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https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/white-house/biden-nominates-shalanda-young-white-house-budget-director-n1284537

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Biden nominates Shalanda Young as White House budget director

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If confirmed by the Senate, Young will be the first Black woman to hold the position.

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https://www.cnn.com/2021/11/24/politics/joe-biden-anxious-nation-thanksgiving/index.html

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analysis: joe biden spins a message of hope as an anxious nation readies for thanksgiving - cnnpolitics

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Analysis: Biden spins a message of hope as an anxious nation readies for Thanksgiving

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When a president has to assure Americans there'll be enough turkey for Thanksgiving, it's a sure sign of national malaise.

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https://www.foxnews.com/politics/supreme-court-democrats-attack-texas-abortion

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Just minutes after it became clear that the Supreme Court was not issuing an opinion on Texas's abortion law Monday morning - when many thought it might - Democrats attacked the justices for failing to take action in the case, calling once again for the court to be packed.

"The Supreme Court has allowed Texas's abhorrent anti-abortion law to remain in effect for 83 days," Demand Justice, a pro-court-packing organization run by former Obama administration staffers, tweeted. "We cannot keep waiting for this Court to act in the interests of the American people - it's time to #ExpandTheCourt."
BIDEN'S SUPREME COURT COMMISSION CONSIDERS TERM LIMITS FOR JUSTICES
"Many guessed the Supreme Court would weigh in on the Texas law today but it turned out to be a giant head fake," Demand Justice Executive Director Brian Fallon added. "It is insane we let the third branch of government conduct itself with so little transparency when it comes to rights this fundamental."

Fallon is a former press secretary for Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign and worked for the Department of Justice as a press staffer during the Obama administration.

The Supreme Court heard procedural arguments about the new Texas abortion law - which bans abortion after a heartbeat is detectable in the baby - earlier this month. The arguments were not about the substance of the law but rather over who could bring a legal challenge against the law and how.

Because the court heard the case on a highly-expedited basis, many speculated that it would also issue the ruling quickly. When the court announced it would release at least one opinion Monday, court-watchers and news organizations readied for a blockbuster opinion on a major abortion law.

SUPREME COURT SIGNALS IT COULD STRIKE DOWN OR LIMIT RESTRICTIVE NY GUN PERMIT LAW
Instead, the court issued an opinion on a groundwater dispute between Tennessee and Mississippi.

"John Roberts playing 'haha made you look' when it comes to abortion rights is about all you need to know about this Supreme Court. #ExpandTheCourt," Demand Justice Chief Counsel Christopher Kang tweeted.

"SERIOUSLY. AN ORIGINAL JURISDICTION CASE," Vox senior correspondent Ian Millhiser tweeted, using the legal term for disputes between states that go directly to the Supreme Court.

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"LOLZ at all of us for thinking that the Supreme Court might do something sensible in an abortion case today," he added. "The Supreme Court is bad, y'all."

"If we still believed that the Supreme Court actually wanted to protect our constitutional rights that went out the window (once again) this am," MiQuel Davies, who works with the group Physicians for Reproductive Health, said. "There is a constitutional right to abortion. S.B.8 is unconstitutional and cruel. I can't."

The Monday attacks on the court are just the latest from Democrats railing against the court, which has a 6-3 majority of Republican-appointed justices. Earlier this year, some Democrats were attacking the most senior Democrat-appointed justice, Stephen Breyer, over the fact he would not retire so President Biden could replace him while Democrats hold a majority in the Senate.

The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear oral arguments December 1 in the case of Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, which is about a Mississippi abortion law that bars abortions after 15 weeks. That case is on the substance of the law and could potentially result in the overturning of Roe v. Wade.

Fox News' Bill Mears contributed to this repor t.

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Liberals attack Supreme Court after it puts off ruling in Texas abortion case

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Just minutes after it became clear that the Supreme Court was not issuing an opinion on Texas's abortion law Monday morning - when many thought it might - Democrats attacked the justices for failing to take action in the case, calling once again for the court to be packed.

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https://edition.cnn.com/us/live-news/wisconsin-waukesha-christmas-parade-car-plow-11-22-21/index.html

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Live updates: Wisconsin parade turns deadly

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At least five people were killed and more than 40 were injured when an SUV plowed into a Christmas parade Sunday in Waukesha, Wisconsin. Follow here for the latest.

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Poor conditions and low pay for truckers helped fuel supply chain crisis

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Poor conditions and low pay for truckers helped fuel supply chain crisis

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https://www.nbcnews.com/business/poor-conditions-low-pay-truckers-helped-fuel-supply-chain-crisis-rcna6216

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The idea of a national trucker shortage has gained popularity as one reason for the widespread supply chain issues that have crippled the economy over the past year. But some experts say there isn't actually a driver shortage at all - and that suggesting so ignores the bigger issues within the industry.

Congestion at ports in California continues to cause supply chain delays with ships idling offshore, waiting to unload their cargo, and containers lingering too long at the docks, waiting to be transported by truck or rail. The delays have been blamed on a number of shortages, including equipment like chassies, shipping containers and truck drivers.

Calls for new drivers continue, citing a report from the American Trucking Associations, which said the shortage will hit a historic high of 80,000 drivers this year.

"We don't have a truck driver shortage at the ports," said Steve Viscelli, an economic sociologist at the University of Pennsylvania. "The problem is that these truckers' time is used so inefficiently. The cranes, the longshoreman labor, all that gets priced and used efficiently."

In the port ecosystem, truck drivers are paid by the load and not the hour, making them some of the most vulnerable workers, according to Viscelli. Other port workers receive overtime pay and belong to unions, but truckers are classified as independent contractors. As such, they aren't considered employees and don't receive any of the benefits or protections associated with that status.

"Truck drivers are the shock absorbers," he said. "If the cranes are running behind, you can just keep the trucker there idle. You can back them up for hours because they're not being paid."

Because of how they're classified and compensated, truck drivers are forced to wait around until they're needed, at no cost to the shipping companies. That means there's little incentive to change the current conditions and use them more efficiently, according to Viscelli.

Because of how they're classified and compensated, truck drivers are forced to wait around until they're needed, at no cost to the shipping companies.

In contrast, efforts to reduce inefficiencies in other areas of the ports are ongoing and have been successful. For instance, in October, the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach announced a plan to impose fines on shipping companies who leave their cargo on the docks for too long. The promise of fines proved so successful that the ports have delayed implementing them because early compliance led to a 26 percent drop in lingering containers.

If truckers were considered employees, their employers might be less inclined to let them sit idle for hours, since it would cost them in hourly wages and overtime, Viscelli said. Instead, the current trucker-related inefficiencies in the supply chain and at the ports are most severely costing the drivers themselves.

"They may wait hours to get there, wait hours to get a chassis they can use, and then if the port says 'No, we don't want that load,' that driver who gets $150 per load now has to find somewhere else to drop it, and a six-hour job turns into 10," Viscelli said. "The system is designed with that flexible free truck driver labor assumed."

California's Assembly Bill 5, or AB5, which received strong opposition from trucking companies, would change the classification of many of these truck drivers from independent contractors to employees. The reclassification could provide the incentive needed to make more efficient use of truckers' time, but the state is currently blocked from enforcing it against trucking companies because of legal challenges.

For now, truckers continue to be misclassified, according to Veena Dubal, a professor at the University of California, Hastings College of the Law.

"It's easier in the context of trucking to maintain the contractor facade because workers can feel independent while they're driving long distances, and trucking companies can claim they're independent because they're not in the cab with them," Dubal said. "This is precisely the type of job that these employment protections were written for."

She noted that the hiring entities retain control in trucking even if they claim otherwise. They alone determine where drivers must go to pick up cargo, how much cargo they need to transport and how long they have to complete a job. These companies can also impose ramifications for poor compliance but offload most of the costs to the truckers themselves.

"These owner-operators work for virtually nothing," said Rome Aloise, president of Teamsters Joint Council 7. "They have to pay for their own trucks, their own maintenance and gas, which is up right now. It's also fairly common that they'll need to pay for their own equipment like chassis. In some cases, these guys end up owing money."

Still, the possibility of small business ownership, independence and financial reward are attractive to many, in particular immigrants, people of color and others seeking promising jobs with low barriers to entry.

Ryan Matsushita, a regional used truck manager at the Inland Kenworth truck dealership, said he has more interested drivers than he can accommodate right now.

"I literally can't keep a truck on my lot, I probably tell three to four customers no for every one that I sell," he said. "We're sold out for the next 12 months, maybe 24. I've had to tell about half of the people who have already signed agreements that we won't be able to fulfill their order. We just can't meet the demand."

Matsushita also touched on an additional way that the ongoing supply chain issues are costing truckers - the cost of the trucks has increased significantly. He said prices were already higher this year than they were before the pandemic, but have shot up in the past three months, spiking by as much as 20 percent: A base-level new truck with just a day cab now costs well over $100,000, and a sleeper cab truck can cost almost $200,000. Used trucks have also recently increased in value by between $40,000 and $60,000. These dramatic price increases fall on the drivers who lease or buy the vehicles, further adding to the strain of the job.

But the industry wasn't always this way, according to both Viscelli and Dubal. Trucking used to be much more lucrative.

"Trucking is a notoriously difficult job, it's really taxing on the body, it requires people to stay away from their families, be up at really odd hours, it's really lonely," Dubal said. "But the people who engaged in it were willing to do so because there was a wage premium. Over the last 30 years, this has increasingly not been the case because of deregulation."

In the 1980s, conditions in the industry worsened after deregulation essentially turned these steady, well-paying jobs into gig work, a transformation akin to what has occurred in the taxi industry. These poor conditions have led to retention issues, which have been mistaken for shortages, according to industry experts. They maintain there's no shortage of interested drivers. The problem is that poor conditions and low pay create a revolving door where new drivers very soon become former drivers.

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Poor conditions and low pay for truckers helped fuel supply chain crisis

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The idea of a national trucker shortage has gained popularity as one reason for the widespread supply chain issues that have crippled the economy over the past year. But some experts say there isn't actually a driver shortage at all - and that suggesting so ignores the bigger issues within the industry.

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As Thanksgiving Approaches, U.S. Virus Cases Tick Upward Once More

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Cases are rising again in parts of the country, but more people are traveling, and health officials have largely stopped telling people to skip celebrations.

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https://www.nbcnews.com/business/economy/biden-nominates-jerome-powell-second-term-federal-reserve-rcna4696

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President Joe Biden on Monday renominated Jerome Powell as Federal Reserve chairman, ending months of speculation over who would run the central bank for the next four years, the White House announced in a statement.

Powell had drawn ire from some progressives who have pushed the central bank to expand its dual mandate of keeping people at work and prices in check, and focus more on climate change and racial equity. Some Democrats also had argued that he has been too hands-off as a bank regulator.

Fed governor Lael Brainard was nominated to serve as vice chair, the White House also announced.

As a Republican appointed to lead the Fed by a Republican president, Powell had drawn solid support from GOP lawmakers for much of his tenure, although that support had become checkered in recent weeks as the specter of sharply rising inflation rose to dominate the headlines.

A jump in consumer prices to a 30-year high, combined with the worry of prices remaining elevated for a duration that stretches the boundaries of "transitory" - the Fed's preferred descriptor - has triggered criticisms that Powell is not being proactive enough in the fight against inflation.

Economists and policymakers had been speculating for months as to whether Biden would take the unusual step of choosing not to reappoint Powell to a second term (although Powell also succeeded a single-term Fed chair).

As head of the central bank of the world's largest economy and de facto reserve currency, it is arguably the highest profile role, with high stakes, in the realm of economic policy.

While Fed nominees are confirmed by the Senate, five progressive members of the House, led by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D.-NY, issued a statement in August agitating for a new Fed chair. "We urge President Biden to re-imagine a Federal Reserve focused on eliminating climate risk and advancing racial and economic justice," the statement read, in part.

In the Senate, Elizabeth Warren, D.-Mass., emerged as the most high-profile Powell foe. She blasted the Fed chair at a hearing in October, calling him a "dangerous man to head up the Fed." Warren was also the only member of the Senate Banking Committee to vote against Powell's nomination in 2017.

Despite this left-wing opposition from both chambers of Congress, no one suggested the name of someone to replace Powell if Biden chose not to renominate Powell.

Randal Quarles, whose position as vice chair for supervision expired last month, recently resigned as governor, giving Biden another opportunity to fill a Fed seat.

The assumption among monetary policy wonks is that the unspoken preference of progressives was Brainars.

Brainard would most likely take a more aggressive approach to bank oversight and regulation. She also has targeted income inequality as a source of economic destabilization and pushed for the central bank to take a more active role around the financial risks of climate change, two issues that have won her fans among progressive lawmakers.

Brainard's name also came up for Treasury secretary in the Biden administration, although the White House ultimately went with Janet Yellen, the Fed chair who preceded Powell.

Yellen has expressed her support for Powell, telling CNBC, "He responded very admirably to the crisis that we saw after the pandemic, and he's established with his colleagues a new framework that is very focused on achieving full employment.

Yellen also said she had spoken with the president about his decision on the Fed leader. "I think that Chair Powell has certainly done a good job," she told CNBC.

Powell was initially appointed to be on the Fed Board of Governors by Barack Obama and took office in 2012. Nominated by Donald Trump to lead the Fed, Powell initially faced skepticism from some lawmakers, particularly on the left, because of his background in investment banking and private equity rather than economics. But since his appointment, Powell has generally enjoyed broad-based support.

For his handling of the economy, including executing unprecedented actions to keep the financial system from collapsing in the early days of the pandemic, Powell won bipartisan praise. He has frequently cited the need for economic and labor market gains to be broad and inclusive as rationale for maintaining accommodative economic policy in the wake of the pandemic-triggered recession.

"If the people who are at the margins of the economy are doing well, then the rest of it will take care of itself," Powell said in a "60 Minutes" interview on CBS in the spring. In congressional testimony, this stance has drawn approval from Democratic lawmakers and challenges from Republicans.

This was not the only criticism Powell has faced during his term. Most recently, he came under fire after two regional Fed bank presidents, Robert Kaplan of Dallas and Eric Rosengren of Boston, resigned after financial disclosures found that they had made trades during the pandemic that could benefit them financially. In response, the Fed implemented new restrictions on the financial activities officials can undertake. In a statement, Powell said that what he characterized as "tough new rules" would restore public trust in the central bank's actions.

In addition to the role of chairman, Biden had a few vacancies to fill at the Fed: There was one vacant seat on its Board of Governors when he took office, as Trump nominees Stephen Moore and Judy Shelton failed to get congressional backing.

By appointing Powell to a second term, and then choosing nominees like Brainard more aligned with progressive priorities to fill the remaining open positions, policy experts say Biden has succeeded in shaping the Fed's most influential policymaking body to conform with his administration's goals and priorities.

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Biden nominates Jerome Powell for second term as Federal Reserve chairman

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President Joe Biden on Monday renominated Jerome Powell as Federal Reserve chairman, ending months of speculation over who would run the central bank for the next four years, the White House announced in a statement.

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https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/21/us/politics/iran-nuclear-standoff.html

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As Hopes for Nuclear Deal Fade, Iran Rebuilds and Risks Grow

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With Iran’s new administration preparing for its first international nuclear negotiations, there are signs that there will be no going back to the 2015 agreement.

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https://www.cnn.com/us/live-news/wisconsin-waukesha-christmas-parade-car-plow-11-22-21/index.html

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1 min ago
President Biden will get "regular updates" on Waukesha parade incident, press secretary says

From CNN's Betsy Klein

President Biden "will receive regular updates" on the situation in Waukesha, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said this morning.

"Our hearts are with the families and the entire community," Psaki added in a tweet.

At least five people were killed and more than 40 were injured when a vehicle drove into a Christmas parade Sunday afternoon in Waukesha, Wisconsin, city officials said.

Children are among the injured, according to officials.

6 min ago
At least 5 killed in Waukesha Christmas parade crash, officials say

From CNN's Joe Sutton, Keith Allen and Travis Caldwell

Five people were killed and more than 40 were injured when a vehicle drove into a Christmas parade Sunday afternoon in Waukesha, Wisconsin, city officials said.

"These numbers may change as we collect additional information. Many people have self-transported to area hospitals," the city of Waukesha said in a Twitter post early Monday.

Witnesses described the horror of seeing individuals struck and lying on the ground after a red SUV drove through a series of barricades and barreled into the crowded parade route on Main Street around 4:39 p.m. local time.

Police Chief Daniel P. Thompson said officers are working with the Waukesha County Medical Examiner's Office to identify victims.

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live updates: at least 5 killed after suv plows into wisconsin holiday parade

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By Aditi Sangal and Meg Wagner, CNN

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Live updates: At least 5 killed after SUV plows into Wisconsin holiday parade

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1 min ago From CNN's Betsy Klein President Biden "will receive regular updates" on the situation in Waukesha, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said this morning. "Our hearts are with the families and the entire community," Psaki added in a tweet.

