restrictions, they signal that unpopular decisions about how to reduce consumption could come soon.
Nowhere have the effects of drought been as visible as in Lake Mead, the Colorado River’s largest reservoir, which supplies water to nearby Las Vegas. Residents have watched human remains and old artifacts reveal themselves as levels drop.
Lazcano, the community organizer at Somos Votantes, which endorsed Cortez Masto, brings up Las Vegas’ robust water recycling infrastructure and the $4 billion in drought relief funding while door-knocking or hosting events in Las Vegas' Latino neighborhoods.
He pitches drought relief as an environmental and economic issue — affecting jobs and opportunities next to rising gas prices, labor shortages and inflation.
“I feel like people have that surface-level understanding of these things that are happening,” he said. “Like they hear about the cuts and the money coming in, but they’re not too sure with how to take that in, and that’s where we come in. To tell them about how it is, or what these investments mean.”
The funding has earned mixed reactions from Republican candidates in Nevada.
While the inflation measure was universally vilified by the party, GOP lawmakers and candidates did not deny that drought needs urgent attention.
Adam Laxalt, who is running against Cortez Masto, has mostly stayed away from talking about drought. In an email, he said he supports efforts to address water problems in Nevada, noting that the crunch “didn’t just happen overnight.”
The Inflation Reduction Act will contribute to more inflation, and Cortez Masto should have secured funding without having to support a larger bill, he said.
Sam Peters, a Republican candidate for Nevada’s 4th Congressional District — which covers much of rural central Nevada down to the northern edge of the Las Vegas area — criticized paying farmers not to use water, saying that Democrats “throw money at it without a real solution.” He suggested desalination as a longer-term solution.
U.S. Rep Mark Amodei, Nevada’s lone Republican congressman, supported the general idea of the funding and also pointed to desalination, the technology that removes salt from ocean water and turns it into drinking water.
A $1.4 billion desalination project was proposed in California with support from Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom but was rejected by a California coastal panel in May because of its cost and threat to marine organisms at the base of the food chain.
Days after the Inflation Reduction Act passed, Amodei sent out a blog post that didn’t mention drought but outlined the provisions he said would deepen the country’s economic woes.
Asked about the drought funding later, he said it was “maybe some of the least egregious stuff” in the act.
___
Stern is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. Follow Stern on Twitter: @gabestern326
Gabe Stern, The Associated Press
GOP's hard-line tactics on migrants refocus midterm debate
MIAMI (AP) — They’ve delivered migrants on planes and buses to Washington, D.C., New York City — even Martha’s Vineyard. And the Republican governors of Florida and Texas may be just getting started.
GOP's hard-line tactics on migrants refocus midterm debate© Provided by The Canadian Press
Govs. Ron DeSantis of Florida and Greg Abbott of Texas insist such dramatic steps are need to highlight a genuine crisis at the U.S.-Mexico border, where thousands of migrants stream into the country illegally each day. But weeks away from their own competitive reelections, friends and foes alike acknowledged that such hard-line tactics have effectively refocused November’s midterm elections — at least, temporarily — away from abortion rights and toward an issue more favorable to Republicans.
A defiant DeSantis on Tuesday blasted the Biden administration's inaction on the Southern border and celebrated his own policies for making illegal immigration “a front-burner issue” ahead of the midterms.
“It will be a big issue in the elections, I can tell you that,” DeSantis said. “It’s already made more of an impact than anyone thought it could possibly make. But we’re going to continue to make more of an impact.”
Indeed, DeSantis and Abbott are pressing forward with — and even expanding on — controversial campaigns to ship thousands of immigrants from Texas to Democratic-led states and cities. Beyond shifting the national debate, their divisive moves could also serve to strengthen their national brands — and help legitimize their controversial policies — as they consider 2024 presidential bids.
“I personally thought it was a good idea," Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell said Tuesday.
The governors' rhetoric is reminiscent of former President Donald Trump’s dire warnings ahead of the 2018 midterms that a migrant caravan threatened the Southern border. Trump’s GOP lost 40 seats in the House and gained two Senate seats that year.
Democrats from Connecticut to California have generated momentum in recent weeks by campaigning on the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade — and the GOP's subsequent push to outlaw abortion in dozens of states. Republicans, meanwhile, want to make the midterms a referendum on President Joe Biden and concerns about the economy, crime and immigration.
This week, at least, immigration is leading the national debate.
“What they’re doing is raising the salience and relevance of the immigration issue, which is important to Republican voters and can help drive turnout,” said veteran Republican pollster Neil Newhouse. “For the voters we’re appealing to, for the most part, the benefits outweigh the risks by a considerable margin.”
There are real risks, however, particularly for DeSantis, who has taken credit for two weekend charter planes that carried about 50 migrants from Texas to Martha’s Vineyard, a small, wealthy island off Massachusetts' coast. The immigrants were told they were going to Boston.
A Texas sheriff on Monday opened an investigation into DeSantis' flights, though the law enforcement official, an elected Democrat, did not say what laws may have been broken in putting 48 Venezuelans on private planes from San Antonio, the first stop for many migrants who cross the border.
A lawsuit was filed Tuesday against DeSantis and his transportation secretary on behalf of several of the migrants flown to Martha's Vineyard, alleging the two politicians engaged in a "fraudulent and discriminatory scheme” to relocate them. DeSantis' office didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.
Rep. Joaquin Castro, a Democrat who represents San Antonio, has called on the Justice Department to investigate the flights as well.
“These guys are immature, sadistic Trump imitators. That’s what they are,” Castro said of Abbott and DeSantis. “This is sadistic behavior. Whatever political point they were trying to make has been made a long time ago.”
DeSantis, who has stepped up travel on behalf of GOP candidates in the midterm elections, vowed to spend “every penny” of $12 million set aside by the state legislature for such “relocation programs.” On Tuesday, local officials in a Delaware community close to Biden's vacation home were preparing to receive another one of DeSantis' planes full of migrants from Texas, although the Florida governor refused to confirm the development.
Despite fierce criticism and potential legal liabilities, there has been little evidence of widespread political backlash in either state.