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$750 million lawsuit filed against Travis Scott, Drake on behalf of Astroworld victims

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$750 million lawsuit filed against Travis Scott, Drake on behalf of Astroworld victims

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https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/750-million-lawsuit-filed-travis-scott-drake-behalf-astroworld-victims-rcna5850

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A lawsuit seeking more than $750 million was filed Tuesday on behalf of at least 125 Astroworld victims, including 21-year-old Axel Acosta, who was killed at the show.

The crowd surge at rapper Travis Scott's Houston festival left 10 people dead and many more injured. Dozens of lawsuits against Scott and Live Nation Entertainment Inc. have since been filed.

The suit, filed by Buzbee Law Firm, also list the rapper Drake, who had joined Scott halfway through his Astroworld set, and Apple Music, which was streaming the festival, as defendants, among others.

"The victims on that night went to Astroworld for fun," the suit said. "Neither they nor their families were ever warned that they were walking into an extremely dangerous situation."

Acosta "was crushed by the incited, unruly and out-of-control crowd with such force that he could no longer breathe," according to the suit. He went into cardiac arrest, and was then trampled.

"As he lay there under a mass of humanity, dying, the music played and streamed on - for almost forty minutes," the suit said. Acosta died on the scene.

The suit accuses Scott, whose real name is Jacques Bermon Webster II, of keeping the concert going even after authorities had announced a mass casualty event. Other suits have alleged the same, and Houston's fire chief, Samuel Peña, said that Scott "absolutely" should have stopped the show once he saw what was taking place.

"Look: We all have a responsibility. Everybody at that event has a responsibility, starting from the artist on down," he said last week.

His litigation attorney, Edwin McPherson has said, "Travis Scott didn't know that there was a mass casualty event that was called."

"Nobody told him, nobody told his crew. When finally somebody communicated something to his crew that this was the last song that was about 10:10, Travis said 'OK, last song' and he stopped it when he was told to stop it," McPherson said.

Scott said in an Instagram story a day after the tragedy that he was "devastated" by what took place. He has offered to pay for the funerals of the 10 people who died and refund tickets for all attendees.

"Such [an] offer is a transparent and grotesque effort of the Defendants to limit their liability, after the fact, to the families of those killed or injured," the Buzbee lawsuit said. "The Acosta family would rather Webster have privately spent money on proper planning, adequate security and medical staff before the concert, instead of publicly stating that he would pay for the funerals of those that were crushed and killed."

The suit, like many that came before it, also noted that Scott has an alleged history of encouraging violence at his shows through his lyrics and habit of encouraging crowds to ignore security and rush the stage. It pointed out that Scott told GQ that he wants his concerts to feel like a World Wrestling Federation match.

The suit also recounts the case of Kyle Green, who was paralyzed at a Travis Scott concert in New York City in 2017. Scott can be heard on video encouraging fans to jump from a third-floor balcony, ensuring them that other fans would catch them. Green has said he did not jump, but was pushed and landed on the floor.

Scott did not immediately respond to a request for comment regarding this specific suit. Live Nation, Drake, Apple and other defendants also did not respondto NBC News.

Diana Dasrath contributed.

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$750 million lawsuit filed against Travis Scott, Drake on behalf of Astroworld victims

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A lawsuit seeking more than $750 million was filed Tuesday on behalf of at least 125 Astroworld victims, including 21-year-old Axel Acosta, who was killed at the show. The crowd surge at rapper Travis Scott's Houston festival left 10 people dead and many more injured. Dozens of lawsuits against Scott and Live Nation Entertainment Inc.

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https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/yearly-drug-overdose-deaths-top-100000-first-time-rcna5656

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Drug overdose deaths in the United States surpassed 100,000 in a 12-month period for the first time, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Wednesday, a troubling milestone amid an already devastating period for the country.

The number of overdose deaths rose 29 percent, from 78,056 from April 2019 to April 2020, to 100,306 deaths in the same time period the following year. The data, from the CDC's National Center for Health Statistics, is considered provisional but is a good indication of what the final numbers will show next month.

"It's a staggering increase for one year," said Bob Anderson, chief of the mortality statistics branch at the NCHS.

Vermont saw the biggest rise, with a nearly 70 percent increase. Large increases were also observed in West Virginia (62 percent), Kentucky (55 percent), Louisiana (52 percent) and Tennessee (50 percent). Drug overdose deaths went down in just four states: Delaware, New Hampshire, New Jersey and South Dakota. South Dakota saw a nearly 20 percent decrease in overdose deaths, the greatest by far.

Deaths due to opioids - mostly synthetic opioids, including fentanyl - accounted for more than 75 percent of the deaths. Deaths due to psychostimulants, predominantly methamphetamine, also increased. Cocaine accounted for slightly more deaths in 2021 than the year before, and heroin deaths decreased.

Overdose deaths are often the result of multiple drugs, Anderson said. "They are killing people in combination, fentanyl combined with another drug such as methamphetamine or cocaine."

The overlap of the ongoing overdose epidemic and the Covid-19 pandemic has left its mark on the U.S. A separate CDC report, published in July, concluded that the combination of Covid and overdose deaths was the reason life expectancy in 2020 plunged by the largest one-year drop since World War II. The researchers estimated that an increase in deaths from accidents or unintentional injuries - one-third of which were drug overdoses - was responsible for 11 percent of the decline in life expectancy.

Just how much of a role the stress and isolation of the pandemic played in the rising overdose deaths remains to be seen.

While the two are certainly linked, the pandemic shouldn't be a scapegoat for an epidemic that was a major concern long before Covid, said Dr. Andrew Kolodny, medical director of opioid policy research at the Heller School for Social Policy and Management at Brandeis University.

"Opioid addiction is a chronic, relapsing condition such that the stress or the social isolation and the inability to access support groups could have resulted in relapses in people with opioid addiction, and Covid could have made it harder for people with opioid addiction to access treatment, as well," Kolodny said.

"But for the past few years, opioid overdose deaths in the United States have skyrocketed. We've been in the midst of a severe crisis that's getting worse and getting worse fast," Kolodny said.

Drug overdose deaths increased nearly 140 percent between 2000 and 2014. Opioid deaths rose 200 percent, CDC data shows. Overdose deaths decreased slightly between 2017 and 2018, giving experts hope that the nation was past its peak, but deaths began trending upward again the following year.

"For about 26 years, every year in the United States we would set a record for deaths from drug overdose and then the next year we would break that record. There has been this trend, which is in line with an epidemic of opioid addiction," Kolodny said, noting that deaths began to increase exponentially around 2014.

While there was a slight decline in the number of people dying of drug overdoses late last year, rates in recent months are once again accelerating, Anderson said.

"Obviously, if we don't get a handle on it, we're going to continue to have increasing deaths, and we've now already reached this grim milestone of 100,000. There's nothing special about it other than we're moving into six digits instead of five, and that's a lot of people dying," he said. "Hopefully these statistics can galvanize action from public health programs and prevention."

Sandra Comer, a professor of neurobiology at the Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, said she was "shocked and dismayed" by the figures but is hopeful that taking an "all hands on deck" approach that includes expanding access to medications like buprenorphine and methadone, which treat opioid use disorder, and naloxone, which can halt a drug overdose, will help curb drug overdose deaths in a post-pandemic world.

"Both users and their families are suffering tremendously from this," Comer said. "There are lots of efforts underway to try to come up with new and improved medications and other types of strategies for getting a handle on this and I think it will make a difference. We need to keep trying."

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'A staggering increase': Yearly drug overdose deaths top 100,000 for first time

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Drug overdose deaths in the United States surpassed 100,000 in a 12-month period for the first time, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Wednesday, a troubling milestone amid an already devastating period for the country.

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https://edition.cnn.com/2021/11/17/politics/john-hyten-china-hypersonic-weapons-test/index.html

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says china's hypersonic missile test 'went around the world'  - cnnpolitics

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Top military leader says China's hypersonic missile test 'went around the world'

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China's test of a hypersonic missile over the summer "went around the world," the second most senior US general said in an interview released Tuesday, shedding new details on the test and warning that China might one day be able to launch a surprise nuclear attack on the United States.

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https://cnnespanol.cnn.com/2021/11/17/muertes-sobredosis-opioides-nuevo-record-eeuu-cdc-trax/

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Sobredosis de opioides: una amenaza en EE.UU.

(CNN) -- La epidemia de drogas en Estados Unidos es la más mortífera que jamás haya existido, sugieren nuevos datos de las autoridades de salud federales.

Más de 100.000 personas murieron por sobredosis de drogas en Estados Unidos durante el período de 12 meses que terminó en abril de 2021, según datos provisionales publicados este miércoles por el Centro Nacional de Estadísticas de Salud (NCHS por sus siglas en inglés) de los Centros para el Control y la Prevención de Enfermedades de Estados Unidos, CDC.

La cifra es un nuevo récord, y las muertes por sobredosis aumentaron en un 28,5% con respecto al mismo período del año anterior.

El origen de la demanda en contra de las farmacéuticas

Los datos provisionales recientes sobre muertes por sobredosis de drogas reflejan las que ocurrieron entre mayo de 2020 y abril de 2021. El covid-19 mató a unas 509.000 personas en ese mismo período de tiempo, según datos de la Universidad Johns Hopkins.

Los opioides continúan siendo la causa principal de muertes por sobredosis de drogas. Los opioides sintéticos, principalmente el fentanilo, causaron casi dos tercios (64%) de todas las muertes por sobredosis de drogas en el período de 12 meses que finalizó en abril de 2021, un 49% más que el año anterior.

Las causas de las muertes por sobredosis de drogas en Estados Unidos

La pandemia de covid-19 y el aumento en el uso de fentanilo han sido factores clave en el aumento del número de muertes por sobredosis, dicen los expertos.

"Lo que estamos viendo son los efectos de estos patrones de crisis y la aparición de medicamentos más peligrosos a precios mucho más bajos", dijo a CNN la Dra. Nora Volkow, directora del Instituto Nacional sobre el Abuso de Drogas.

Las muertes por sobredosis de metanfetamina y otros psicoestimulantes también aumentaron significativamente, un 48% más que el año pasado. Representaron más de una cuarta parte de todas las muertes por sobredosis en el último período de 12 meses. Las muertes por cocaína y analgésicos recetados también aumentaron en comparación con el año anterior, pero no tan drásticamente.

Incluso cuando el país se reabre y la sociedad regresa a cierta normalidad prepandémica, los expertos dicen que la gente seguirá muriendo por sobredosis de drogas a tasas muy altas si no se toman medidas para mejorar significativamente el acceso al tratamiento.

"Incluso si el covid-19 se fuera mañana, todavía tendríamos un problema. Lo que tendrá un impacto es una mejora dramática en el acceso al tratamiento", dijo el Dr. Andrew Kolodny, director médico de investigación de políticas de opioides en la Escuela Heller de Política y Gestión Social de la Universidad de Brandeis. "Si realmente queremos dar la vuelta a la esquina, tenemos que llegar a un punto en el que el tratamiento para la adicción a los opioides sea más fácil de acceder que el fentanilo, la heroína o los opioides recetados".

Claves para entender el juicio contra Johnson y Johnson

Principales causas de muerte en EE.UU.

Los datos provisionales de muertes por sobredosis son actualizados mensualmente por el NCHS y están sujetos a cambios, ya que las muertes por sobredosis de drogas a menudo requieren una "investigación extensa, incluyendo pruebas de toxicología" para confirmar la causa de la muerte.

En 2019, las enfermedades cardíacas fueron la principal causa de muerte en EE.UU., según datos de los CDC, causando casi 660.000 muertes. El cáncer causó casi 600.000 muertes en 2019, mientras que los accidentes, las enfermedades crónicas de las vías respiratorias inferiores, los accidentes cerebrovasculares y la enfermedad de Alzheimer también causaron más de 100.000 muertes cada uno.

Estas cifras reflejan actualizaciones anuales finales y no son directamente comparables con los datos provisionales.

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Muertes por sobredosis de drogas alcanzan un nuevo récord en EE.UU.

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Sobredosis de opioides: una amenaza en EE.UU. (CNN) -- La epidemia de drogas en Estados Unidos es la más mortífera que jamás haya existido, sugieren nuevos datos de las autoridades de salud federales.

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https://www.politico.com/news/2021/11/17/vaccine-mandate-scotus-522797

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If the Supreme Court were to embrace that line of thinking, it could "have serious implications on the constitutionality" of other OSHA rules and regulations, said Benjamin Noren, associate chair of the Labor and Employment group at the law firm Davidoff Hutcher & Citron.

"If the Supreme Court says that the statute granting OSHA authority is vague and imprecise, you could see a number of challenges to OSHA regulations relating to workplace hazards that have gone unchallenged for many years," he added.

First, though, the fight over the rule will play out before the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals, which has a more than 2-to-1 majority of Republican-appointed judges.

The Cincinnati-based federal court was selected to hear the cases in a lottery conducted Tuesday by an obscure federal judicial panel. Because multiple challenges were filed in several appeals circuits, judicial rules trigger a lottery system to select which court takes up the legal dispute.

But that court is unlikely to have the final say - as either losing party could ultimately appeal the challenge to the Supreme Court.

The Labor Department released the vaccine-or-test rule as an "emergency temporary standard." Under the law that created OSHA, the 1970 OSH Act, the Secretary of Labor is authorized to issue such standards if he or she determines "that employees are exposed to grave danger from exposure to substances or agents determined to be toxic or physically harmful or from new hazards," and that the rule is "necessary" to protect workers from that danger.

Critics say the vaccine-or-test mandate exceeds those parameters.

The lawmakers who voted to create the OSHA in the 1970s were "not talking about a statute intended to cover general viruses out in the atmosphere. We're talking about people who get hurt, or injured or sick at work, and what can we do to help prevent that," said James J. Sullivan, Jr., former chair of the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission, which reviews OSHA enforcement actions.

"That's the big overreach. And I think if the Supreme Court gets the [case], that's what they're going to find," said Sullivan, now co-chair of the workplace safety practice at Cozen O'Connor.

Randi May, an attorney who represents employers and is a partner at law firm Hoguet Newman Regal & Kenney, LLP, said that if the court were to find that Covid-19 did not present a "grave danger," as businesses challenging the mandate argue, it could hamstring OSHA's ability to issue emergency rules in the future.

"Because if this isn't a grave danger, I don't know what is," she said.

Still, former OSHA officials say they are confident the vaccine-or-test emergency standard won't be thrown out.

"I think it has a strong chance of surviving legal challenges," said Jordan Barab, former deputy assistant secretary at OSHA during the Obama administration. "I think it's clear that COVID-19 is a significant grave danger, especially for employees who are not vaccinated and even employees who are working with unvaccinated employees. And I think it's also clear that this standard is needed to address that hazard."

The Labor Department argued that it is squarely within its right under the law to issue the standard, in its response to a stay issued by a Louisiana-based appeals court earlier this month.

"The COVID-19 virus is both a physically harmful agent and a new hazard. It readily fits the definition of an 'agent,'" the department argued. "OSHA also reasonably concluded that the COVID-19 virus presents a 'grave danger,' which encompasses threats 'of incurable, permanent, or fatal consequences to workers,'" the agency said, pointing to prior court precedent on OSHA's emergency standard authority.

The Justice Department declined to comment for this article.

Some businesses have argued that even if the courts find OSHA didn't exceed its authority under the law, its action is nonetheless unconstitutional. They cite the non-delegation doctrine, an administrative law principle that says Congress cannot pass off its legislative authority to executive agencies.

Two Wisconsin-based manufacturers made this argument in one of the lawsuits filed against the vaccine rule in the 7th Circuit Court, suggesting that OSHA's power should be limited to policing hazards "unique to the workplace."

"A statute permitting any 'necessary' regulation to address any 'grave danger' has no logical stopping point," the manufacturers said in their challenge. If the emergency rule is upheld, they argue, "then what principle would limit the statute's application to seasonal influenza, obesity, or a host of other hazards? Such hazards pose a 'grave danger' if COVID does."

The Supreme Court has only twice struck down laws under the non-delegation doctrine, and the last time was nearly a century ago.

But the current 6-3 conservative majority on the court also appears poised to place some limits on agency actions. The justices cited concerns about delegation in the their ruling in August striking down the Biden administration's eviction moratorium.

Pointing to that decision, businesses suing over the vaccine rule argued in a court filing Tuesday that "the message... is clear: there is not a pandemic exception to the Constitution. A public health emergency (especially one that has been ongoing for over 20 months) does not grant the government free-ranging authority to do whatever it wants in the name of 'controlling' the virus."

The high court has also agreed to consider a similar argument over whether to curb the Environmental Protection Agency's ability to regulate carbon emissions.

Ultimately, if the court rules against the vaccine-or-test mandate under the non-delegation principle, it could open the door to challenges to regulations from other agencies beyond the Labor Department.