Democratic sympathizers in Florida staged news conferences in recent days condemning the governors while others compared DeSantis to late Cuban leader Fidel Castro on Spanish radio. But the number of Venezuelan voters in the state remains relatively small. Much of the community that exists has formed a coalition with Cubans, a crucial bloc in Florida that has increasingly voted Republican.
“Governors Abbott and DeSantis have had enough of it and decided to do something for people to pay attention,” said Ernesto Ackerman, a Republican who heads the Independent Venezuelan American Citizens. “This is a country of laws, not of scoundrels and tramps.”
In Texas, Abbott has spent the past two years pushing a series of provocative immigration measures that have elevated his national profile and kept critics on his right at bay. The two-term governor converted a former prison near Texas’ southern border into a jail for migrants, gave the National Guard extraordinary arrest powers and gridlocked some of America’s busiest ports for a week by mandating additional inspections for 18-wheelers crossing into the U.S.
The Abbott administration has been busing migrants to Washington, Chicago and New York City for months. The busing campaign includes two busloads of people who were dropped off outside Vice President Kamala Harris' residence last weekend.
Longtime Abbott adviser Dave Carney said Texas would expand its operation this week to include new drop-off locations in other states.
“We’ve been focused on this for two years. It’s got nothing to do with politics. The communities are screaming bloody murder,” Carney said, referring to border towns flooded with immigrants apprehended at the border and subsequently released.
Republicans cast the border crisis as a failure of the Biden administration.
The federal government this week reported that authorities stopped migrants 2.15 million times from October through August, the first time that measure has ever topped 2 million and a 39% increase from the same period a year earlier.
Border crossings have been fueled partly by repeat crossers because there are no legal consequences for getting caught under a pandemic-era rule that denies a right to seek asylum. Even so, the numbers are extraordinarily high.
While Abbott and DeSantis have also highlighted their accomplishments on issues related to the economy, neither has taken steps to moderate their immigration policies as the November election nears.
Abbott is running against former Democratic Rep. Beto O’Rourke, who has outraised Abbott in a contest that represents the toughest challenge of the governor’s political career.
Immigration remains a crucial issue for Democrats who have long believed Texas’ booming cities and shifting demographics would eventually turn America’s biggest red state blue. But in overwhelmingly Hispanic counties on the border, Republicans are making an aggressive play for three congressional seats this fall after Trump made major gains in the region in 2020.
It was much the same in South Florida, where Trump's GOP performed better than expected in the last election.
DeSantis is running against former Rep. Charlie Crist, whose campaign has charged in recent days that the governor “shot himself in the foot” by shipping immigrants from Texas to Massachusetts. The move sparked a fundraising surge for Crist that exceeded $1 million over a 48-hour period, according to spokesperson Samantha Ramirez.
Republican candidates on the November ballot don't seem worried.
“I think it is a valid maneuver to use in order to try to wake up or at least expose the hypocrisy of progressive Democrats that say the border is secure and there’s no problem down here whatsoever,” said Joseph Swiger, one of dozens of Republicans running for local office in Texas border counties where the GOP seldom bothered to recruit candidates in the past.
___
Peoples reported from New York; Weber reported from Austin, Texas. Associated Press writer Farnoush Amiri in Washington contributed to this report.
Steve Peoples, Adriana Gomez Licon And Paul Weber, The Associated Press
MIAMI (AP) — They’ve delivered migrants on planes and buses to Washington, D.C., New York City — even Martha’s Vineyard. And the Republican governors of Florida and Texas may be just getting started.
GOP's hard-line tactics on migrants refocus midterm debate© Provided by The Canadian Press
Govs. Ron DeSantis of Florida and Greg Abbott of Texas insist such dramatic steps are need to highlight a genuine crisis at the U.S.-Mexico border, where thousands of migrants stream into the country illegally each day. But weeks away from their own competitive reelections, friends and foes alike acknowledged that such hard-line tactics have effectively refocused November’s midterm elections — at least, temporarily — away from abortion rights and toward an issue more favorable to Republicans.
A defiant DeSantis on Tuesday blasted the Biden administration's inaction on the Southern border and celebrated his own policies for making illegal immigration “a front-burner issue” ahead of the midterms.
“It will be a big issue in the elections, I can tell you that,” DeSantis said. “It’s already made more of an impact than anyone thought it could possibly make. But we’re going to continue to make more of an impact.”
Indeed, DeSantis and Abbott are pressing forward with — and even expanding on — controversial campaigns to ship thousands of immigrants from Texas to Democratic-led states and cities. Beyond shifting the national debate, their divisive moves could also serve to strengthen their national brands — and help legitimize their controversial policies — as they consider 2024 presidential bids.
“I personally thought it was a good idea," Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell said Tuesday.
The governors' rhetoric is reminiscent of former President Donald Trump’s dire warnings ahead of the 2018 midterms that a migrant caravan threatened the Southern border. Trump’s GOP lost 40 seats in the House and gained two Senate seats that year.
Democrats from Connecticut to California have generated momentum in recent weeks by campaigning on the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade — and the GOP's subsequent push to outlaw abortion in dozens of states. Republicans, meanwhile, want to make the midterms a referendum on President Joe Biden and concerns about the economy, crime and immigration.
This week, at least, immigration is leading the national debate.
“What they’re doing is raising the salience and relevance of the immigration issue, which is important to Republican voters and can help drive turnout,” said veteran Republican pollster Neil Newhouse. “For the voters we’re appealing to, for the most part, the benefits outweigh the risks by a considerable margin.”
There are real risks, however, particularly for DeSantis, who has taken credit for two weekend charter planes that carried about 50 migrants from Texas to Martha’s Vineyard, a small, wealthy island off Massachusetts' coast. The immigrants were told they were going to Boston.
A Texas sheriff on Monday opened an investigation into DeSantis' flights, though the law enforcement official, an elected Democrat, did not say what laws may have been broken in putting 48 Venezuelans on private planes from San Antonio, the first stop for many migrants who cross the border.