"It's possible anytime the court takes up a challenge to a regulation with a non-delegation argument that's being made, that the court could then issue a decision that would not only sharply limit that agency's authority to do other things beyond the regulation that's been challenged," said Lindsay Wiley, director of American University's Health Law and Policy program, "but also potentially change the entire landscape of federal administrative law and federal regulation."

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Legal brawl over Biden's vaccine mandate could curb other workplace safety efforts

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If the Supreme Court were to embrace that line of thinking, it could "have serious implications on the constitutionality" of other OSHA rules and regulations, said Benjamin Noren, associate chair of the Labor and Employment group at the law firm Davidoff Hutcher & Citron.

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More than 100,000 Americans died from drug overdoses in the yearlong period ending in April, government researchers said.

A memorial service in Baltimore last year for a man who died of an overdose. Overdose deaths have more than doubled since 2015. Credit... Andrew Mangum for The New York Times

Americans died of drug overdoses in record numbers as the pandemic spread across the country, federal researchers reported on Wednesday, the result of lost access to treatment, rising mental health problems and wider availability of dangerously potent new street drugs.

In the 12-month period that ended in April, more than 100,000 Americans died of overdoses, up almost 30 percent from the 78,000 deaths in the prior year, according to provisional figures from the National Center for Health Statistics. The figure marks the first time the number of overdose deaths in the United States has exceeded 100,000 a year, more than the toll of car accidents and guns combined. Overdose deaths have more than doubled since 2015.

Though recent figures through September suggest the rise in deaths may have slowed, the grim threshold nonetheless signals a public health crisis whose magnitude was both obscured by the Covid pandemic and accelerated by it, experts said.

"These are numbers we have never seen before," Dr. Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, said of the tally. The fatalities have wide repercussions, since most of them occur among people aged 25 to 55, in the prime of life, she added.

"They leave behind friends, family and children, if they have children, so there are a lot of downstream consequences," Dr. Volkow said. "This is a major challenge to our society."

The rise in deaths - the vast majority caused by synthetic opioids - was fueled by widespread use of fentanyl, a fast-acting drug that is 100 times more powerful than morphine. Increasingly fentanyl is added surreptitiously to other illegally manufactured drugs to enhance their potency.

Overdose deaths related to use of stimulants like methamphetamine, cocaine, and natural and semi-synthetic opioids, such as prescription pain medication, also increased during the 12-month period.

Paramedics in Brooklyn, Md., responded to a patient in cardiac arrest after an overdose in May 2020. Credit... Alex Edelman/Agence France-Presse - Getty Images

Fentanyl's ubiquity, combined with the unique social conditions caused by the pandemic, have combined to create a perfect storm, experts said. While some drug users seek out fentanyl, Dr. Volkow said, others "may not have wanted to take it. But that is what is being sold, and the risk of overdose is very high."

"Many people are dying without knowing what they are ingesting," she added.

People struggling with addiction and those in recovery are prone to relapse. The initial pandemic lockdowns and subsequent fraying of social networks, along with the rise in mental health disorders like anxiety and depression, helped create a health maelstrom.

So, too, did the postponement of treatment for substance abuse disorders, as health care providers nationwide struggled to tend to huge numbers of coronavirus patients and postponed other services.

Dr. Joseph Lee, president and chief executive of the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation, said that community and social support that was lost during the pandemic, along with the closing of schools, contributed to rising overdose deaths. "We're seeing a lot of people who delayed getting help, and who seem to be more sick," Dr. Lee said.

The vast majority of these deaths, about 70 percent, were among men between the ages of 25 and 54. And while the opioid crisis has been characterized as one primarily impacting white Americans, a growing number of Black Americans have been affected as well.

There were regional variations in the death counts, with the largest year-over-year increases - exceeding 50 percent - in California, Tennessee, Louisiana, Mississippi, West Virginia and Kentucky. Vermont's toll was small, but increased by 85 percent during the reporting period.

Increases of about 40 percent or greater were seen in Washington State, Oregon, Nevada, Colorado, Minnesota, Alaska, Nebraska, Virginia and the Carolinas. Deaths actually dropped in New Hampshire, New Jersey and South Dakota.

"If we had talked a year ago, I would have told you, 'Deaths are skyrocketing.' But I would not have guessed it would get to this," said Dr. Andrew Kolodny, medical director of the Opioid Policy Research Collaborative at Brandeis University's Heller School for Social Policy and Management.

A police officer and a member of Turning Point recovery center in Battleboro, Vt., checked in on people struggling with addiction last year. Credit... Hilary Swift for The New York Times

Most of those who died probably already suffered from addiction, or were in recovery and relapsed, an ever-present risk exacerbated during times of stress and isolation, Dr. Kolodny said. And many of those with an addiction to synthetic opioids very likely became addicted after being given prescription opioids by medical providers.

"Teenagers are routinely being given opioids to this day when their wisdom teeth come out," he said.

President Biden's American Rescue Plan Act includes $1.5 billion for the prevention and treatment of substance use disorders, and $30 million to fund local services for people struggling with addiction, including syringe exchange programs.

Federal funds can also be used now to buy rapid fentanyl test strips that people can use to check whether drugs have been laced with fentanyl.

But critics say the response has been inadequate given the magnitude of the public health emergency. They have called for new funding streams to provide universal access to treatment, and for treatment centers in every county that offer same-day access to substance abuse treatment.

For example, physicians still need federal permission to prescribe buprenorphine, a first-line treatment for opioid use disorder, which limits the number of providers.

"If you really want to see deaths comes down, you have to make it much easier for someone who is addicted to opioids to access treatment, particularly with buprenorphine," Dr. Kolodny said.

"It has to be easier to get treatment than to buy a bag of dope."

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Overdose Deaths Reached Record High as the Pandemic Spread

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More than 100,000 Americans died from drug overdoses in the yearlong period ending in April, government researchers said. Americans died of drug overdoses in record numbers as the pandemic spread across the country, federal researchers reported on Wednesday, the result of lost access to treatment, rising mental health problems and wider availability of dangerously potent new street drugs.

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https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/qanon-shaman-sentenced-3-years-role-capitol-riot-rcna5825

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WASHINGTON - The Arizona man known as the "QAnon Shaman" will serve 41 months in prison after he stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, a federal judge ruled Wednesday.

In handing down the sentence for the man, Jacob Chansley, U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth said: "What you did was horrific, obstructing the functioning of the government. What you did was terrible. You made yourself the epitome of the riot."

Chansley, 34, stood out among the rioters on Jan. 6 by appearing shirtless with face paint, wearing a furry headdress with horns and carrying a U.S. flag and a bullhorn.

Chansley spoke at length in court before his sentencing.

"I admit to the world I was wrong. I have no excuses. My behavior was indefensible," he said.

But he was adamant that he is not a dangerous criminal, saying: "I am not a violent man or a white supremacist. I am truly repentant." He said he suffers from a personality disorder and is on the autism spectrum.

Federal prosecutors had asked that Chansley, who pleaded guilty in September to a single count of felony obstruction of an official proceeding, serve 51 months, followed by three years of supervised release. They also asked that he pay $2,000 in restitution.

Prosecutorsdescribed Chansley as the "public face of the Capitol riot" in a sentencing memo.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly Paschall said at the hearing that in the months leading up to the attack, Chansley "posted vitriolic messages on social media, encouraging his thousands of followers to expose corrupt politicians, to ID the traitors in the government, to halt their agenda, to stop the steal, and end the deep state."

"That was a call to battle," she said.

Defense lawyer Albert Watkins said Chansley's bizarre appearance and behavior on Jan. 6 were indicators of mental health problems.

"He was not an organizer. He was not a planner. He was not violent. He was not destructive. He was not a thief," he said.

Chansley was among the initial throng to enter the building, and once he was there, he used a bullhorn "to rile up the crowd and demand that lawmakers be brought out," according to the sentencing memo.

In the Senate gallery, Chansley shouted obscenities and scaled the chamber's dais, the memo continued. There, he photographed himself, refused to leave when officers ordered him to and left a note that read: "It's Only A Matter of Time. Justice Is Coming!"

Prosecutors added that Chansley, who promoted the far-right QAnon conspiracy theory, used social media to spread "false information and hateful rhetoric" that inflamed the riot.

In an email last week, Watkins said prosecutors' recommendation was "willfully delusional" and "shameful." He described Chansley as a "young, gentle man with zero criminal history and long standing mental health vulnerabilities."

Watkins said after the sentencing that Chansley "is absolutely embracing being held accountable." He said that former President Donald Trump is "no longer important to him" and that he is focused instead on his mental health.

In January, Chansley asked Trump to pardon him, saying he accepted the president's invitation to go to the Capitol. After Trump left office, Chansley announced his disappointment and volunteered to testify against him at the Senate impeachment trial.

In addition to the prison term, Lamberth ordered Chansley to pay $2,000 in restitution. He must also serve three years of supervised release after he completes his prison term.

Chansley is one of more than 650 people to have been charged in the Jan. 6 riot; 132 people have pleaded guilty, most of them to misdemeanors.
Pete Williams reported from Washington, Tim Stelloh reported from California and Marlene Lenthang reported from New York.

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'QAnon Shaman' is sentenced to over 3 years in prison for role in Capitol riot

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WASHINGTON - The Arizona man known as the "QAnon Shaman" will serve 41 months in prison after he stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, a federal judge ruled Wednesday. In handing down the sentence for the man, Jacob Chansley, U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth said: "What you did was horrific, obstructing the functioning of the government.

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https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/17/us/politics/paul-gosar-video.html

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The Democratic-led House is expected to formally rebuke the Arizona Republican, meting out a rarely used punishment for the first time in over a decade.

Democrats in the House plan to hold a vote on censuring Representative Paul Gosar, Republican of Arizona, and stripping him of his seats on the Oversight and Natural Resources Committees. Credit... Pool photo by Bill Clark

WASHINGTON - House Democrats will move on Wednesday to censure Representative Paul Gosar, Republican of Arizona, and strip him of committee assignments for posting an animated video depicting him killing a Democratic member of Congress and assaulting President Biden.

The vote to censure, the most severe punishment the House of Representatives can mete out short of expulsion, comes a week after Mr. Gosar used his official social media accounts to circulate the video clip, borrowed from a popular anime program. The video was altered to show a figure with Mr. Gosar's face slashing the neck of another figure bearing the face of Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Democrat of New York, and swinging swords at Mr. Biden.

Democrats will also move to oust Mr. Gosar from his seats on the House Oversight and Natural Resources Committees, shutting him out of any opportunity to influence legislation or oversight in Congress.

The censure would be the first since the chamber took the same action in 2010 against Representative Charles B. Rangel, Democrat of New York, who was found guilty of tax evasion and other ethical violations after a monthslong investigation by the Ethics Committee.

But there was one major difference: that action was taken by a Democratic House against a prominent and powerful Democratic member. Mr. Gosar is a backbench member of the minority party, and Republicans have refused to publicly condemn his conduct or penalize him in any way.

While a censure is one of the harshest punishments the House can deliver, it is a largely symbolic gesture meant to publicly disgrace the lawmaker who is named. It requires a simple majority vote, and for the member in question to stand on the House floor before his peers to receive a verbal rebuke and recitation of his transgression.

House leaders have historically shied away from using the punishment to discipline lawmakers; fewer than two dozen members have been censured since the early 19th century.

But the move to censure Mr. Gosar reflects deep-seated outrage among Democrats at what they regard as an incitement to violence against a political foe, coming at a time when mainstream Republicans have grown increasingly tolerant of menacing statements and their core supporters appear primed to act on such language, as some did during the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol.

"Is there no decorum around here anymore? Is there no decency?" asked Representative Jim McGovern, Democrat of Massachusetts. "Threats against members of Congress are on the rise. We cannot sit back and accept actions like this as if they are the new normal."

Speaker Nancy Pelosi told reporters at the Capitol on Wednesday that Mr. Gosar's conduct constituted "an emergency" that must be addressed by the House.

Mr. Gosar, who has long elevated conspiracies and other bizarre content from the far-right reaches of the internet, has not apologized for posting the video, instead trying to play down its significance. He claimed in a statement that it was nothing more than a "symbolic portrayal of a fight over immigration policy" and said he would not "espouse violence or harm toward any member of Congress." He has privately blamed aides for posting it.

"It is a symbolic cartoon," Mr. Gosar said in a statement. "It is not real life."

In practice, Mr. Gosar may be more affected by the move to strip him of his committee assignments - especially his post on the Natural Resources panel, a crucial perch for an Arizona lawmaker.

Still, after Democrats moved to unilaterally strip Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, Republican of Georgia, of her committee assignments for social media posts made before her election in which she endorsed violence against Democrats in Congress, hard-right voters rallied to her side and she posted record fund-raising numbers.

Some Republicans have warned that when they are in the majority - which could come as soon as 2023 - they will not hesitate to take advantage of the precedents set by Democrats in wielding their power against individual members of the minority party.

"In future years, this precedent may be used to give the majority veto power over the minority's committee assignments," said Representative Tom Cole, Republican of Oklahoma. "That's a dangerous, dark road for the institution to go down."

In earlier days of the republic, censure was far more common, and its use often reflected the era. The first censure, in 1842, landed on Representative William Stanbery for insulting the speaker.

Then came the run-up to and prosecution of the Civil War: Joshua Giddings was censured in 1842 for presenting a series of antislavery resolutions that violated a House gag rule against even discussing slavery; Laurence M. Keitt, in 1856, for assisting the infamous caning of an abolitionist senator by a pro-slavery House member; then two members in 1864 for encouraging and supporting the Confederacy.

Between 1866 and 1875, 11 members were censured for actual violence - Lovell H. Rouseau for assaulting Representative Josiah Grinnell with a cane - corruption (such as selling military academy appointments) and "unparliamentary language."

Censure fell out of favor and the bar was raised considerably during the 20th century. In 1978, Representative Charles H. Diggs was censured after he was convicted on 11 counts of mail fraud and 18 counts of false statements in a payroll fraud investigation.

On one day in 1983, Representatives Gerry E. Studds and Daniel B. Crane were both censured for having sex with 17-year-old congressional pages, criminal offenses that would likely warrant a far more dramatic response today than a public shaming on the House floor.

The censure in 2010 of Mr. Rangel, the chairman of the powerful Ways and Means Committee, came after he had been found by the Ethics panel to have committed 11 violations.

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House is Set to Censure Paul Gosar for Violent Video

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The Democratic-led House is expected to formally rebuke the Arizona Republican, meting out a rarely used punishment for the first time in over a decade. WASHINGTON - House Democrats will move on Wednesday to censure Representative Paul Gosar, Republican of Arizona, and strip him of committee assignments for posting an animated video depicting him killing a Democratic member of Congress and assaulting President Biden.

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https://edition.cnn.com/2021/11/17/china/xi-biden-summit-beijing-victory-mic-intl-hnk/index.html

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xi jinping's meeting with joe biden yielded no major breakthroughs. but china has already claimed victory - cnn

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Analysis by Nectar Gan and Steve George, CNN

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Biden-Xi meeting yielded no major breakthroughs. But Beijing has already claimed victory

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Virtual summit between US President Joe Biden and Chinese leader Xi Jinping saw no substantive policy on key issues but established a dialogue that can potentially ease tensions and allow for a return to a more constructive, stable relationship.

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Nearly 1 million kids under age 12 have had the Covid vaccine, WH says

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Nearly 1 million kids under age 12 have had the Covid vaccine, WH says

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https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/nearly-1-million-kids-age-12-covid-vaccine-rcna4973

Joseph

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About 900,000 children ages 5 to 11 are estimated to have received their first Covid-19 shot within the first week of eligibility, the Biden administration announced Wednesday.

Approximately 700,000 more have appointments to get their first dose, Jeff Zients, the White House Covid-19 response coordinator, said during a press briefing.

The numbers, Zients said, are an estimate based on preliminary data from 20,000 clinics and pharmacies nationwide.
Full coverage of the Covid-19 pandemic
Dr. David Kimberlin, co-director of the division of pediatric infectious diseases at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, called the vaccination efforts so far a "good start," considering that vaccines in many areas of the country are just now reaching their destinations.

"To already have as many vaccinated as we have over this past week is solid," Kimberlin said. "My hope is that it not only maintains but accelerates over these next few weeks."

The Biden administration's calculations may not yet truly reflect the actual numbers of kids vaccinated. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has not confirmed the data Zients cited, but said it is actively working on collecting and releasing those numbers.

"With new places coming online, there is a bit of a data delay in terms of getting those data to us," CDC director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said during Wednesday's briefing.

The CDC cleared the way for children in this age group to get Pfizer-BioNTech's Covid-19 vaccine on Nov. 2.

Dr. Sean O'Leary, vice chair of the committee on infectious diseases for the American Academy of Pediatrics, said he has seen a lot of joy and enthusiasm in clinics, "with parents who are so relieved to get their kids vaccinated."

The numbers represent about 3 percent of the more than 28 million children ages 5 to 11 now eligible for the shots.

Pfizer previously reported that its vaccine is more than 90 percent effective against symptomatic illness in this age group.

The White House said clinics and children's hospitals nationwide have been rolling out the shots. Minnesota, officials said, has set up more than 1,000 locations, including one in the Mall of America, which has administered more than 4,000 shots.

Public health officials in Vermont have also seen a surge in parents ready to sign their children up. Just over 1,100 children in that age group have had their first dose, according to the state's health department. An additional 17,000 have appointments.

That may be an underestimate; those numbers only reflect appointments made through the health department.

Despite the increase in childhood vaccinations, it will most likely be January before the shots make a difference in the number of people sickened with Covid-19, Kelly Dougherty, deputy health commissioner for the Vermont Department of Health, said.

The vaccines require two doses, three weeks apart. People are not considered "fully vaccinated" until two weeks after the last dose.

"We are really counting on that to help us lessen our case counts," Dougherty said, not just among children, but for those more vulnerable to the virus.

In California, more than 110,000 kids ages 5 to 11 have had their first dose, said Dr. Erica Pan, state epidemiologist with the California Department of Public Health.

"This is a really wonderful opportunity to protect our young children," Pan said.

"A lot of people think that kids are not as impacted as far as infections or serious infections," she said, "but we are seeing a larger proportion of 5 to 11 year olds with cases.

Indeed, while children have not been as severely affected by the coronavirus as adults, they can develop serious complications, including long Covid and an inflammatory syndrome that affects multiple organs, called MIS-C. That syndrome is most common in kids ages 5 to 11.

And infections among kids have continued to rise in recent weeks. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, the number of new pediatric cases of Covid-19 has remained above 100,000 each week for more than three months.

Overall since the start of the pandemic, nearly 2 million Covid cases have been reported among children ages 5 to 11.

It is too soon to get a full picture of the kinds of side effects kids may have, but the AAP's O'Leary said they could be mild because the kids' doses are a third of what people 12 and older get: 10 micrograms versus 30 micrograms.

"Things like fever and chills appear to be less in this age group than in older kids," he said.

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Nearly 1 million kids under age 12 have had the Covid vaccine, WH says

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About 900,000 children ages 5 to 11 are estimated to have received their first Covid-19 shot within the first week of eligibility, the Biden administration announced Wednesday. Approximately 700,000 more have appointments to get their first dose, Jeff Zients, the White House Covid-19 response coordinator, said during a press briefing.

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https://cnnespanol.cnn.com/2021/11/10/canciller-cubano-estados-unidos-disturbios-orix/

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¿Por qué protestan los cubanos este 15 de noviembre?

(CNN) -- El canciller de Cuba, Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla, criticó este miércoles al gobierno de Estados Unidos por lo que dijo que era una campaña para "provocar situaciones de sufrimiento en nuestro pueblo, con la esperanza de crear las condiciones para un colapso social".

Rodríguez Parrilla culpó al gobierno de Biden por los planes de los grupos de oposición para realizar protestas pacíficas en Cuba este lunes, a pesar de que los funcionarios cubanos han prometido no permitir que las manifestaciones se lleven a cabo. Funcionarios estadounidenses han amenazado con imponer sanciones contra la isla dirigida por los comunistas si los manifestantes son arrestados por la policía cubana.

En julio, miles de cubanos salieron a las calles para pedir libertad y mejores condiciones económicas en lo que se cree que son las protestas antigubernamentales más grandes desde la revolución de 1959. Después de las protestas, el gobierno de Cuba tomó medidas enérgicas contra los manifestantes con juicios masivos y largas penas de prisión.

Este miércoles, Rodríguez Parrilla dijo que Facebook había amplificado las críticas contra el gobierno cubano y había hecho parecer que en la isla vivían más críticos del gobierno que en la realidad.

"Facebook podría fácilmente, con un estricto cumplimiento de la ley, ser demandado por estas prácticas contra Cuba", dijo.

Rodríguez Parrilla también dijo que el Departamento de Estado había ofrecido este viernes a la embajada cubana en Washington "con muchas condiciones" un millón de dosis de vacunas contra el coronavirus para la isla.

El canciller de Cuba calificó la oferta de "oportunista" y dijo que Cuba estaría dispuesta a donar sus propias vacunas de cosecha propia, junto con las vacunas ofrecidas por Estados Unidos, a un tercer país que las necesitara.

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Canciller de Cuba acusa a Estados Unidos de causar disturbios en la isla

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El canciller de Cuba, Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla, criticó este miércoles al gobierno de Estados Unidos por lo que dijo que era una campaña para "provocar situaciones de sufrimiento en nuestro pueblo, con la esperanza de crear las condiciones para un colapso social".

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https://www.foxnews.com/us/nyc-man-subway-attack-video-transit-crime

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NYC man repeatedly punches, drags woman out of subway elevator as transit crime surges

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The NYPD is looking for a suspect who was caught on video brutally punching a woman before dragging her out of a subway elevator and robbing her earlier this month.

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https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/elections/gop-recruitment-struggles-give-democrats-hope-2022-senate-fight-n1283621

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WASHINGTON - They lost the governor's race in Virginia. They had a bad scare in New Jersey. They're the clear underdogs in the battle for the U.S. House. But Democrats saw glimmers of hope in the fight for the Senate on Tuesday when a top Republican prospect decided not to run.

In New Hampshire, popular Republican Gov. Chris Sununu shocked party leaders when he announced that he wouldn't launch a bid for a Democratic-held seat, preferring instead to seek re-election for a fourth term as governor.

With one-third of the Senate up for grabs next year and a handful of competitive states likely to decide control, Democrats are looking for any advantage as they try to defend their majority. They've been getting some help recently from Republicans.

From New England to Arizona, Republicans are struggling to land top-tier recruits even as the deteriorating political climate for Democrats puts them in a strong position to win back the chamber. Party operatives find themselves having to keep a close eye on several Senate hopefuls they see as unelectable, a familiar problem for the GOP.

Brian Walsh, a former Senate GOP campaign operative, said he sees "echoes of 2010" in the pro-Republican political environment and the potential for subpar candidates to cost Republicans the majority.

"Arguably, Republicans lost five seats between 2010 and 2012 because of bad general election candidates," he said. "I'm not saying that's necessarily going to happen here. We don't know that yet. But broadly, candidates matter."

This time around, the midterm battle has taken on a new tenor with former President Donald Trump picking favorites, enforcing loyalty tests and lashing out at prospective candidates who criticized his attempts to overturn the 2020 election results. Trump's intense support among core GOP voters requires Republican candidates to walk a tightrope - appearing as his enemy can be politically fatal in a primary, but embracing him risks alienating crucial swing voters in a general election.

"All things equal, Sununu taking a pass is an unequivocally positive development for Democrats," said Liam Donovan, a lobbyist and former Senate Republican campaign aide. "But in addition to recruiting breaks, Dems need the national environment to improve considerably over the next year or they stand losing to a less heralded group of GOP majority makers."

David Bergstein, a spokesman for the Democrats' Senate campaign arm, said that Sununu's decision was "a massive recruitment failure" by Republicans and that the GOP was elevating candidates with "major personal and political flaws" in what he predicted would be "vicious, expensive primaries."

In an interview Tuesday, Sununu acknowledged that he was under enormous pressure to run for the Senate and that his decision had let people down. But he said the GOP's wins last week in Virginia - where Gov.-elect Glenn Youngkin, a politically untested Republican, won in a state President Joe Biden carried by 10 percentage points last year - showed it doesn't always take a big-name recruit to win.

"There are other candidates that can definitely beat Sen. Hassan," Sununu said, referring to Maggie Hassan, a Democrat who is seeking a second term next year. "And it isn't a matter of just holding a 51st vote, but there's probably 53 or 54 Republican wins out there at least to be had across this country. So it doesn't all hinge on me."

Democrats are defending seats in Arizona, Georgia, New Hampshire and Nevada, which Republicans see as their best pickup opportunities. Republicans, meanwhile, are defending an open seat in Pennsylvania, which may be Democrats' best hope to flip a seat. The GOP is also trying to hold on to potentially competitive seats in North Carolina and Wisconsin, with Ohio and Missouri as outside prospects for Democratic pickups.

Republicans have concerns about their top primary candidates in several of those states. In Pennsylvania, Sean Parnell, whom Trump endorsed, denied his estranged wife's accusations of abuse at a custody hearing this week. In Georgia, former football star Herschel Walker is seen as a front-runner thanks to Trump's endorsement, even though The Associated Press, citing court records and documents, reported about accusations that Walker threatened to kill his ex-wife. And in Missouri, former Gov. Eric Greitens is attempting a comeback after sexual misconduct allegations appeared to have derailed his career.

Walker has denied the accusations in the past, while Greitens has admitted having an extramarital affair but denied any criminal behavior.

In other states, GOP prospects with far less baggage have resisted calls to run for the Senate. Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey has been recruited, but he signaled that he's not interested. Trump has belittled Ducey, vowing not to endorse him after he certified Biden's victory in Arizona.

"Mark Kelly would much prefer to be running against Mark Brnovich than Ducey, whether Brnovich carries his nunchucks around with him or not," said Andy Barr, an Arizona-based Democratic strategist.

Brnovich, Arizona's nunchuck-wielding attorney general and a leading candidate in the crowded GOP Senate, has come under pressure from Trump to use his office to give an official imprimatur to his false claims of massive voter fraud in the 2020 election.

Some Republicans see chances to score wins in deep blue states like Maryland and Vermont or at least force Democrats to spend extra money playing defense - if only the states' popular moderate Republican governors were willing to take the leap.

Vermont Gov. Phil Scott won re-election by 15 percentage points in 2018, the same year his famously progressive state overwhelmingly handed independent Sen. Bernie Sanders a third term. But Scott, who didn't vote for Trump and is at odds with his national party on some key issues, has said he has no interest in a Senate bid, even though he's the only Republican in the state who could pose a real threat to Democratic Sen. Patrick Leahy next year.

Doug Mayer, a Republican strategist and adviser to Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, said that the interest in Hogan's running for the Senate next year "has been high for a while" and that it increased after the strong GOP performances last week in Virginia and New Jersey.

But Hogan - a rare two-term Republican governor who has been critical of Trump - has said he has no plans to run. "Nothing that's happened recently has changed that," Mayer said Tuesday.

Justin Barasky, a Democratic media strategist who works on Senate races, said more moderate Republicans have resisted running because "there's no room for sanity in the Republican Party."

"Look who's retired in the Senate: Rob Portman, Roy Blunt, Pat Toomey. These are people who, although they are Republicans, would come to the table on certain issues," he said.

Donovan said Republicans may simply need to get out of their own way and let the election be a referendum on Biden, whose popularity has fallen in recent months.

"The key will be navigating primaries and unifying behind candidates who can allow the race to be about the incumbent and the president rather than themselves and the previous White House occupant," he said.

Danny Barefoot, a Democratic strategist who ran a recent focus group of suburban women in Virginia who voted for Biden and then backed Youngkin, said he was celebrating Sununu's decision with some friends before one of them offered a bracing reality check.

"The joke's going to be on us if the environment is so bad that Republicans end up nominating some third-rate Trumpy person who was probably at the [Jan. 6] insurrection - and we end up losing anyway," he said.

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Republican recruitment struggles give Democrats hope in 2022 Senate fight

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WASHINGTON - They lost the governor's race in Virginia. They had a bad scare in New Jersey. They're the clear underdogs in the battle for the U.S. House. But Democrats saw glimmers of hope in the fight for the Senate on Tuesday when a top Republican prospect decided not to run.

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https://www.cnn.com/2021/11/10/economy/consumer-price-inflation-october/index.html

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key inflation measure records biggest jump in more than 30 years - cnn

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America's prices are surging more than they have in 30 years

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There's no end in sight for higher prices. US consumer price inflation surged higher again in October, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Wednesday.

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Houston Astroworld Tragedy

There are worries about conflicts of interest in the criminal investigation into the deaths of eight concertgoers during Mr. Scott's performance at the Astroworld festival.

Travis Scott at the Astroworld festival in Houston on Friday. The city's police chief announced a criminal investigation after the concert, where eight people were killed. Credit... Photo by Erika Goldring/WireImage via Getty Images

HOUSTON - As his music career ascended, Travis Scott developed more than the usual ties between a rap megastar and his hometown leaders. He knew the Houston police chief. His mother gave away turkeys with the mayor on Thanksgiving. He received a key to the city.

Those connections have added a layer of complication to an already freighted criminal investigation into the deaths of eight young concertgoers, who collapsed as a crowd surged toward the stage while Mr. Scott performed on Friday night during his Astroworld festival in Houston.

Houston police officers had been providing security, both on the clock and moonlighting as employees of the event organizers, according to city officials. Now the same Police Department, along with the city's Fire Department, is in charge of the investigation.

Among the questions that touch on the role of the local police were the decisions of whether, when and how to cut off the performance by Mr. Scott, who continued the show for roughly 40 minutes after the city had declared a "mass casualty event" at the concert.

On Tuesday, Mayor Sylvester Turner met with top officials from both agencies, and his office released a collection of permits the city had issued for the festival. "No stone will be left unturned," the mayor told reporters at an unrelated event. "How did it happen? Where were there missteps? Was the ball dropped and by whom?"

At the same time, during a meeting of county commissioners, the top county official for Houston, Lina Hidalgo, reiterated her strong interest in seeing an independent investigation of the deaths.

But any inquiry by the county could be difficult to pursue. According to a person with direct knowledge of the discussions about an independent investigation who requested anonymity to share details of a private conversation, the ability of the county to do anything has been limited by the criminal investigation announced by the city's police chief, Troy Finner, in the immediate aftermath of the concert. Ms. Hidalgo has been considering bringing in an outside law firm or other third-party investigator.

"Judge Hidalgo is very eager to figure out what, if anything, could have prevented this tragedy from taking place by taking a thorough look at every aspect of what happened," said Rafael Lemaitre, a spokesman for Ms. Hidalgo. He added that she wanted to see a "sober, objective analysis of what went wrong" and what could be done better in the future.

Chief Finner said on Saturday that there had been a discussion between police and fire officials, promoters and representatives of the venue, NRG Park, about the best way to end the concert early. They feared setting off "riots," he said.

"You cannot just close when you've got 50,000, and over 50,000 individuals," said Chief Finner. "I think that part was pretty good."

On Monday, Chief Finner addressed reporting in The New York Times that he had visited the musician in his trailer before his show to express his concerns about the crowds.

"I expressed my concerns regarding public safety," the chief, who knows Mr. Scott personally, said in a statement posted to Twitter, adding that "the meeting was brief and respectful."

As of Tuesday, city investigators appeared to be conducting the inquiry on their own. The local branch of the F.B.I. has offered to assist, but the Houston Police Department has not requested its help, a bureau spokeswoman said. The state police have not taken a role in the inquiry.

It was not clear on Tuesday what criminal conduct the Houston police were investigating. A spokesman for the department, Victor Senties, declined to address questions.

The causes of death for the eight people killed during the concert - who range in age from 14 to 27 - have yet to be determined. The county medical examiner said it could take several more weeks.

Assigning criminal culpability can be difficult at a large-scale event where witnesses described a surging crowd that crushed and trampled people who had lost consciousness and fallen to the floor. More than 300 were injured, including a 9-year-old boy who remained in a medically induced coma in critical condition.

"The crime would have to be gross negligence rising to the level of criminal misconduct, and that is an extremely high bar," said Steven Adelman, a lawyer and vice president at the Event Safety Alliance, a trade association focused on safety at live events.

"I don't see any basis for criminal liability at this extremely early stage," he said, but added a word of caution that much remained unknown.

Dozens of civil lawsuits have been filed by injured concertgoers and by the families of those whose loved ones were killed.

Tony Buzbee, a lawyer representing the family of one victim, Axel Acosta, said he would be establishing a timeline to show that the organizers and security at the festival had lost control almost from the moment the event's gates opened on Friday.

Mr. Buzbee also questioned whether the Police Department could be counted on to conduct the investigation impartially given its officers' role in the event. "The Houston Police Department is not going to look good coming out of this, that's clear," he said. "How many entities can properly investigate themselves?"

Disorder at the event had been foreseen by organizers and by the city after stampeding during the 2019 Astroworld event left at least three people injured. There was increased security this year, with a greater police presence and stronger fencing.

Still, many in the city viewed the event and Mr. Scott - born Jacques B. Webster - in a positive light. The musician spent the days leading up to this year's festival going around Houston for community events with his charitable foundation.

The festival, named after an album by Mr. Scott, itself tapped into a sense of nostalgia among Houstonians, reviving the name of a popular amusement park where many had whiled away the day as children on the Texas Cyclone or Greezed Lightnin' roller coasters.