A lawsuit was filed Tuesday against DeSantis and his transportation secretary on behalf of several of the migrants flown to Martha's Vineyard, alleging the two politicians engaged in a "fraudulent and discriminatory scheme” to relocate them. DeSantis' office didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.
Rep. Joaquin Castro, a Democrat who represents San Antonio, has called on the Justice Department to investigate the flights as well.
Related video: Political fallout from sending migrants to different US cities
Duration 5:20 View on Watch
“These guys are immature, sadistic Trump imitators. That’s what they are,” Castro said of Abbott and DeSantis. “This is sadistic behavior. Whatever political point they were trying to make has been made a long time ago.”
DeSantis, who has stepped up travel on behalf of GOP candidates in the midterm elections, vowed to spend “every penny” of $12 million set aside by the state legislature for such “relocation programs.” On Tuesday, local officials in a Delaware community close to Biden's vacation home were preparing to receive another one of DeSantis' planes full of migrants from Texas, although the Florida governor refused to confirm the development.
Despite fierce criticism and potential legal liabilities, there has been little evidence of widespread political backlash in either state.
Democratic sympathizers in Florida staged news conferences in recent days condemning the governors while others compared DeSantis to late Cuban leader Fidel Castro on Spanish radio. But the number of Venezuelan voters in the state remains relatively small. Much of the community that exists has formed a coalition with Cubans, a crucial bloc in Florida that has increasingly voted Republican.
“Governors Abbott and DeSantis have had enough of it and decided to do something for people to pay attention,” said Ernesto Ackerman, a Republican who heads the Independent Venezuelan American Citizens. “This is a country of laws, not of scoundrels and tramps.”
In Texas, Abbott has spent the past two years pushing a series of provocative immigration measures that have elevated his national profile and kept critics on his right at bay. The two-term governor converted a former prison near Texas’ southern border into a jail for migrants, gave the National Guard extraordinary arrest powers and gridlocked some of America’s busiest ports for a week by mandating additional inspections for 18-wheelers crossing into the U.S.
The Abbott administration has been busing migrants to Washington, Chicago and New York City for months. The busing campaign includes two busloads of people who were dropped off outside Vice President Kamala Harris' residence last weekend.
Longtime Abbott adviser Dave Carney said Texas would expand its operation this week to include new drop-off locations in other states.
“We’ve been focused on this for two years. It’s got nothing to do with politics. The communities are screaming bloody murder,” Carney said, referring to border towns flooded with immigrants apprehended at the border and subsequently released.
Republicans cast the border crisis as a failure of the Biden administration.
The federal government this week reported that authorities stopped migrants 2.15 million times from October through August, the first time that measure has ever topped 2 million and a 39% increase from the same period a year earlier.
Border crossings have been fueled partly by repeat crossers because there are no legal consequences for getting caught under a pandemic-era rule that denies a right to seek asylum. Even so, the numbers are extraordinarily high.
While Abbott and DeSantis have also highlighted their accomplishments on issues related to the economy, neither has taken steps to moderate their immigration policies as the November election nears.
Abbott is running against former Democratic Rep. Beto O’Rourke, who has outraised Abbott in a contest that represents the toughest challenge of the governor’s political career.
Immigration remains a crucial issue for Democrats who have long believed Texas’ booming cities and shifting demographics would eventually turn America’s biggest red state blue. But in overwhelmingly Hispanic counties on the border, Republicans are making an aggressive play for three congressional seats this fall after Trump made major gains in the region in 2020.
It was much the same in South Florida, where Trump's GOP performed better than expected in the last election.
DeSantis is running against former Rep. Charlie Crist, whose campaign has charged in recent days that the governor “shot himself in the foot” by shipping immigrants from Texas to Massachusetts. The move sparked a fundraising surge for Crist that exceeded $1 million over a 48-hour period, according to spokesperson Samantha Ramirez.
Republican candidates on the November ballot don't seem worried.
“I think it is a valid maneuver to use in order to try to wake up or at least expose the hypocrisy of progressive Democrats that say the border is secure and there’s no problem down here whatsoever,” said Joseph Swiger, one of dozens of Republicans running for local office in Texas border counties where the GOP seldom bothered to recruit candidates in the past.
___
Peoples reported from New York; Weber reported from Austin, Texas. Associated Press writer Farnoush Amiri in Washington contributed to this report.
Steve Peoples, Adriana Gomez Licon And Paul Weber, The Associated Press
UN
Bolivia and Peru express concern over the situation of the Palestinian people and the war in UkraineThe President of Bolivia, Luis Arce, and the President of Peru, Pedro Castillo, expressed their concern about the situation of the Palestinian people and the Russian invasion of Ukraine during a meeting at the United Nations Assembly on Tuesday, while calling for a ceasefire in the country.
The President of Bolivia, Luis Arce, and the President of Peru, Pedro Castillo
- MARIANA BAZO / ZUMA PRESS / CONTACTOPHOTO
"Let the United Nations work tirelessly for a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine. For the historical rights of the Palestinian state and people to be respected and for NATO to stop thinking about its expansionist plans," Arce stressed.
For his part, Castillo has remarked before the UN General Assembly that "strategic balances" have been modified, resulting in the deterioration of peace. "(Peru) reiterates the illegitimacy of the Russian Federation's intervention in Ukraine, just as it reproves Israel's persistent occupation of Palestinian and Arab territories since 1967," he said.
In this way, he called for a cease-fire in Ukraine so that economic sanctions do not "affect food security" in a "convulsed" context in which these "unilateral" reprisals, different from those approved by the Security Council, are contrary to international law.
"It is indispensable that the international community assumes once and for all its responsibilities and propitiates peace negotiations to find a solution based on the recognition of the two states", explained Castillo, adding that it is necessary "a viable Palestine" and an "Israel with secure borders".
For this reason, the Peruvian president announced before the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday that the Peruvian government will open a diplomatic representation in Palestinian territory with the aim of promoting this "lasting peace".
"THE "LITHIUM TRIANGLE" AND THE LAW OF THE SEA
"Let the United Nations work tirelessly for a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine. For the historical rights of the Palestinian state and people to be respected and for NATO to stop thinking about its expansionist plans," Arce stressed.