"When I heard that Travis Scott was doing these kind of events, that memory came back," said Dwight Boykins, a former city councilman who knows Mr. Scott's father. "He was trying to bring joy and happiness back. That's what I assumed."

In 2018, after the first Astroworld festival, Mayor Turner proclaimed that Nov. 18 would be "Astroworld Day."

The next year, Mr. Turner appeared onstage at Astroworld with Mr. Scott and presented him with a key to the city. The mayor said Mr. Scott's festival had inspired him to try to create a new, permanent amusement park like the old one.

"We owe so much to this guy for keeping Houston on the map," he said then. "This city loves you."

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Travis Scott's Ties to Houston Could Complicate Investigation of Fatal Concert

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Houston Astroworld Tragedy There are worries about conflicts of interest in the criminal investigation into the deaths of eight concertgoers during Mr. Scott's performance at the Astroworld festival. HOUSTON - As his music career ascended, Travis Scott developed more than the usual ties between a rap megastar and his hometown leaders.

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https://www.politico.com/news/2021/11/10/schumer-billions-new-york-public-housing-520519

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"My concern with leaning into things like public housing as opposed to the supply shortage is it's not the best use of the resources," former Obama White House economic adviser Jim Parrott said. "If you don't address that problem aggressively, all these other needs will linger, if not get worse."

The jockeying over the housing funds is one of many emerging sources of political tension surrounding Biden's bill, after moderates including Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) forced Democrats to slash what was originally a $3.5 trillion plan.

The stakes are high for the 2 million people who reside in 1.2 million public housing units receiving federal funding, with many living in substandard or even dangerous conditions. Thecost of the nationwide need for repairs is$81 billion, according to the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials.

The $65 billion allocation is 63 percent more money than Biden proposed for public housing in the spring. After Biden released a plan with $40 billion for improvements, Schumer vowed in April that it would be among his "No. 1 priorities" to double that figure and direct money to the New York City Housing Authority.

"This is what happens when the New York congressional delegation works together," said Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.), addingin an interviewthat "Sen. Schumer played a significant role."

Progressives have also pushed for more funding. Shortly after Biden unveiled his plan in the spring, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) released legislation co-sponsored by Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) that would pour $172 billion into public housing over 10 years.

President Franklin D. Roosevelt enacted the public housing system in 1937, as a way to subsidize the construction and operation of multifamily rental housing for Americans with low incomes in the wake of the Great Depression. It was the first major federal rental housing assistance program.

The federal government stopped funding the development of new public housing in the mid-1990s as other forms of housing assistance - including vouchers to subsidize rent in private dwellings - rose in popularity. Then-President Bill Clinton declared that "the era of big government is over," and public housing, like other federal aid programs, became a target for major overhauls in the larger welfare reform debate.

A 1998 law prohibited public housing authorities from using federal money to develop new public housing units and required the Department of Housing and Urban Development to come up with a new formula for distributing operating funds.

Schumer warned in a September op-ed of a "humanitarian crisis" in public housing developments across New York City. The New York City Housing Authority is the largest and oldest public housing operator in the country, home to about 400,000 low-income residents who have seen conditions decaying for years. The New York State Department of Health reported in 2018 that 83 percent of the NYCHA units and 75 percent of the common areas it inspected had at least one severe condition that could pose a health hazard to tenants.

"Due to decades of disinvestment, many of the New York City Housing Authority's properties have fallen into such a state of disrepair that the only solution is through big, bold and transformative action by the federal government," Schumer said in the op-ed, citing residents' exposure to lead and mold, faulty heating and cooling, and broken elevators.

Meeks, who grew up in a NYCHA building, said the additional funding "would mean that individuals have an opportunity to live in a clean and decent place."

"I'm a product of public housing," he said. " I know how significant and important it was for me."

Rachel Fee, who advocates for affordable housing as executive director of the New York Housing Conference, said NYCHA has been plagued by "deteriorating living conditions that are unacceptable."

"We're really grateful that Sen. Schumer sort of drew a line that this housing funding had to be in the bill," she said. "Pressure from progressives has helped make this a top housing issue in New York, and that has yielded pretty significant results."

NYCHA has also faced fraud accusations in recent years. One city investigation found in 2017 that officials at the housing authority falsified paperwork saying units had been inspected for lead paint hazards when they had not. More than 800 children were later found to have elevated levels of lead in their blood. The Trump administration and city officials reached an agreement in 2019 to appoint a monitor to oversee the authority in a deal to stave off a complete federal takeover.

The mismanagement claims have made the proposed $65 billion in repair funding a prime target for Republicans, who are campaigning against Biden's overall Build Back Better plan.

GOP senators are considering using a procedural tool to block the public housing investment, Senate aides familiar with the discussions said. Republicans see an opening because Democrats are attempting to pass the legislation with their majority alone using budget reconciliation. The law governing the process allows lawmakers to kill proposals that are extraneous to the budget.

"It appears half of all the bill's public housing dollars will go to a housing authority plagued by scandals, bribery and chronic mismanagement," Toomey said last month in a hearing.

Even some housing experts sympathetic to the need for repairs are questioning whether it makes sense to prioritize them over other programs that could address the broader housing affordability crunch in the U.S. They argue that other affordability measures in the bill should be expanded, including investments in the Housing Trust Fund to spur construction.

The housing supply shortage "is at the root of every housing ill," exacerbating the racial wealth gap and fueling demand for housing subsidies, said Parrott, who led an Obama White House team that advised the administration on housing.

Parrott and Moody's Analytics chief economist Mark Zandi wrote in a CNN op-ed last month that "if policymakers don't address the supply shortfall, they won't deal with the underlying problem: that so many need subsidized housing in the first place."

"We've no doubt underfunded both public housing and vouchers," Parrott said in an interview. "But we've got a finite amount of money to go around."

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Schumer scores billions for New York's decaying public housing

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"My concern with leaning into things like public housing as opposed to the supply shortage is it's not the best use of the resources," former Obama White House economic adviser Jim Parrott said. "If you don't address that problem aggressively, all these other needs will linger, if not get worse."

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https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/10/us/kyle-rittenhouse-trial-explained.html

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Nov. 10, 2021, 10:37 a.m. ET

Kyle Rittenhouse is standing trial for the shootings of three men - two of whom died - during demonstrations in Kenosha, Wis., on Aug. 25, 2020. Credit... Carlos Javier Ortiz for The New York Times

Kyle Rittenhouse is standing trial for the shootings of three men - two of whom died - in the immediate aftermath of demonstrations in Kenosha, Wis., on Aug. 25, 2020.

The demonstrations erupted after a Kenosha police officer had shot and wounded a Black man, Jacob Blake. The episode, captured on cellphone video, came at a time of protests across the country over the killing of George Floyd and police abuse of Black Americans.

Kenosha experienced widespread looting, arson and property destruction in the days after Mr. Blake was shot. The shootings by Mr. Rittenhouse, which he contends were committed in self-defense, occurred on the third night of protests in the city.

First-degree intentional homicide.

Attempted first-degree intentional homicide.

First-degree reckless homicide.

Reckless endangerment (two counts).

Carrying a firearm illegally as a minor.

The homicide charges, equivalent to what other states call murder charges, carry a maximum sentence of life in prison.

Mr. Rittenhouse, now 18, was 17 when the shooting took place. He lived with his mother in Antioch, Ill., just over the border from Wisconsin. His father lived in Kenosha.

Mr. Rittenhouse had worked for a time as a lifeguard in Kenosha County, and kept a military-style semiautomatic rifle in Wisconsin, which the authorities said had been purchased for him by a friend.

Long before the shooting, Mr. Rittenhouse's social media accounts were full of posts supporting the police and Blue Lives Matter. He had been a cadet in a program for young aspiring police officers.

A memorial for Anthony Huber and Joseph Rosenbaum, the two men killed by Mr. Rittenhouse. Credit... Chris Tuite/ImageSPACE/MediaPunch, via Associated Press

Joseph Rosenbaum, 36, of Kenosha. He was killed.

Anthony Huber, 26, who lived in Kenosha County. He was killed.

Gaige Grosskreutz, 26 at the time, a medic from West Allis, Wis. He was shot in the arm and survived.

The trial judge has reiterated a longstanding rule that, because the question of self-defense is at issue in the trial, the people who were shot cannot be referred to as "victims" in his courtroom.

On the evening of Aug. 25, demonstrators filled Civic Center Park in downtown Kenosha, across from a barricaded courthouse defended by police officers and National Guard troops. Also present were people dressed in camouflage and carrying rifles with ammunition strapped to their chests - legal for adults in Wisconsin, an open-carry state.

Some protesters threw fireworks and water bottles at police officers, who responded with tear gas and rubber bullets. The crowd was eventually driven out of Civic Center Park and down Sheridan Road, a main thoroughfare. By late evening, most protesters had left the area, but some remained on Sheridan Road, occasionally scuffling and arguing with several dozen people who said they were there to defend the city.

Video taken that night showed that Mr. Rittenhouse, who had joined a group of armed people who said they were there to protect businesses, was milling around on Sheridan Road and offering medical assistance to protesters. Shortly before midnight, he was chased into the parking lot of a car dealership by Mr. Rosenbaum, who had joined the crowd downtown.

A man nearby fired a handgun into the air. Just as Mr. Rittenhouse turned toward the sound of the gunfire, Mr. Rosenbaum lunged at him. Mr. Rittenhouse fired four times, shooting Mr. Rosenbaum in the head, the video shows.

Mr. Rittenhouse then fled down Sheridan Road with at least a dozen members of the crowd in pursuit. One could be heard yelling, "That's the shooter!"

Moments later, Mr. Rittenhouse tripped and fell, and then fired at two more people who were pursuing him, Mr. Huber and Mr. Grosskreutz.

As police vehicles arrived, Mr. Rittenhouse walked toward them with his arms raised, but they drove past him, trying to reach the people who had been shot.

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Here's what you need to know about the Rittenhouse case, in a nutshell.

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Nov. 10, 2021, 10:37 a.m. ET Kyle Rittenhouse is standing trial for the shootings of three men - two of whom died - in the immediate aftermath of demonstrations in Kenosha, Wis., on Aug. 25, 2020. The demonstrations erupted after a Kenosha police officer had shot and wounded a Black man, Jacob Blake.

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https://www.nbcnews.com/business/consumer/inflation-hits-62-percent-30-year-record-rcna5040

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Latest inflation reading hits highest level in three decades

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Inflation isn’t going anywhere fast — but prices certainly are.

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https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/us-borders-reopen-many-vaccinated-international-travelers-rcna4794

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Loved ones kept apart for more than a year and a half were reunited Monday with tears, kisses and "welcome back" signs at New York City's John F. Kennedy International Airport after the United States lifted travel restrictions imposed because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

"This is the best thing that's ever happened to me!" one woman shouted after getting off her British Airways flight from London's Heathrow Airport and hugging her sister who was clutching white flowers and balloons.

British Airways employees lined up to clap as travelers from the United Kingdom exited customs and made their way out of the terminal. Some of those waiting said excitedly, "They're here, they're here." Others held handwritten signs - "We missed you, two years" - including a young boy whose poster read: "Do I look bigger? 730 days. Missed you."

U.S. citizens and permanent residents have always been allowed to enter. However, the travel restrictions meant that tourists, business travelers and family members were prevented from entering.

The travel restrictions had barred non-U.S. citizens traveling from 33 countries - including China, India and much of Europe - and had also restricted overland entry from Mexico and Canada.

To enter the U.S., foreign nationals must be fully vaccinated against Covid, though exceptions will be made for children under 18 and people who are medically unable to be vaccinated. Travelers over the age of 2 must also show a negative Covid test taken within the past three days.

Those crossing a land border from Mexico or Canada will require proof of vaccination but no test. Early Monday, traffic at many land border crossings in Canada and Mexico was already backed up.

Connor Giesbrecht drove from Winnipeg to Fargo, North Dakota, on Monday. He planned to catch a flight later in the morning to Orlando via Chicago to visit his brother at college.

"With the border opening, it makes it much easier to see him," said Giesbrecht, 21, who often drove to the U.S. to shop before the pandemic. "It saves a lot of money to drive into the U.S. versus flying internationally from Canada. The reopening makes travel so much easier."

Following the announcement that the U.S. would reopen the borders, Virgin Atlantic saw a 600 percent increase in bookings to the U.S., the airline said in a press release. Bookings went up again by nearly 50 percent compared to the week before after the confirmation of the reopening date Oct. 15.

"It's been an absolute nightmare that we could never have imagined."

To mark the occasion, British Airways and Virgin Atlantic had two flights take off simultaneously for the first time from Heathrow to Kennedy Airport on Monday morning. There was a festive atmosphere at the airport with performers in red, white and blue costumes entertaining travelers.

"Today is a day of celebration," Virgin Atlantic CEO Shai Weiss said at the airport.

British Airways chief Sean Doyle agreed, and said the airline has seen enthusiasm by business travelers to get back on the road again.

"Apart from the human aspect, it's very important for business and trade that we get this corridor up and running again," he said. "The links are very strong, and travel is a key part of enabling that economic activity."

The two airlines marked the reopening on their social media accounts too, with Virgin posting a photo of a new "U.S. themed cocktail."

At Heathrow Airport, Gail and Paul Chamberlain said they looked forward to meeting their daughter's fiancé in person as they prepared to catch a flight to Los Angeles.

"I'm so joyful I could cry," Gail Chamberlain, 67, said. "I'm [going] wedding dress shopping. That I never thought I would be able to do with her."

Delta Air Lines said that in the six weeks since the U.S reopening was announced, it had seen a 450 percent increase in international bookings versus the six weeks prior to the announcement.

Sarah Solomon, who is British, headed to Sanger, near Dallas, on Monday to visit her daughter who moved to the Texas city three years ago.

"It's been an absolute nightmare that we could never have imagined," Solomon, 55, said. "We didn't know we'd be two years apart."

Airlines have warned of long lines and will check vaccination documentation for international travelers as they already do for Covid test results.

"It's a real sign that people are getting back to in-person events and actually being to see each other and conduct their business in person, which is such a breath of fresh air," said Edward Langley, 34, who works for a company that runs trade shows and is making his first trip to the U.S.

Then-President Donald Trump first barred travel Jan. 31, 2020, to non-U.S. citizens who had been to China in the previous two weeks. As the pandemic spread, further restrictions on noncitizens followed in March 2020, with an initial ban on European travelers for 30 days.

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'So joyful I could cry': International travelers rejoice as U.S. reopens border to the world

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Loved ones kept apart for more than a year and a half were reunited Monday with tears, kisses and "welcome back" signs at New York City's John F. Kennedy International Airport after the United States lifted travel restrictions imposed because of the Covid-19 pandemic. "This is the best thing that's ever happened to me!"

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https://www.foxnews.com/politics/biden-approval-harris-poll-suffolk-infrastructure

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With exactly one year until the midterm elections, President Biden, Vice President Harris and Democrats in Congress face bleak ratings that indicate they could be in for a rout in 2022, according to a new USA Today/Suffolk University poll.

The survey, which was taken after the Tuesday elections but before House Democrats passed the popular infrastructure bill Friday, shows Biden with nearly rock-bottom approval ratings, Harris with numbers that are even worse and Democrats trailing by a wide margin on the generic congressional ballot.

Among the topline numbers, according to USA Today/Suffolk University, are a 37.8% approval rating for Biden with a 59% disapproval - more than 11 points underwater. Forty-six percent of those included in the survey said Biden has done a worse job than expected, and 64% said they don't want Biden to run for reelection.

The approval number for the president is in line with where most polls were during this point in former President Trump's term. But according to FiveThirtyEight, Trump's disapproval did not reach such heights until days before he left office, in the wake of the attack on the Capitol by a mob of his supporters.
FOX NEWS VOTER ANALYSIS: HOW VIRGINIA VOTERS DECIDED BETWEEN YOUNGKIN, MCAULIFFE
Harris has just a 27.8% approval rating with 51.2% disapproving of her performance in office, according to USA Today/Suffolk University. That is more than 23 percentage points underwater.

Congressional Democrats, meanwhile, may face an uphill battle to preserve their razor-thin majorities unless something significant changes before Election Day on Nov. 8, 2022. The USA Today/Suffolk University poll gives Republicans a 46%-to-38% advantage on a generic congressional ballot.

After their devastating losses in Virginia and near miss in New Jersey last week, some expected that Democrats in D.C. would pump the brakes on their ambitious agenda, which some blamed for alienating independent voters. Instead, they took a different read of the situation - that Americans were tired of inaction and debate on Capitol Hill and instead wanted Democrats to pass legislation aimed at helping people.

House Democrats, at the explicit demand of Biden, plowed through what appeared to be irreconcilable differences on their reconciliation spending bill and finally passed the long-delayed bipartisan infrastructure bill, which according to the USA Today-Suffolk poll is supported by Americans 61% to 32%.

"The American people have made clear one overwhelming thing, I think - and I really mean it - all the talk about the elections and what do they mean and everything: They want us to deliver," Biden said Saturday after the infrastructure bill passed.

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"I think the one message that came across was: Get something done. It's time to get something done. Stop - you all stop talking. Get something done," he added when asked specifically about the Virginia and New Jersey election results.

It remains to be seen if Democrats can keep that momentum up to pass the reconciliation bill in the coming weeks, which has a much closer margin of support - 47% to 44%, according to the USA Today/Suffolk University poll. Only one in four Americans say the bill would help their families.

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Nearly half of voters say Biden worse president than expected, most don't want to see him run again: poll

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With exactly one year until the midterm elections, President Biden, Vice President Harris and Democrats in Congress face bleak ratings that indicate they could be in for a rout in 2022, according to a new USA Today/Suffolk University poll.

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https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/family-lost-federal-benefits-living-puerto-rico-looks-supreme-court-rcna4682

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Aurelis Aponte is anxiously waiting for the U.S. Supreme Court to hear a potential landmark case that will determine whether it's constitutional to deny federal benefits to aging and disabled U.S. citizens living in Puerto Rico, though they can access them if they lived on the U.S. mainland.

Aponte's daughter, Isabela, was born with seven major heart conditions in February 2017, just several months before Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico.

After a month of living without power and unable to work, Aponte and her husband, Jonathan López, used the money they had left in their bank account to buy them and their two daughters plane tickets to Florida.

Aponte, 37, who worked as a supervisor at a physical therapy clinic, told NBC News she "never thought I would be refugee." After arriving in Florida, a church helped Aponte access aid her family was eligible for, including hurricane-related aid, food stamps and Supplemental Security Income benefits, also known as SSI, for her daughter.

As a U.S. citizen with serious health conditions, Isabela qualified for SSI benefits, which help disabled, older and blind people who struggle financially. Three weeks after Aponte applied on behalf of her daughter, she started receiving the benefits, which helped the family with living expenses and medical bills.

"It puts us in a better position to help Isabela endure health conditions that don't just go away," Aponte said in Spanish.

After living out of hotel rooms for months and landing new jobs, Aponte and López were ready to settle in Orlando when they had to return to Puerto Rico to help care for Aponte's mother, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease.

Once they went back to the U.S. territory, Isabela lost her SSI benefits.

According to the federal government, the U.S. is allowed to withhold SSI benefits from U.S. citizens depending on where they live.

The benefits are available to U.S. citizens living in the 50 states, the District of Columbia and the Northern Mariana Islands but not for those who live in Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam and American Samoa.

"We returned to Puerto Rico aware of what we were going to lose because of this system, aware of how difficult it would be for us to move forward economically. But at the end of the day, we were talking about my mother," Aponte said.

At a Supreme Court hearing Tuesday, the Justice Department is expected to argue in favor of reversing a U.S. Court of Appeals ruling from last year that deemed as "invalid" the practice of denying SSI benefits to Puerto Rican residents, stating the federal government failed to establish "a rational basis for the exclusion of Puerto Rico residents from SSI coverage."

The arguments come as part of a case involving José Luis Vaello-Madero. Vaello-Madero lived in New York from 1985 until 2013, when he moved to Puerto Rico to care for his wife. He had begun receiving SSI benefits in 2012, when he was still in New York, until he was told in 2016 that he was ineligible after moving to Puerto Rico.

A year later, the Social Security Administration filed civil action against Vaello-Madero, demanding he pay over $28,000 in benefits he had received while living in Puerto Rico.

'This injustice is causing me so much pain'

Aponte said her daughter's benefits were taken away "for no good reason" as she gets ready to face more heart surgeries and a possible heart transplant in the future.

"The Isabela who has seven heart conditions, who belongs to a family that hit rock bottom despite working tirelessly to get back up, is the same Isabela living now in Luquillo, Puerto Rico," Aponte said. "That's why this injustice is causing me so much pain."

According to Laura Esquivel, vice president of federal policy at the advocacy organization Hispanic Federation, Vaello-Madero's case is the first of a series of lawsuits dealing with federal benefit disparities across U.S. territories to make it to the Supreme Court.

"This is an opportunity for the Supreme Court to finally right this historic wrong with a new legal precedent that makes it clear that unjustly denying any American their full rights is unconstitutional and indefensible," Esquivel said.

About 700,000 people living in Puerto Rico would qualify for SSI benefits if the Supreme Court upholds the decision. That would mean a combined $1.8 billion to $2.4 billion annually for qualified Puerto Rico residents over the decade, according to the Social Security Administration. Nearly 44 percent of Puerto Ricans live in poverty.

Instead of SSI benefits, Puerto Rico has a local program called Aid to the Aged, Blind and Disabled. To qualify, people can't earn more than $65 a month, compared with $750 monthly for SSI, The Associated Press reported in June. Those who qualify under Puerto Rico's program get an average benefit of $77 a month, while SSI beneficiaries receive an average of $533 a month.

A legal precedent behind the disparity

A series of Supreme Court rulings from the early 1900s known as the Insular Cases have long served as legal precedent for rulings regarding Puerto Rico and other U.S. territories.

The Insular Cases were written by most of the Supreme Court justices who legalized racial segregation under Plessy v. Ferguson after Puerto Rico came under U.S. control following the Spanish-American War. In essence, the cases allowed Congress and the federal government to treat U.S. territories as foreign for domestic purposes and states for international purposes, particularly when it comes to funding public programs.

While Plessy v. Ferguson was overturned almost 60 years later in Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, the Insular Cases have never been overturned.

Esquivel said she sees the Supreme Court case as "the possibility of a decision that supersedes the racist Insular Cases."

Though President Joe Biden promised to "ensure residents of Puerto Rico have access to [SSI] benefits" during his presidential campaign, the Department of Justice is expected to argue before the Supreme Court on Tuesday that the denial of benefits to islanders is not unconstitutional.

In a statement in June, Biden said the Department of Justice "has a longstanding practice of defending the constitutionality of federal statutes, regardless of policy preferences."

Biden said Puerto Ricans "should be able to receive SSI benefits" and called on Congress to amend the Social Security Act.

As part of its 57-page filing, the Department of Justice argues in favor of denying Puerto Rican residents SSI benefits because they "are generally exempt from most federal taxes, including the income tax, excise taxes, and estate and gift taxes."

Puerto Ricans do pay federal payroll taxes and help fund public programs such as Medicare and Social Security.

Differences in taxation limit Puerto Ricans on the island in other ways, including the lack of voting representation in Congress and the inability to vote in U.S. presidential elections, among other restrictions when it comes to accessing federal safety net programs.

On Thursday, the Hispanic Federation and more than 60 other organizations from the U.S. and Puerto Rico sent a letter to Biden urging and his administration "to immediately withdraw the government's appeals in the case of Vaello Madero from the Supreme Court."

In an interview with NBC News, Puerto Rico Gov. Pedro Pierluisi said the way the Biden administration "went about this and the way that they are defending it is not right."

"This program has nothing to do with whether you pay taxes or not. The vast majority, if not all, SSI beneficiaries do not pay federal income taxes," mainly because their incomes are so low they aren't required to file taxes, Pierluisi said. "It also is kind of arbitrary."

If the Supreme Court doesn't side with Puerto Ricans on the island, Pierluisi said, "I'm confident that Congress will."

Lawmakers are looking to add language in the $1.75 trillion Build Back Better legislation, which is still being negotiated in Congress, to include Puerto Rico in the SSI program in the next two years.

"That's not a done deal by any means," Esquivel said, adding that congressional intervention still doesn't solve the issue of the court precedents that allow differences in the way island and mainland Puerto Ricans get benefits.

A few other cases that speak to the same issue are currently stayed pending the Supreme Court's final resolution on Vaello-Madero's case, Esquivel said.

In the meantime, Aponte and López said they're struggling to keep up with piling medical bills. As Aponte awaits the Supreme Court's decision, she said she wants lawmakers and everyday Americans "to view Puerto Ricans with sensitivity because we really didn't ask for this."

"I wish I could tell you I'm exaggerating when I tell you I hide behind my bravery, my strength and my faith," Aponte said. "For others to stop feeling apathy, I would invite anyone to walk in my shoes."

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Family who lost federal benefits for living in Puerto Rico looks to Supreme Court

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Aurelis Aponte is anxiously waiting for the U.S. Supreme Court to hear a potential landmark case that will determine whether it's constitutional to deny federal benefits to aging and disabled U.S. citizens living in Puerto Rico, though they can access them if they lived on the U.S. mainland.

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First lawsuits filed against Travis Scott, Astroworld organizers after deadly festival

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First lawsuits filed against Travis Scott, Astroworld organizers after deadly festival

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https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/first-lawsuits-filed-travis-scott-astroworld-organizers-deadly-festiva-rcna4805

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More than a dozen lawsuits against Travis Scott and the organizers of Astroworld have been filed as of Monday after eight people died and dozens were injured following a crowd surge.

"We are sickened by the devastating tragedy that took place on Friday night. Travis Scott has a history of inciting violence and creating dangerous conditions for concertgoers," attorneys from Kherkher Garcia LLP said in a statement.

The Houston personal injury firm is representing Manuel Souza, who "suffered serious bodily injuries when the uncontrolled crowd at the concert knocked him to the ground and trampled him," according to his suit.

"So many people were hurt, and so few emergency personnel were provided by defendants, that patrons themselves had to conduct CPR on their fellow concertgoers," the suit alleges. "Yet defendants made the conscious decision to let the show go on, despite the extreme risk of harm to concertgoers that was escalating by the moment."

Kylie Jenner, who is pregnant with her second child with Scott, came under fire shortly after the concert for posting images of the show, in which an ambulance can be seen. Many on social media criticized Scott for not stopping the show as the tragedy unfolded.

Jenner appeared to address the backlash in a statement, saying she and Scott were unaware of what was happening in the crowd until after the show.

"I want to make it clear we weren't aware of any fatalities until the news came out after the show and in no world would have continued filming or performing," she wrote early Sunday on Instagram.

Attorney Benjamin Crump said Monday he's been retained to represent the parents of a 9-year-old who was in a medically induced coma after he was trampled at the event.

"The suffering that this family is going through is immeasurable," the lawyer said in a statement that alleged event organizers were negligent."

"This little boy had his whole life ahead of him - a life that is currently hanging in the balance because of the reckless mismanagement that ensued at the Astroworld Festival," Crump said.

The chaos at the Houston festival unfolded Friday shortly after 9 p.m. when the massive crowd "began to compress toward the front of the stage," officials have said.

Houston Police Chief Troy Finner said Saturday afternoon that a few people started "going down" at 9:30 p.m. He said officials informed producers of what was happening, and the show ended at about 10:10 p.m.

The department is conducting a criminal investigation, with the involvement of the homicide and narcotics divisions, Finner added.

On Monday, Finner confirmed in a statement that he had met with Scott and his head of security "for a few moments" Friday to ask him to work with the police department throughout the weekend and "to be mindful of his team's social media messaging on any unscheduled events."

"I expressed my concerns regarding public safety and that in my 31 years of law enforcement experience I have never seen a time with more challenges facing citizens of all ages, to include a global pandemic and social tension throughout the nation," Finner wrote. "The meeting was brief and respectful, and a chance for me share my public safety concerns as the Chief of Police."

Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo identified the eight victims on Monday as Mirza Baig, 27; Rodolfo Peña, 23; Madison Dubiski, 23; Franco Patiño, 21; Jacob Jurinke, 20; Axel Acosta Avila, 21; Brianna Rodriguez, 16; and John Hilgert, 14.

"In the days to come we'll hear more about their stories, their dreams and what they hoped to accomplish in life. To the parents, family members, and friends with a gaping hole in their hearts today, on behalf of the people of Harris County, we are with you," Hidalgo wrote on Twitter.

Twenty-five more people were taken to nearby hospitals, and more than 300 people were treated throughout the event Friday at an on-site field hospital, officials said.

Souza's lawsuit said that "Scott actively encourages his fans to 'rage' at his concerts. His express encouragement of violence has previously resulted in serious violence at numerous past concerts."

In 2017, Scott was arrested after he encouraged fans to bypass security and rush the stage - which he often does - leaving a security guard, a police officer and several others injured during a concert in Arkansas. Scott pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct and had to pay more than $6,000 to two people injured at the show, according to The Los Angeles Times.

In a separate incident, he was sentenced to one year of court supervision after pleading guilty to reckless conduct charges stemming from a 2015 incident in Chicago at the Lollapalooza music festival.

Houston Fire Chief Samuel Peña said Tuesday that there's no evidence Scott had encouraged the crowd to get rowdy or rush the stage, but the investigation is ongoing.

"I'm not prepared to say that he was fully aware of the - of what was going on," Peña said.

But "everybody at that event has a responsibility, starting from the artist on down," he said, adding that people in the crowd were trying to get help from Scott's private security, and an ambulance moved through the crowd at one point.

Scott launched the Astroworld festival in 2018 in his hometown of Houston as an annual event. The festival made its return Friday after a hiatus in 2020 because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

"I'm honestly just devastated. I could never imagine anything like this just happening," he said in an Instagram story posted on his account Saturday.

"I want to send out prayers to the ones that was lost last night. We're actually working right now to identify their families so we can help assist them through this tough time."

A second lawsuit filed against Scott, organizers of the festival and rapper Drake on behalf of Kristian Paredes also accused Scott of inciting "mayhem and chaos at prior events."

The suit said Drake was performing with Scott when the crowd started to get out of control Friday. But Drake "continued to perform on stage while the crowd mayhem continued," the suit said.

Reps for Drake declined to comment in an email to NBC News regarding allegations in Paredes' lawsuit.

But in a statement posted to Instagram, Drake wrote: "I've spent the past few days trying to wrap my mind around this devastating tragedy. I hate resorting to this platform to express an emotion as delicate as grief but this is where I find myself."

"My heart is broken for the families and friends of those who lost their lives and for anyone who is suffering. I will continue to pray for all of them, and will be of service in any way I can. May God be with you all," Drake said.

"Live musical performances are meant to inspire catharsis, not tragedy," Texas attorney Thomas J. Henry said in a statement accompanying the suit. "Many of these concert-goers were looking forward to this event for months, and they deserved a safe environment in which to have fun and enjoy the evening. Instead, their night was one of fear, injury, and death."

In a statement, Live Nation said the company will "continue to support and assist local authorities in their ongoing investigation so that both the fans who attended and their families can get the answers they want and deserve, and we will address all legal matters at the appropriate time."

Scott did not comment specifically on the suits.

Sources close to Scott on Monday told NBC News that he would refund Astroworld attendees and would not perform at this weekend's Day N Vegas Festival, which he was set to headline.

Scott also said he would cover all funeral costs for the victims and had partnered with BetterHelp to supply free online therapy for those affected by the tragedy.

"These are the first of many steps Travis plans on taking as a part of his personal vow to assist those affected throughout their grieving and recovery process," Scott's representatives said in a statement.

On Monday, at least 11 more suits against Scott and Live Nation Entertainment Inc. were filed in Harris County.

Tragedies like the one at the Astroworld festival are not new. In 1979, 11 people died in a scramble to enter a Cincinnati concert by The Who. At a soccer stadium in England, a human crush in 1989 led to nearly 100 deaths. In 2015, a collision of two crowds at the hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia caused more than 2,400 deaths, based on an Associated Press count of media reports and officials' comments.

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First lawsuits filed against Travis Scott, Astroworld organizers after deadly festival

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More than a dozen lawsuits against Travis Scott and the organizers of Astroworld have been filed as of Monday after eight people died and dozens were injured following a crowd surge. "We are sickened by the devastating tragedy that took place on Friday night.

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"Mientras me aplastaba la multitud me desmayé", dice asistente al festival Astroworld

(CNN) -- TK Tellez sabe que los festivales pueden volverse locos. Pero nada, dice, podría haberlo preparado para la tragedia que se desarrolló el viernes por la noche en el Astroworld Festival en Houston.

Comenzó una hora antes de la presentación de Travis Scott, mientras Téllez y su novia estaban parados cerca del escenario con la esperanza de ver mejor al rapero.

Pero incluso antes de que Scott saliera, las cosas se pusieron feas rápidamente. La multitud avanzó mientras Scott estaba en el escenario.

"La multitud se hizo cada vez más apretada, y en ese momento era difícil respirar. Cuando Travis salió interpretando su primera canción, fui testigo de cómo la gente se desmayaba a mi lado", dijo Téllez, de 20 años, a CNN.

"Todos gritamos pidiendo ayuda y nadie nos ayudó ni nos escuchó. Fue horrible. La gente gritaba por sus vidas y no podían salir. Nadie podía mover un músculo".

Al menos ocho personas murieron y decenas resultaron heridas en la aglomeración resultante que, según las personas en el concierto, aparentemente abrumaron al personal del evento y al personal médico en NRG Park. Los fallecidos tenían entre 14 y 27 años de edad.