For his part, Castillo has remarked before the UN General Assembly that "strategic balances" have been modified, resulting in the deterioration of peace. "(Peru) reiterates the illegitimacy of the Russian Federation's intervention in Ukraine, just as it reproves Israel's persistent occupation of Palestinian and Arab territories since 1967," he said.
In this way, he called for a cease-fire in Ukraine so that economic sanctions do not "affect food security" in a "convulsed" context in which these "unilateral" reprisals, different from those approved by the Security Council, are contrary to international law.
"It is indispensable that the international community assumes once and for all its responsibilities and propitiates peace negotiations to find a solution based on the recognition of the two states", explained Castillo, adding that it is necessary "a viable Palestine" and an "Israel with secure borders".
For this reason, the Peruvian president announced before the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday that the Peruvian government will open a diplomatic representation in Palestinian territory with the aim of promoting this "lasting peace".
"THE "LITHIUM TRIANGLE" AND THE LAW OF THE SEA
During his speech, Arce asked the United Nations to ensure the non-interference of states over strategic natural resources in the so-called "lithium triangle", formed by Bolivia, Argentina and Chile, which is "in the crosshairs" of the United States. "We are not pieces on a chessboard," he said, adding that they have "every right to decide" about their own resources.
Bolivia has gone through several potholes throughout their shared history, among them the Altiplano's lawsuit before the International Court of the Hague, brought by then President Evo Morales, in which Chile was forced to negotiate a sovereign outlet to the Pacific Ocean.
In view of these disputes, Arce explained that the sea "is a right of the peoples" and that "Bolivia was born with the sea". "However, at present, it is a cloistered country, forced by the circumstances of the past to face multiple barriers for transportation, communication and trade".
The Bolivian president has also put the focus on the fight against drug trafficking. "We must change the approach", he explained, adding that "militarization" is a point that needs to be worked on, since "it has affected the peasants in the south", leaving the large criminal groups in "impunity".
"The international war on drugs criminalizes and generates unilateral sanctions against countries of the south, but shields the laundering of assets, facilitates drug trafficking and other related crimes in other countries of the north," he said, adding that it is necessary to bet on a social and less militarized approach.
THE SAHARA AND THE MALVINAS
Bolivia has gone through several potholes throughout their shared history, among them the Altiplano's lawsuit before the International Court of the Hague, brought by then President Evo Morales, in which Chile was forced to negotiate a sovereign outlet to the Pacific Ocean.
In view of these disputes, Arce explained that the sea "is a right of the peoples" and that "Bolivia was born with the sea". "However, at present, it is a cloistered country, forced by the circumstances of the past to face multiple barriers for transportation, communication and trade".
The Bolivian president has also put the focus on the fight against drug trafficking. "We must change the approach", he explained, adding that "militarization" is a point that needs to be worked on, since "it has affected the peasants in the south", leaving the large criminal groups in "impunity".
"The international war on drugs criminalizes and generates unilateral sanctions against countries of the south, but shields the laundering of assets, facilitates drug trafficking and other related crimes in other countries of the north," he said, adding that it is necessary to bet on a social and less militarized approach.
THE SAHARA AND THE MALVINAS
For his part, Castillo recalled that Peru has re-established diplomatic relations with the Saharawi republic. "It firmly supports their right to self-determination", he said, adding that they support the efforts of the UN for a "cease-fire" in Western Sahara and a "negotiated and peaceful solution".
"In the same conviction, Peru fully recognizes the sovereignty rights of the Argentine Republic in the Malvinas Islands and we demand that the parties begin consultations and negotiations to achieve this imperative objective," he concluded.
"In the same conviction, Peru fully recognizes the sovereignty rights of the Argentine Republic in the Malvinas Islands and we demand that the parties begin consultations and negotiations to achieve this imperative objective," he concluded.
Fernandez assures UN that the attack on Cristina Fernandez sought to alter democracy
The President of Argentina, Alberto Fernandez, has assured this Tuesday before the UN General Assembly that the assassination attempt against Vice-President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner sought to "alter democracy".
The President of Argentina, Alberto Fernandez -
The President of Argentina, Alberto Fernandez, has assured this Tuesday before the UN General Assembly that the assassination attempt against Vice-President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner sought to "alter democracy".
The President of Argentina, Alberto Fernandez -
"In Argentina, the attempt to assassinate the vice president not only affected public tranquility. It also sought to alter a virtuous collective construction that next year will celebrate four decades of life," he said, thanking "the solidarity" that the country has received "from the whole world" after the attack, as reported by 'La Nación'.
Speaking in New York before the United Nations General Assembly, in what was his first intervention before the world forum, Fernandez said that "many times in history, assassinations have been prologues of great tragedies" and "entire peoples succumbed behind those prophets of hatred".
"I am sure that the fascist violence that disguises itself as republicanism will not succeed in changing this broad consensus to which the vast majority of Argentine society adheres," she added, as reported by the Télam agency.
In this sense, he warned that extremist and violent discourses have found "fertile ground to sow anti-political sentiment", and he scorned that "those who seek to weaken" democracies "have specific interests that lead them to promote extreme polarization".
"Let us not accept this situation with resignation. Let us generate an energetic global rejection of those who promote division in our communities," said Fernandez.
ARGENTINA ASKS THE UNITED KINGDOM FOR A DIALOGUE ON THE MALVINAS
Speaking in New York before the United Nations General Assembly, in what was his first intervention before the world forum, Fernandez said that "many times in history, assassinations have been prologues of great tragedies" and "entire peoples succumbed behind those prophets of hatred".
"I am sure that the fascist violence that disguises itself as republicanism will not succeed in changing this broad consensus to which the vast majority of Argentine society adheres," she added, as reported by the Télam agency.
In this sense, he warned that extremist and violent discourses have found "fertile ground to sow anti-political sentiment", and he scorned that "those who seek to weaken" democracies "have specific interests that lead them to promote extreme polarization".
"Let us not accept this situation with resignation. Let us generate an energetic global rejection of those who promote division in our communities," said Fernandez.
ARGENTINA ASKS THE UNITED KINGDOM FOR A DIALOGUE ON THE MALVINAS
On the other hand, Fernandez has taken advantage of the UN General Assembly to ask the United Kingdom to resume dialogues to address the sovereignty of the Malvinas Islands.
According to Télam, the Argentine president reaffirmed the country's "legitimate and imprescriptible sovereignty rights" over the Malvinas Islands, South Georgia, South Sandwich Islands and the surrounding maritime areas.
He also denounced that the United Kingdom "aggravated the controversy" with an "unjustified and excessive military presence in the islands" and with "calls for the illegal exploitation of resources". However, it has expressed its willingness to resume "negotiations" with London.
"We request the Secretary General to renew his efforts in the fulfillment of that mandate and that the United Kingdom agrees to abide by the call of the international community and put an end to this anachronistic colonial situation", emphasized Fernandez, reiterating to the British Government to comply with UN resolution 31/49, which calls for the decolonization of the Malvinas Islands.
According to Télam, the Argentine president reaffirmed the country's "legitimate and imprescriptible sovereignty rights" over the Malvinas Islands, South Georgia, South Sandwich Islands and the surrounding maritime areas.
He also denounced that the United Kingdom "aggravated the controversy" with an "unjustified and excessive military presence in the islands" and with "calls for the illegal exploitation of resources". However, it has expressed its willingness to resume "negotiations" with London.
"We request the Secretary General to renew his efforts in the fulfillment of that mandate and that the United Kingdom agrees to abide by the call of the international community and put an end to this anachronistic colonial situation", emphasized Fernandez, reiterating to the British Government to comply with UN resolution 31/49, which calls for the decolonization of the Malvinas Islands.
Sahara – Morocco defends before the UN its autonomy plan for the Sahara as «the only solution».
The head of the Moroccan government, Aziz Ajanuch, defended Tuesday before the UN General Assembly the Moroccan autonomy proposal for the Sahara, which he described as "a realistic and fair solution to the problem", claiming once again the Moroccan ownership of the former Spanish colony.
Morocco's Prime Minister Aziz Ajanuch, leader of the
The head of the Moroccan government, Aziz Ajanuch, defended Tuesday before the UN General Assembly the Moroccan autonomy proposal for the Sahara, which he described as "a realistic and fair solution to the problem", claiming once again the Moroccan ownership of the former Spanish colony.
Morocco's Prime Minister Aziz Ajanuch, leader of the
National Rally of Independents (RNI)
- CHADI / XINHUA NEWS / CONTACTOPHOTO
In his speech, he reiterated Morocco's commitment to a "definitive political solution" to what he called an "artificial regional conflict" over the Sahara, but made it clear that this solution must be based on "the Moroccan autonomy initiative, the only solution to this dispute", and be framed within "the territorial integrity and national sovereignty of the kingdom".
According to the Moroccan Prime Minister, this "serious and realistic" initiative presented by Morocco in 2007 already enjoys the support of more than 90 countries. About thirty countries, mainly African, have in recent years opened consulates in the former Spanish colony after recognizing Moroccan sovereignty over these territories.
Moreover, he maintained that "the Southern Provinces", as the Sahara is called in Morocco, "live at the pace of an irreversible development dynamic, within the framework of the new development model" launched by King Mohammed VI in 2015 and its population participates in it through its democratically elected representatives in the councils of the two regions into which this territory is divided.
MESSAGE TO ALGERIA
In his speech, he reiterated Morocco's commitment to a "definitive political solution" to what he called an "artificial regional conflict" over the Sahara, but made it clear that this solution must be based on "the Moroccan autonomy initiative, the only solution to this dispute", and be framed within "the territorial integrity and national sovereignty of the kingdom".
According to the Moroccan Prime Minister, this "serious and realistic" initiative presented by Morocco in 2007 already enjoys the support of more than 90 countries. About thirty countries, mainly African, have in recent years opened consulates in the former Spanish colony after recognizing Moroccan sovereignty over these territories.
Moreover, he maintained that "the Southern Provinces", as the Sahara is called in Morocco, "live at the pace of an irreversible development dynamic, within the framework of the new development model" launched by King Mohammed VI in 2015 and its population participates in it through its democratically elected representatives in the councils of the two regions into which this territory is divided.
MESSAGE TO ALGERIA
In another development, according to le360.ma portal, Ajanuch said Morocco supports the efforts of the UN envoy for the Sahara, Staffan de Mistura, to relaunch the process of round tables with the participation of Morocco, the Polisario Front, Mauritania and Algeria with a view to reaching a realistic and lasting political solution in accordance with the resolutions of the Security Council.
"The participation of Algeria, with seriousness and good faith, in the process of round tables (...) is a sine qua non to achieve a definitive settlement to this question", the Moroccan Prime Minister stressed, after accusing Algiers of being responsible for "the creation and maintenance of this artificial dispute".
On another matter, the Moroccan Prime Minister stressed his country's "firm" position in support of the Palestinian cause and a "two-state solution", although, nevertheless, he stressed that he will continue to defend "the special status of Jerusalem".
Nevertheless, Ajanuch maintained that "the world is now witnessing profound and multidimensional crises and challenges, and the African continent is the most affected by the difficult global economic conditions, which undermine its efforts in the field of sustainable development".
In addition, he called for strengthening international cooperation to launch "major initiatives" for development that will enable Africa to "withstand many international shocks," pointing specifically to climate change.
DIPLOMATIC EFFORT
"The participation of Algeria, with seriousness and good faith, in the process of round tables (...) is a sine qua non to achieve a definitive settlement to this question", the Moroccan Prime Minister stressed, after accusing Algiers of being responsible for "the creation and maintenance of this artificial dispute".
On another matter, the Moroccan Prime Minister stressed his country's "firm" position in support of the Palestinian cause and a "two-state solution", although, nevertheless, he stressed that he will continue to defend "the special status of Jerusalem".
Nevertheless, Ajanuch maintained that "the world is now witnessing profound and multidimensional crises and challenges, and the African continent is the most affected by the difficult global economic conditions, which undermine its efforts in the field of sustainable development".