Los asistentes al concierto describieron el evento como traumatizante, y muchos testigos dijeron que vieron cuerpos sin vida pisoteados en medio del caos. Los que sobrevivieron tuvieron que abrirse paso entre la multitud mientras la música seguía rugiendo.

Aquí hay más de lo que Téllez y otros presenciaron:

'Fue el sonido más espantoso que he escuchado'

La gente alrededor de Téllez comenzó a caer, dijo, en algún momento causando que él también se cayera. La gente se apiñó encima de él, algunos perdiendo el conocimiento.

"Todo el mundo estaba llorando; fue el sonido más aterrador que he escuchado", dijo Téllez. "Imagínese escuchar a Travis Scott y a la gente gritando por sus vidas al mismo tiempo".

A pesar de sus intentos y los esfuerzos de otros por administrar resucitación cardiopulmonar a quienes no respiraban, "simplemente no había suficientes personas para ayudar a todo el mundo", dijo.

"Travis Scott tenía poco tiempo entre canciones y gritábamos con todas nuestras cuerdas vocales para que alguien pudiera escucharnos, pero nadie lo hacía", dijo Téllez. "El festival de este año me quedará grabado para siempre. Nunca he visto a alguien morir frente a mis ojos. Fue horrible".

'Sentí que era una pesadilla'

Selena Beltrán, que asistía a su primer festival de música, descubrió que todo a su alrededor comenzaba a apretarse más y más mientras Scott se dirigía al escenario. Pronto luchó por respirar.

Rápidamente perdió de vista a sus cuatro amigos y, cuando la multitud que la rodeaba comenzó a saltar, perdió el equilibrio.

"Me caí de espaldas y sentí que era el final para mí. Pensar así es como voy a morir, estaba tan asustada", le dijo Beltrán a CNN. "No sabía qué hacer. Todo estaba sucediendo tan rápido, pero tan lento y no pude reaccionar. Solo grité".

A pesar de ver personas que claramente habían perdido el conocimiento, dijo Beltrán, la gente seguía pisoteando a los que estaban en el suelo.

"Me sorprendió ver a la gente actuar de manera desconsiderada y salvaje. Fue una locura ver a tantos atropellar a otros como si fueran animales salvajes", dijo. "A la gente no le importaba, aun así intentaron abrirse paso solo para llegar al frente sin pensar en las consecuencias y a quién afectaría".

Después de que alguien la ayudó a levantarse, dijo Beltrán, trató de ayudar a otras cuatro personas que se desmayaron, turnándose para realizarles RCP con una enfermera que conoció entre la multitud.

"Estaba empezando a entrar en shock, aunque estaba tratando de mantener la compostura y no entrar en pánico. Fue aterrador. Sentí que era una pesadilla", dijo.

"Miré a mi alrededor y vi que la gente miraba fijamente y otros continuaban divirtiéndose como si estas personas no significaran nada. Sentí que había poca humanidad en esa multitud".

A pesar de los gritos de la gente para "detener el espectáculo", la música continuó, dijo Beltrán. Otros testigos dijeron que Scott pausó la presentación varias veces y finalmente se detuvo.

Al final del festival, Beltrán vio los cuerpos de las personas a las que realizó RCP cuando los médicos las sacaban, dijo.

"Sabía que habían fallecido", dijo. "No pude dormir anoche. El momento seguía repitiéndose en mi mente una y otra vez".

'Los niños caían de izquierda a derecha'

Billy Nasser describió la oleada de multitudes que mató a ocho personas el viernes por la noche como una "trampa mortal".

Nasser dijo que él era uno de los asistentes al concierto que trató de ayudar a las personas que estaban siendo pisoteadas mientras "luchaban por sus vidas".

"Cogí a un niño y sus ojos se pusieron en blanco, así que le revisé el pulso. Sabía que estaba muerto", dijo Nasser. "Revisé a la gente que me rodeaba. Y tuve que dejarlo allí, no había nada que pudiera hacer. Tenía que seguir adelante".

"Los niños caían de izquierda a derecha", dijo.

Nasser, que trabaja como DJ, dijo que solo quería que la música se detuviera mientras la gente continuaba de fiesta sin "prestar atención a los cuerpos que caían detrás de ellos".

A pesar de gritarle a la cámara y a los técnicos de iluminación y pedirles que alertaran a Scott para que detuviera el festival, Nasser dijo que no había suficiente personal disponible para manejar la situación.

"No había suficientes guardias de seguridad y no había suficientes técnicos de emergencias médicas y personas que ayudaran a la multitud. Los paramédicos ni siquiera podían llegar a la multitud", dijo.

'Sentí que iba a morir'

Madeline Eskins dijo que no creía que pudiera salir con vida cuando comenzó la mortífera oleada de gente.

"Él comenzó una cuenta regresiva unos 30 minutos antes de actuar; puso un temporizador en la pantalla grande", dijo Eskins, una enfermera de la UCI, a CNN sobre la presentación de Scott. "Y de repente, las personas se comprimieron unas contra otras y empujaban hacia adelante y hacia atrás. A medida que el temporizador se acercaba a cero, simplemente, empeoraba cada vez más".

Eskins describió haber sido apretada en todas direcciones y sintió presión en su pecho y espalda. Cuando empezó a tener problemas para respirar, le pidió a su novio que le dijera a su hijo que lo amaba antes de perder el conocimiento.

"Eso sucede, la gente se apresura hacia el escenario, no es gran cosa", dijo Eskins. "Es incómodo, algunos se lastiman, pero esto estaba hacinado. Nunca había visto algo así. Sentí que iba a morir".

Después de ser llevada a un lugar seguro, Eskins usó su experiencia médica para ayudar a otros asistentes al concierto en peligro, pero dijo que no había suficientes suministros.

"Había tan pocos recursos. Me refiero a los médicos que estaban allí para ayudar, muchos de ellos no habían sido capacitados adecuadamente", dijo Eskins. "Eso no quita lo que estaban haciendo, todavía estaban haciendo todo lo posible. No se les dieron los recursos adecuados".

En un momento, vio a varias personas con paro cardíaco y el paramédico solo tenía un desfibrilador externo automático (DEA) y una bolsa Ambu, dijo.

El principal factor que contribuyó al trágico caos, dijo Eskins, fue el hacinamiento.

"He estado en conciertos y, sí, se pone apretado, pero nunca sentí que me fuera a desmayar", dijo. "Nunca vi a la gente derrumbarse. Definitivamente nunca vi morir a nadie".

'Nunca había visto que un espectáculo resultara en algo como esto'

Joey Guerra, quien ha cubierto la escena musical de Houston durante unos 10 años, había llegado al festival a primera hora de la tarde y durante todo el día vio un ambiente festivo normal.

Para cuando Scott subió al escenario más tarde esa noche, Guerra estaba detrás de la audiencia y vio pequeños vehículos de emergencia atravesando la multitud, pero "para un festival, no parecía fuera de lo común".

"Se ven muchas cosas así, gente a la que sacan de ahí por agotamiento o deshidratación o cosas así", le dijo Guerra a CNN por teléfono el sábado por la mañana. "Él detuvo el espectáculo, quiero decir, tres o cuatro veces cuando notó gente angustiada".

Guerra dijo que Scott se presentó durante unos 75 minutos antes de que se detuviera el festival.

'Mi mente entró en modo de supervivencia total'

Jeffrey Schmidt y su mejor amigo Casey Wagner estaban listos para el mejor fin de semana de su vida. En cambio, se encontraron luchando por sus vidas.

Schmidt dijo que recuerda haber sentido como si la noche empeorara cuando el cronómetro de 30 minutos en el escenario comenzó a contar, y con cada minuto la respiración se volvió más y más difícil.

"Casey y yo decidimos hacer todo lo posible para salir de la multitud lentamente. Poco sabíamos, todo el infierno estaba a punto de desatarse. La gente comenzó a desmayarse y caer al suelo", dijo Schmidt a CNN.

"Casey, yo y otros miembros de la multitud tratamos de evitar que la multitud los pisoteara. Pero la fuerza de la multitud era demasiado poderosa y la gente comenzó a caer encima de ellos, incluidos Casey y yo".

Los dos amigos se encontraron pidiendo ayuda el uno al otro, pero se separaron rápidamente cuando fueron pisoteados bajo montones de cuerpos, con las piernas de Schmidt atrapadas debajo de otros asistentes al concierto caídos.

"En ese momento mi mente entró en modo de supervivencia total. Todo lo que podía escuchar era gente gritando y pidiendo ayuda", dijo Schmidt. "Perdí toda esperanza y pensé que iba a morir allí mismo porque no podía sacar mis piernas. Luché por mi vida".

"Pensé que nunca volvería a ver a mi mejor amigo, la vida no se sentía real", dijo.

Finalmente, logró salir del caos y corrió hacia los agentes del orden en busca de ayuda, pero inicialmente no lo tomaron en serio, dijo. Schmidt y Wagner se reunieron más tarde, y ambos estaban "aterrorizados y traumatizados", añadió.

"Esto no fue un concierto, fue una lucha por sobrevivir", dijo Schmidt.

"Vi a varias personas inconscientes e incapaces de respirar, mientras las personas debajo de mí lloraban por mi ayuda. Pero físicamente no pude ayudar. Eso es lo que más me traumatizó, que no podía ayudar a las personas que me rodeaban. Me sentí desconsolado por ellos y sus familias".
Jenn Selva y Fernando Alfonso III de CNN contribuyeron a este informe.

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Fans de Travis Scott describen escenas de caos y tragedia en el Astroworld Festival

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"Mientras me aplastaba la multitud me desmayé", dice asistente al festival Astroworld (CNN) -- TK Tellez sabe que los festivales pueden volverse locos. Pero nada, dice, podría haberlo preparado para la tragedia que se desarrolló el viernes por la noche en el Astroworld Festival en Houston.

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https://www.cnn.com/2021/11/08/politics/cnn-poll-biden-job-approval/index.html

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cnn poll: majority of americans say biden isn't paying attention to nation's most important issues - cnnpolitics

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CNN Poll: Majority of Americans say Biden isn't paying attention to nation's most important issues

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One year out from the 2022 midterm elections, 58% of Americans say President Joe Biden hasn't paid enough attention to the nation's most important problems, as a majority disapproves of the way he's handling his job as President, according to a new CNN Poll conducted by SSRS.

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— Ceylan Yeginsu, Niraj Chokshi, Concepción de León, Miriam Jordan, Max Rivlin-Nadler and Adeel Hassan

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Covid Live Updates: Reunions Begin as U.S. Lifts Travel Ban for Vaccinated Foreigners From Many Countries

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The change ends more than 18 months of restrictions that left families separated from loved ones and cost the global travel industry hundreds of billions of dollars.

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https://edition.cnn.com/2021/11/08/us/astroworld-lawsuit-travis-scott-festival/index.html

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live nation and scoremore following astroworld festival tragedy - cnn

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Lawsuit filed against Travis Scott, Live Nation and others following Astroworld Festival tragedy

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A lawsuit has been filed following the Astroworld Festival tragedy that left eight people dead and dozens injured in Houston on Friday night.

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https://elpolitico.com/biden-feliz-por-aprobacion-de-su-paso-monumental/

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Biden feliz por aprobación de su paso "monumental" - El Politico

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La utilización del calificativo "monumental" para la aprobación del Plan de Infraestructura señala el grado de satisfacción del presidente Joe Biden

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https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/ex-raider-henry-ruggs-iii-drove-156-mph-twice-legal-n1283123

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Former Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Henry Ruggs III was speeding at 156 mph with twice the legal limit of alcohol in his system before he slammed into another car, killing that driver, officials said Wednesday.

Ruggs was in a wheelchair and wearing a neck brace during his first appearance in Las Vegas Justice Court.

The 22-year-old, who has been charged with DUI resulting in death, was behind the wheel of a Corvette that slammed into the back of a Toyota Rav4 at 3:39 a.m. PDT on Tuesday near South Rainbow Boulevard and South Spring Valley Parkway, police said.

The Toyota caught fire and the female driver inside was killed.

Ruggs was clocked 156 mph 2.5 seconds before impact and traveling at 127 mph at impact, according to prosecutors.

Blood was drawn from Ruggs shortly after the crash, showing a blood alcohol level of .161, twice the legal limit for driving under the influence in Nevada, prosecutors said.

He was cut by the Raiders late Tuesday.

Ruggs had been playing in his second NFL season out of Alabama. In 20 games of his young NFL career with the Raiders, Ruggs has caught 50 passes for 921 yards and four touchdowns.
This is a developing story, please refresh here for updates.

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Ex-Raider Henry Ruggs III drove 156 mph, at twice the legal alcohol limit in fatal crash, DA says

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Former Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Henry Ruggs III was speeding at 156 mph with twice the legal limit of alcohol in his system before he slammed into another car, killing that driver, officials said Wednesday. Ruggs was in a wheelchair and wearing a neck brace during his first appearance in Las Vegas Justice Court.

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Many parents have been anxiously waiting for the moment their 5- to 11-year-olds could be inoculated. That day has arrived.

A girl received the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine in New York City in August. Younger children can start to get that vaccine on Wednesday. Credit... James Estrin/The New York Times

In Houston, Texas Children's Hospital braced on Wednesday for nearly 30,000 pediatric Covid-19 vaccine appointments, a rush that officials said had been booked in just five days. Nationally, Walgreens and CVS pharmacies opened appointment lines for millions of miniature doses. And amid a deluge of demand from parents desperate to get their children at least partially inoculated by Thanksgiving, Dr. Eric Ball realized he would have to skip some of his friend's daughter's bat mitzvah.

"Yeah," the Orange County, Calif., pediatrician said, laughing. "Looks like I'll be vaccinating kids in my suit this Saturday."

With the blessing of federal authorities - and just in time for yet another stressful holiday season - health care providers mobilized nationally this week for a fresh wave of inoculations, this time featuring smaller shots in smaller arms.

Late Tuesday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine for children aged 5 through 11. The decision was in line with the Food and Drug Administration, which on Friday authorized emergency use of the pediatric dose for the roughly 28 million children in that age group.

Polls indicate that roughly a third of U.S. parents plan to leave their elementary-school-age children unvaccinated. But the latest vaccine announcement came as a relief not only to millions of families exhausted by the pandemic, but to public health officials who said it might help prevent a repeat of the terrifying surge of disease that swept the country last winter.

Although the infection rate in the United States plummeted for weeks as the reach of the contagious Delta variant ebbed, federal officials have warned that another spike is still possible. Absent vaccination, they say, younger children are vulnerable to hospitalization and, in the most rare cases, death from Covid-19, and they can transmit the virus to people of all age groups.

The Biden administration has enlisted 20,000 pediatricians, family doctors and pharmacies to administer the shots and is shipping 15 million doses. About five million of them are allocated to pharmacies in the federal program that have been key to the adult vaccination rollout. The other 10 million are allocated to states.

Children's Hospital Los Angeles was set to begin administering its first batch of pediatric vaccines on Wednesday morning, according to a hospital spokesman. Dr. Zoey Goore, a Kaiser Permanente pediatrician in Roseville, Calif., said her practice near Sacramento planned to start inoculating younger children next week, and had received its first shipment of vaccines on Tuesday: "Our pharmacists took a picture and sent it to everyone."

In California, which has some 3.5 million children between 5 and 11 - nearly a tenth of the state's population - the authorization of pediatric vaccines was met with an almost giddy sense of celebration. Dr. Richard Pan, a Sacramento pediatrician and state senator who in recent years has led a push to tighten the state's vaccine regulations, said he had kept abreast of the C.D.C.'s endorsement on Tuesday by following colleagues on Twitter who were posting about the deliberations of scientific advisers to the agency.

"It's like the release of a new iPhone," Dr. Pan joked, predicting that "these first few weeks are going to be all about managing a crush of demand from early adopters." After that, he said, appointments were likely to level off in the way they have for older age groups.

The state has planned an extensive rollout that includes school sites, community groups, pharmacists and health care providers. The Los Angeles Unified School District, the nation's second-largest K-12 system, announced that it would deploy mobile vaccination teams for younger students on Monday and begin inoculating elementary school children at school-based clinics on Nov. 16. The district, which was among the first in the nation to use its campuses to distribute vaccinations, serves some 600,000 students, including hundreds of thousands in its elementary grades.

Other states were similarly relying on schools. In Anne Arundel County, Md., vaccination programs already in place for upper grade levels will soon expand to include at least 20 elementary schools, officials said. And Maine's top health official, Dr. Nirav Shah, said he has asked every school district in the state to either host a clinic or partner with another site, such as a hospital or fire department, to offer the vaccine to children. "No one gets away with a simple 'No,'" he said.