In addition, he called for strengthening international cooperation to launch "major initiatives" for development that will enable Africa to "withstand many international shocks," pointing specifically to climate change.
DIPLOMATIC EFFORT
Morocco has recently been engaged in a major diplomatic effort to attract more countries to support its thesis of the Moroccanness of the Sahara. After then U.S. President Donald Trump recognized Rabat's sovereignty over the former Spanish colony in December 2020, the Moroccan government has worked and lobbied for other countries to follow in its footsteps.
In the case of Spain, the Prime Minister, Pedro Sanchez, recognized last March in a letter to Mohamed VI that the Moroccan autonomy plan is "the most serious, solid and credible basis" for a solution, while other countries such as France and Germany have recognized that it could be one of the bases for resolving the conflict.
The Moroccan Foreign Minister, Naser Burita, is also in New York these days, where he is having a busy schedule of meetings with his counterparts from several countries with the aim of continuing to promote Morocco's theses.
On Tuesday, the head of Moroccan diplomacy held a total of eleven bilateral meetings, nine of them with ministers of European countries - Luxembourg, Finland, Belgium, Cyprus, Hungary, Slovenia, Czech Republic, Netherlands and Portugal. A meeting with the Spanish Foreign Minister, José Manuel Albares, is scheduled for Wednesday.
In the case of Spain, the Prime Minister, Pedro Sanchez, recognized last March in a letter to Mohamed VI that the Moroccan autonomy plan is "the most serious, solid and credible basis" for a solution, while other countries such as France and Germany have recognized that it could be one of the bases for resolving the conflict.
The Moroccan Foreign Minister, Naser Burita, is also in New York these days, where he is having a busy schedule of meetings with his counterparts from several countries with the aim of continuing to promote Morocco's theses.
On Tuesday, the head of Moroccan diplomacy held a total of eleven bilateral meetings, nine of them with ministers of European countries - Luxembourg, Finland, Belgium, Cyprus, Hungary, Slovenia, Czech Republic, Netherlands and Portugal. A meeting with the Spanish Foreign Minister, José Manuel Albares, is scheduled for Wednesday.
Belgian proposal to bless same-sex unions goes against Holy See norm, Vatican says
The proposal to bless homosexual couples put forward by the Flemish bishops "was not presented to the Vatican beforehand" and is contrary to a directive of the Holy See, according to the Vatican's official newspaper, Vatican News.
"With this measure, the Flemish bishops, among them Cardinal Jozef de Kesel, oppose a directive of the Holy See," reads the article, which lists the liturgy published by the Catholic bishops of Flanders that can be used for the ecclesiastical blessing of homosexual couples.
In February 2021, the Vatican banned any ecclesiastical blessing of homosexual couples, as well as any rite comparable to marriage between a man and a woman. "God does not bless sin," the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith noted in a document at the time.
The Flemish bishops are the first in the Church to explicitly give the green light to the ecclesiastical blessing of homosexual couples, with a document that, according to the Vatican, is in open opposition to the one published by the Holy See's Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith.
The official Vatican media cites the information published on the official website of the Belgian Bishops' Conference, where the blessing of the union of same-sex couples is contemplated and it is established that, in each diocese, there will be a person dedicated to the pastoral care of homosexual persons. However, the Belgian prelates specify that this blessing will be clearly differentiated from sacramental marriage.
"During pastoral meetings, people often ask for a moment of prayer to ask God to bless and perpetuate this commitment of love and fidelity," the Belgian Episcopal Conference points out in the document entitled 'Homosexual persons are pastorally close. For a hospitable Church, which excludes no one'.
However, they point out that this moment of prayer can be simple and that "the difference with what the Church understands as sacramental marriage must be clear". The Flemish bishops will travel to Rome next week for the usual 'ad limina' visit, which includes private meetings with the Pope.
The proposal to bless homosexual couples put forward by the Flemish bishops "was not presented to the Vatican beforehand" and is contrary to a directive of the Holy See, according to the Vatican's official newspaper, Vatican News.
"With this measure, the Flemish bishops, among them Cardinal Jozef de Kesel, oppose a directive of the Holy See," reads the article, which lists the liturgy published by the Catholic bishops of Flanders that can be used for the ecclesiastical blessing of homosexual couples.
In February 2021, the Vatican banned any ecclesiastical blessing of homosexual couples, as well as any rite comparable to marriage between a man and a woman. "God does not bless sin," the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith noted in a document at the time.
The Flemish bishops are the first in the Church to explicitly give the green light to the ecclesiastical blessing of homosexual couples, with a document that, according to the Vatican, is in open opposition to the one published by the Holy See's Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith.
The official Vatican media cites the information published on the official website of the Belgian Bishops' Conference, where the blessing of the union of same-sex couples is contemplated and it is established that, in each diocese, there will be a person dedicated to the pastoral care of homosexual persons. However, the Belgian prelates specify that this blessing will be clearly differentiated from sacramental marriage.
"During pastoral meetings, people often ask for a moment of prayer to ask God to bless and perpetuate this commitment of love and fidelity," the Belgian Episcopal Conference points out in the document entitled 'Homosexual persons are pastorally close. For a hospitable Church, which excludes no one'.
However, they point out that this moment of prayer can be simple and that "the difference with what the Church understands as sacramental marriage must be clear". The Flemish bishops will travel to Rome next week for the usual 'ad limina' visit, which includes private meetings with the Pope.
Two dead and 25 injured in Iran's Kermanshah following protests
By REUTERS -
Two people died on Tuesday following protests in the western Iranian city of Kermanshah, the city's prosecutor was quoted as saying on Wednesday by the semi-official Fars news agency.
(OFFICIAL KHAMENEI WEBSITE/HANDOUT VIA REUTERS)
"Unfortunately, two people were murdered in yesterday's riots in Kermanshah. We are certain this was done by anti-revolutionary elements because the victims were killed by weapons not used by the security apparatus," Shahram Karami said.
The prosecutor added 25 people, including protesters, security forces and bystanders, were injured during the protests.
Fifteen protesters were arrested in Shiraz on Tuesday, according to an official quoted by IRNA.
Internet may be disrupted in Iran for 'security reasons'
Access to the internet in Iran may be disrupted due to "security reasons", the minister of communications was quoted as saying on Wednesday by the semi-official ISNA news agency, amid widespread protests following the death of a young woman in police custody.
"Due to security issues and the debates going on currently in the country, restrictions to the internet may be decided and applied by the security apparatus, but overall we have not had any bandwidth reduction," Issa Zarepour said.
By REUTERS -
Two people died on Tuesday following protests in the western Iranian city of Kermanshah, the city's prosecutor was quoted as saying on Wednesday by the semi-official Fars news agency.
(OFFICIAL KHAMENEI WEBSITE/HANDOUT VIA REUTERS)
"Unfortunately, two people were murdered in yesterday's riots in Kermanshah. We are certain this was done by anti-revolutionary elements because the victims were killed by weapons not used by the security apparatus," Shahram Karami said.
The prosecutor added 25 people, including protesters, security forces and bystanders, were injured during the protests.
Related video: People killed in violent Iran protestsDuration 1:04 View on Watch
Fifteen protesters were arrested in Shiraz on Tuesday, according to an official quoted by IRNA.
Internet may be disrupted in Iran for 'security reasons'
Access to the internet in Iran may be disrupted due to "security reasons", the minister of communications was quoted as saying on Wednesday by the semi-official ISNA news agency, amid widespread protests following the death of a young woman in police custody.
"Due to security issues and the debates going on currently in the country, restrictions to the internet may be decided and applied by the security apparatus, but overall we have not had any bandwidth reduction," Issa Zarepour said.
Police officer dies in protests over death of woman arrested for improperly wearing veil
Authorities in Iran on Wednesday denounced the death of a policeman in the context of protests in recent days in the country over the death of a woman after she was arrested for improperly wearing the veil.
Archive - Police in Iran - ROUZBEH FOULADI / ZUMA PRESS / CONTACTOPHOTO
The governor of Shiraz, Lorfollah Shibani, said that the officer died in an incident on Tuesday and added that four other officers were also injured, while 15 people were arrested, according to the Iranian news agency IRNA.
As part of the demonstrations, an officer was injured in the city of Mashhad (northeast) after attackers set him on fire, although other demonstrators came to his rescue with a fire extinguisher, as reported by the Tasnim news agency.
The protests in Iran following the death of Mahsa Amini have so far resulted in five deaths and dozens of injuries, according to authorities. The demonstrations have had their epicenter in the Kurdish-majority areas of the northwest of the country, although they have spread to numerous cities, including the capital, Tehran.
Amini, 22, a member of Iran's Kurdish minority, was arrested on September 13 in Tehran for improper dress and died three days later after falling into a coma after fainting in a detention center amid allegations of torture and ill-treatment.
The Tehran Police on Monday came out in the wake of the controversy and assured that Amini's death was an "unfortunate incident", while Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi spoke to the family by phone on Sunday and promised a thorough investigation to shed light on what happened.
Authorities in Iran on Wednesday denounced the death of a policeman in the context of protests in recent days in the country over the death of a woman after she was arrested for improperly wearing the veil.
Archive - Police in Iran - ROUZBEH FOULADI / ZUMA PRESS / CONTACTOPHOTO
The governor of Shiraz, Lorfollah Shibani, said that the officer died in an incident on Tuesday and added that four other officers were also injured, while 15 people were arrested, according to the Iranian news agency IRNA.
As part of the demonstrations, an officer was injured in the city of Mashhad (northeast) after attackers set him on fire, although other demonstrators came to his rescue with a fire extinguisher, as reported by the Tasnim news agency.
The protests in Iran following the death of Mahsa Amini have so far resulted in five deaths and dozens of injuries, according to authorities. The demonstrations have had their epicenter in the Kurdish-majority areas of the northwest of the country, although they have spread to numerous cities, including the capital, Tehran.
Amini, 22, a member of Iran's Kurdish minority, was arrested on September 13 in Tehran for improper dress and died three days later after falling into a coma after fainting in a detention center amid allegations of torture and ill-treatment.
The Tehran Police on Monday came out in the wake of the controversy and assured that Amini's death was an "unfortunate incident", while Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi spoke to the family by phone on Sunday and promised a thorough investigation to shed light on what happened.
What is different about the most recent protests in Iran? - analysis
By SETH J. FRANTZMAN - TODAY - The Jerusalem Post
A police motorcycle burns during a protest over the death of Mahsa Amini, a woman who died after being arrested by the Islamic republic
The protests began in the Kurdistan region of Iran where minority Kurds have faced oppression for decades. This gives the protests two overlapping causes; the suppression of women and the suppression of minorities. The protests reveal the degree to which people despise the regime and are willing to take to the streets to show their anger. A number of videos posted online reveal the depth of this anger.
In one video, young men confront police on the streets and women are heard cheering them on from balconies. In another crowds chant “death to the dictator.” On Keshavarz boulevard in Tehran, a man says that many of the intersections in the city are full of demonstrators. He also shouts pro-Kurdish slogans. For Kurds, the two issues are entwined. A strike in the Kurdish region and videos of security forces shooting and beating people have shown the degree to which the regime faces major challenges controlling parts of the country.
Nevertheless, the regime will likely put down the protests as it has in the past. But the brief freedom people have enjoyed in the streets, particularly at night, is a freedom they won’t forget. Images and videos posted online have shown women dancing and in one widely shared video, a woman is seen cutting her hair as men cheer. These are attempts to carve out temporary freedom in the streets usually controlled by the regime. This is a regime that sentences women to prison and beatings for not covering their hair or for dancing. The things that westerners take for granted are revolutionary acts in Iran.
On what other issues do Iranians go out and protest?
Over the last decade, Iranians have taken to the streets to confront the state over a variety of issues, from elections to the economy, to police brutality and suppression of minorities. When one adds up the long list of issues it is clear that the regime has only a tenuous grip on the country. At every corner, it is confronted by the fact that large numbers of people dislike the leadership and only brute force and time keep the regime in control.
The regime generally benefits from the fact that other authoritarian countries are on its side and don’t want to see their own rulers challenged; and the fact that there isn’t much outside support for Iranians.
For instance, other countries in the Middle East are hesitant to support protests in Iran, fearing their own citizens might rise up. Iran has hijacked Iraqi politics; is an ally of Syria and has Hezbollah loyalists in Lebanon. The Gulf countries don’t want to see chaos in Iran spill over. This means that the people of Iran are largely alone. They have received some recognition abroad, in the US and Europe; but even there they face an uphill struggle because the Iranian regime is attending the UN, while the people rise up.
The key question facing the protesters is whether these demonstrations will grow outside of the Kurdish region and Tehran. For now, it is unclear if that is possible. On Tuesday night, more cities appeared to join the protests, but that may only be temporary.
By SETH J. FRANTZMAN - TODAY - The Jerusalem Post
A police motorcycle burns during a protest over the death of Mahsa Amini, a woman who died after being arrested by the Islamic republic
© (photo credit: WANA (WEST ASIA NEWS AGENCY) VIA REUTERS)
Iran has seen protests in cities and towns over the past four days in the wake of the police killing of a young woman.
The protests began in western Iran in the Kurdistan region of the country but they have spread to Tehran, Mashhad and other cities in the last two nights. The protesters have generally been seen clashing with police and plainclothes security and also gathering in large numbers at night. In many cases, women have been at the forefront of the protests.
These protests are different from the large-scale protests in 2019, in which Iran’s security forces have been accused of killing around 1,500 people; and in 2009 when there were massive demonstrations across Iran.
The 2009 protests were a response to election fraud during the election of far-right Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. In 2017, protests erupted driven by economic anger.
These protests are different this time because they were driven by anger over the regime’s treatment of women, particularly the police detaining and then killing a woman named Mahsa Amini.
A police motorcycle burns during a protest over the death of Mahsa Amini, a woman who died after being arrested by the Islamic republic's ''morality police'', in Tehran, Iran September 19, 2022.
Iran has seen protests in cities and towns over the past four days in the wake of the police killing of a young woman.
The protests began in western Iran in the Kurdistan region of the country but they have spread to Tehran, Mashhad and other cities in the last two nights. The protesters have generally been seen clashing with police and plainclothes security and also gathering in large numbers at night. In many cases, women have been at the forefront of the protests.
These protests are different from the large-scale protests in 2019, in which Iran’s security forces have been accused of killing around 1,500 people; and in 2009 when there were massive demonstrations across Iran.
The 2009 protests were a response to election fraud during the election of far-right Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. In 2017, protests erupted driven by economic anger.
These protests are different this time because they were driven by anger over the regime’s treatment of women, particularly the police detaining and then killing a woman named Mahsa Amini.
A police motorcycle burns during a protest over the death of Mahsa Amini, a woman who died after being arrested by the Islamic republic's ''morality police'', in Tehran, Iran September 19, 2022.
(credit: WANA (WEST ASIA NEWS AGENCY) VIA REUTERS)
KURDISTAN
Amini is a Kurdish woman and she was detained while on a trip to Tehran, accused by police of not covering her hair in the manner the theocratic regime desired. She was then beaten and fell into a coma and died last week. The regime has tried to calm crowds, claiming the death was an accident and that she died of heart failure or pre-existing conditions. But what caused her death was the police detention.
Amini is a Kurdish woman and she was detained while on a trip to Tehran, accused by police of not covering her hair in the manner the theocratic regime desired. She was then beaten and fell into a coma and died last week. The regime has tried to calm crowds, claiming the death was an accident and that she died of heart failure or pre-existing conditions. But what caused her death was the police detention.
The protests began in the Kurdistan region of Iran where minority Kurds have faced oppression for decades. This gives the protests two overlapping causes; the suppression of women and the suppression of minorities. The protests reveal the degree to which people despise the regime and are willing to take to the streets to show their anger. A number of videos posted online reveal the depth of this anger.
In one video, young men confront police on the streets and women are heard cheering them on from balconies. In another crowds chant “death to the dictator.” On Keshavarz boulevard in Tehran, a man says that many of the intersections in the city are full of demonstrators. He also shouts pro-Kurdish slogans. For Kurds, the two issues are entwined. A strike in the Kurdish region and videos of security forces shooting and beating people have shown the degree to which the regime faces major challenges controlling parts of the country.
Nevertheless, the regime will likely put down the protests as it has in the past. But the brief freedom people have enjoyed in the streets, particularly at night, is a freedom they won’t forget. Images and videos posted online have shown women dancing and in one widely shared video, a woman is seen cutting her hair as men cheer. These are attempts to carve out temporary freedom in the streets usually controlled by the regime. This is a regime that sentences women to prison and beatings for not covering their hair or for dancing. The things that westerners take for granted are revolutionary acts in Iran.
On what other issues do Iranians go out and protest?
Over the last decade, Iranians have taken to the streets to confront the state over a variety of issues, from elections to the economy, to police brutality and suppression of minorities. When one adds up the long list of issues it is clear that the regime has only a tenuous grip on the country. At every corner, it is confronted by the fact that large numbers of people dislike the leadership and only brute force and time keep the regime in control.
The regime generally benefits from the fact that other authoritarian countries are on its side and don’t want to see their own rulers challenged; and the fact that there isn’t much outside support for Iranians.
For instance, other countries in the Middle East are hesitant to support protests in Iran, fearing their own citizens might rise up. Iran has hijacked Iraqi politics; is an ally of Syria and has Hezbollah loyalists in Lebanon. The Gulf countries don’t want to see chaos in Iran spill over. This means that the people of Iran are largely alone. They have received some recognition abroad, in the US and Europe; but even there they face an uphill struggle because the Iranian regime is attending the UN, while the people rise up.
The key question facing the protesters is whether these demonstrations will grow outside of the Kurdish region and Tehran. For now, it is unclear if that is possible. On Tuesday night, more cities appeared to join the protests, but that may only be temporary.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)