CVS and Walgreens pharmacies also were set to begin administering about one million shots apiece this week, according to company officials. Rina Shah, the head of pharmacy operations at Walgreens, said appointments could be scheduled at stores beginning Wednesday, with the first doses given to children on Saturday.

Roughly 3,000 Walgreens locations, some selected using a C.D.C. index of " social vulnerability " that emphasizes at-risk communities, will offer the service in the coming weeks, she said. Walgreens also will let children use its photo booths for free after their vaccinations, she added, so they can show off their fresh inoculations to their friends.

Jermaine Monroe, co-chair of a Covid 19 task force for Texas Children's Hospital in Houston, said the intensity of demand became apparent on Friday. That is when, anticipating the C.D.C.'s action, the hospital first began booking appointments for these pediatric doses for the two-week period beginning this Saturday.

What to Know About Covid-19 Booster Shots

The F.D.A. has authorized booster shots for millions of recipients of the Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines. Pfizer and Moderna recipients who are eligible for a booster include people 65 and older, and younger adults at high risk of severe Covid-19 because of medical conditions or where they work. Eligible Pfizer and Moderna recipients can get a booster at least six months after their second dose. All Johnson & Johnson recipients will be eligible for a second shot at least two months after the first.

Yes. The F.D.A. has updated its authorizations to allow medical providers to boost people with a different vaccine than the one they initially received, a strategy known as "mix and match." Whether you received Moderna, Johnson & Johnson or Pfizer-BioNTech, you may receive a booster of any other vaccine. Regulators have not recommended any one vaccine over another as a booster. They have also remained silent on whether it is preferable to stick with the same vaccine when possible.

The C.D.C. has said the conditions that qualify a person for a booster shot include: hypertension and heart disease; diabetes or obesity; cancer or blood disorders; weakened immune system; chronic lung, kidney or liver disease; dementia and certain disabilities. Pregnant women and current and former smokers are also eligible.

The F.D.A. authorized boosters for workers whose jobs put them at high risk of exposure to potentially infectious people. The C.D.C. says that group includes: emergency medical workers; education workers; food and agriculture workers; manufacturing workers; corrections workers; U.S. Postal Service workers; public transit workers; grocery store workers.

Yes. The C.D.C. says the Covid vaccine may be administered without regard to the timing of other vaccines, and many pharmacy sites are allowing people to schedule a flu shot at the same time as a booster dose.

"We were averaging 120 appointments per minute," he said. The bulk of slots were snapped up within 24 hours. As of Tuesday morning, 28,698 children had been booked for shots.

Texas Children's main hospital, its two community hospitals and a variety of other sites are now planning to administer about 2,000 pediatric shots a day, officials said. So far, Mr. Monroe said, the interest has been at least double what the hospital system saw after the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine became available to adolescents.

He attributed that to greater comfort with the vaccine, fear that the Delta variant posed a bigger threat to younger children, the approaching holidays and the hospital's effort to educate parents at town halls and other venues about the vaccine's benefits.

Not all states were as upbeat about the rollout's prospects.

In Arkansas, only a little more than 40 percent of adolescents ages 12 to 15 have been fully vaccinated, said Dr. Jose Romero, the state's top health official. And he said that while he knew that pediatricians were "very anxious to have it in their offices," he hoped the uptake among younger children would be stronger than what the state had seen with older ones.

Dr. Lisa Gwynn, the president of the Florida chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, who runs a mobile vaccination program for the University of Miami health system, said the state's rollout might be "a little bumpy," as it was for adolescents.

"Unfortunately," she said, "our state doesn't have a very well-oiled machine."

Some logistics have improved, she said: Pediatricians are now able to order 300 shots at a time, rather than the previous and less flexible minimum of 1,100. But having sufficient refrigeration and staff to administer the vaccines remains a concern, she said, especially for smaller offices.

Dr. Robin Straus said she had only one doctor on duty at a time at her small Bay Harbor Islands, Fla., practice, and had been directing families to local children's hospitals for vaccinations.

She registered with the local office of the Florida Department of Health to receive a shipment of doses for younger children, she said, but her office is short-staffed, she does not allow patients in the waiting room because of Covid protocols and she does not want to keep children and their parents waiting outside for long periods.

"Right now, we're telling our patients we're working on it," she said.

Noah Weiland, Patricia Mazzei and Jacey Fortin contributed reporting.

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Young Children Are Lining Up for Next Wave of Covid Vaccines

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Many parents have been anxiously waiting for the moment their 5- to 11-year-olds could be inoculated. That day has arrived. In Houston, Texas Children's Hospital braced on Wednesday for nearly 30,000 pediatric Covid-19 vaccine appointments, a rush that officials said had been booked in just five days.

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https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/vaccine-misinformation-poised-spike-covid-shots-kids-roll-rcna4360

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Anti-vaccine groups are already pushing the narrative against kids getting Covid vaccines

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Medical professionals and misinformation experts are warning that the push to vaccinate kids has already been seized on by groups looking to spread anti-vaccination messages.

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https://www.cnn.com/2021/11/03/politics/us-election-day-analysis-virginia-new-jersey-democrats-reckoning/index.html

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https://www.foxnews.com/politics/republican-biden-response-mexico-harming-us-energy-companies

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House Republican lawmakers are calling on the Biden administration to give a "timely and clear" response to reported efforts by the Mexican government to limit access to its energy sectors - in a way they say excludes U.S. companies and violates the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA).

The letter from 40 Republican lawmakers, led by Rep. Buddy Carter, R-Ga., expresses "grave concern" about reports that Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez's administration is giving preferential treatment to Mexican national oil companies.
BARROSSO DEMANDS COST AND QUESTIONS CARBON FOOTPRINT OF BIDEN ADMINISTRATION GLASGOW SUMMIT TRIP
"His administration and his party have championed regulatory and legislative efforts that have been ruled to be anti-competitive and harmful to the environment by Mexican courts," they write in the letter to the Departments of State, Energy and Commerce, as well as the U.S. Trade Representative. "As such, they are also harmful to U.S. investment, American workers and the North American commitment to sustainability -- all of which are concepts that are protected by the USMCA."

Specifically, they point to a use of Mexican authorities that have hindered or blocked U.S. private sector participation in Mexican fuel markets.

They cite reports that the government has suspended permits for U.S.-owned federal storage terminals and shut down others using the National Guard. That's in addition to regulatory changes that bar companies from obtaining permits needed for fuel terminals, and the cancellation of nearly 2,000 permits for gasoline and oil import and exports.

Lopez Obrador submitted a bill last month to cancel contracts under which dozens of private plants sell power into the national grid, and declares hundreds more illegal that sell energy to corporate clients.
HIGHER OIL, ENERGY PRICES 'HERE TO STAY,' ANALYST SAYS
"Such brazen action in contravention of existing legislation has significant implications for American businesses and workers," they argue. "In 2019, the oil and natural gas industry directly or indirectly supported 11.3 million jobs in the U.S. and had a national economic impact of nearly $1.7 trillion."

The Associated Press reported that the measures in Mexico put private natural gas plants almost last for rights to sell electricity into the grid, despite the fact they produce power about 24% more cheaply. Government-run plants that burn dirty fuel oil would have preference over private wind and solar plants, but not the natural gas plants. Many of the wind and solar electrical plants that Mexico wants to limit were built by U.S. or Spanish firms.

A State Department spokesperson told Fox that the government "continues to engage with the Mexican government on a range of energy sector issues, including those affecting the private and public sector investment."

"The United States government has a strong, institutional relationship with Mexico; this gives us the ability to speak with our Mexican counterparts via those institutional channels about many issues, including this one," they said. "We encourage private enterprises to continue to raise concerns with appropriate U.S. government authorities. That feedback loop is critically important and informs our government-to-government discussions."

The Republican lawmakers claim that the discrimination suggest that the Mexican government is "proactively attempting to enact policies and take actions that violate and undermine the treaty."

"Recent reports of discriminatory actions against U.S. companies require a timely and clear response," they say. "We urge you to elevate efforts to press Mexican authorities to stop discriminatory actions and provide U.S. companies operating in or trading with Mexico a level playing field, as envisioned by USMCA."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Republicans demand Biden give 'timely and clear response' to Mexico allegedly harming US energy companies

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House Republican lawmakers are calling on the Biden administration to give a "timely and clear" response to reported efforts by the Mexican government to limit access to its energy sectors -- in a way they say excludes U.S. companies and violates the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA).

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https://www.foxnews.com/politics/virginia-governor-election-results-progressives-mcauliffe

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A coalition of progressive groups issued a scathing reaction to Terry McAuliffe's election loss in Virginia, blasting Democrats for running an "uninspired" campaign that failed to address issues voters really care about.

A statement issued by the left-wing groups Battle Born Collective, Justice Democrats, Sunrise Movement and United We Dream Action said McAuliffe's "shellacking" Tuesday night by Gov.-elect Glenn Youngkin should be a "wake up call for Democrats" ahead of the 2022 midterm elections.

VIRGINIA ELECTION TIMELINE: HOW EDUCATION BECAME CRUCIAL TO REPUBLICANS' VICTORY
"Terry McAuliffe ran the milquetoast campaign he wanted to run - where every other word he uttered was 'Donald Trump' instead of focusing on the issues voters cared about the most," the groups wrote.

"What happened in Virginia is what happens when Democrats fail to take on the GOP's divide-and-conquer racism and motivate people to turn out," they continued. "The McAuliffe campaign had no comprehensive pro-worker economic message against a literal private equity magnate. It had no positive message on what the next four years would be like for Virginians. It had no rebuttal to Republican race-baiting bull----. Put simply: it was a campaign designed to fail."

"This was a controlled experiment for what NOT to do in 2022," they wrote. "This is what it looks like when Democrats get caught flat-footed and let Republicans dictate the terms of the debate by manufacturing a fake 'education crisis.' It does not have to be this way. There is still time to adopt an inclusive economic message that crowds out racist dog whistles. There is still time to go on offense and fight for the very voters who powered Democratic victories in 2020."

The left-wing groups also blasted the "DC establishment" for rushing to back McAuliffe's campaign, saying it "sidelined two potentially history-making Black women running for the same office."

Education and the teaching of critical race theory (CRT) in public schools became a key issue in the Virginia gubernatorial race. Youngkin has vowed to ban CRT from being taught in schools on his first day as governor, while McAuliffe has repeatedly described the fight against CRT as a racist dog whistle. He has also claimed the theory has never been taught in Virginia, despite it being promoted on the state's department of education website.

Progressives have attempted to paint McAuliffe's loss as a win for White supremacy.

"It's not the messaging, folks. This country simply loves white supremacy," tweeted The Atlantic contributor Jemele Hill.
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Critics noted that Virginia Republicans are set to elect Jason Miyares as the the state's first Latino attorney general and Winsome Sears as the state's first woman of color lieutenant governor. Both candidates have declared victory, though the AP has not called either race.

"Ah yes, that's why we elected the first latino to Virginia AG and the first black woman to Lt. Governor. Really makes sense, Jemele," conservative commentator Caleb Hull tweeted.

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Progressives blast 'uninspired' McAuliffe campaign's inability to combat 'race-baiting bulls-'

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A coalition of progressive groups issued a scathing reaction to Terry McAuliffe's election loss in Virginia, blasting Democrats for running an "uninspired" campaign that failed to address issues voters really care about.

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https://cnnespanol.cnn.com/2021/11/02/cop26-conclusiones-dia-2-trax/

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¿Por qué es vital la cumbre COP26 para los inversores?

(CNN) -- El estado de ánimo en Glasgow fue optimista este martes cuando los líderes mundiales concluyeron su cumbre de alto nivel en la conferencia climática COP26. Varios anuncios importantes iluminaron la perspectiva sobre si la reunión puede lograr resultados significativo s.

Esto es lo que sucedió el segundo día.

La gran promesa sobre el metano en la COP26

Alrededor de 100 naciones y partes han firmado un compromiso global para reducir las emisiones de metano en un 30% de los niveles de 2020 para 2030, anunció este martes en Glasgow la presidenta de la Comisión Europea, Ursula von der Leyen.

El metano, que es el componente principal del gas natural, es un gas de efecto invernadero extremadamente potente. Invisible e inodoro, tiene 80 veces más poder de calentamiento a corto plazo que el dióxido de carbono.

Von der Leyen dijo que reducir las emisiones de metano "ralentizará inmediatamente el cambio climático".

Emisiones de metano, en su nivel más alto en la historia

Helen Mountford, vicepresidenta de clima y economía del Instituto de Recursos Mundiales, una organización de investigación ambiental, dijo que reducir las emisiones de metano era esencial para evitar que el planeta se calentara más allá de 1,5 grados Celsius, un umbral clave identificado por los científicos.

"Esta promesa... establece un piso sólido en términos de la ambición que necesitamos a nivel mundial", dijo Mountford en un comunicado. "La acción enérgica y rápida para reducir las emisiones de metano ofrece una variedad de beneficios, desde limitar el calentamiento a corto plazo y frenar la contaminación del aire hasta mejorar la seguridad alimentaria y la salud pública".

El presidente de Estados Unidos, Joe Biden, dijo que el impulso para reducir las emisiones de metano es tanto una oportunidad económica como ambiental.

"Esto no es solo algo que tenemos que hacer para proteger el medio ambiente, nuestro futuro", dijo Biden este martes. "Es una enorme oportunidad, una enorme oportunidad para todos nosotros, todas nuestras naciones, de crear puestos de trabajo y hacer de los objetivos climáticos significativos una parte fundamental de nuestra recuperación económica mundial".

China se apuntaría a los '1,5 grados'

El enviado especial de China para el cambio climático, Xie Zhenhua, dijo este martes que su país "no se resistía" al objetivo de limitar el calentamiento global a 1,5 grados centígrados por encima de los niveles preindustriales.

China se ha mostrado reacia a comprometerse estrictamente con la cifra de 1,5 grados y ha preferido decir que se comprometerán a mantener el calentamiento "por debajo de 2 grados y lo más cerca posible de 1,5 grados".

Pero Xie parecía estar preparándose para el objetivo este martes.

"No me resisto al objetivo de 1,5 grados. Eso es parte de los objetivos del Acuerdo de París, en realidad. Hablar sobre los objetivos climáticos globales debe basarse en reglas. Dado que 1,5 grados Celsius es parte de los objetivos de París, ciertamente estamos no contra este objetivo", dijo.

Los países que más contaminan en la actualidad

China es el mayor contaminador del mundo, por lo que su apoyo al objetivo es vital. Xie es el principal negociador climático de China y, como tal, podría decirse que es una de las personas más poderosas que asisten a la cumbre COP26 de Glasgow. Más temprano este martes, criticó a Occidente por "no cumplir" su compromiso de proporcionar financiamiento climático anual de US$ 100.000 millones para los países en desarrollo.

"Recientemente hablé con el máximo presidente de la COP26, Alok Sharma, y ​​con (el enviado de Estados Unidos para el clima) John Kerry y ministros de muchos otros países. Y me dijeron que tenemos que esperar hasta 2022 o incluso 2023 para alcanzar el objetivo de US$ 100.000 millones, el objetivo fijado para antes de 2020", dijo a los periodistas.

Mientras tanto, hablando con Christiane Amanpour de CNN este martes, Kerry dijo que Estados Unidos estaba trabajando con China "sin desafiarlos de ninguna manera personal".

"China ha dicho 'vamos a limitar estrictamente el carbón'", dijo Kerry. "Lo que estamos tratando de hacer es trabajar con China de manera cooperativa para mostrar cómo podrían acelerar la transición".

Ayudando a Sudáfrica en la transición del carbón

Estados Unidos, Reino Unido, Francia, Alemania y la Unión Europea han anunciado que ayudarán a financiar la transición de Sudáfrica al uso del carbón.

El primer ministro del Reino Unido, Boris Johnson, dijo que la asociación inicial de US$ 8.500 millones ayudaría a Sudáfrica a descarbonizar su sistema energético intensivo en carbón. Los detalles de la financiación aún no se han anunciado, y los diplomáticos esperan que la letra pequeña se resuelva en los próximos meses.

La energía de carbón aumenta en EE.UU.

Los científicos del clima y algunos diplomáticos dicen que el acuerdo de Sudáfrica podría allanar el camino para acuerdos similares con otros países en desarrollo que son grandes contaminadores, un paso crítico para contener el calentamiento global y evitar una catástrofe climática en toda regla.

Los políticos de las naciones en desarrollo notarán la promesa de financiar una transición del carbón porque Sudáfrica se encuentra entre las naciones más dependientes del carbón en el mundo.

Los países vulnerables piden ayuda

El segundo día de la cumbre de líderes en la COP26 vio una serie de emotivos discursos de líderes de países africanos y pequeños insulares.

El Climate Vulnerable Forum (CVF), un grupo que une a los 48 países con mayor riesgo de cambio climático, convocó a una reunión en la COP26 este martes, pidiendo al mundo rico que los ayude en la transición a economías verdes y lidiar con los impactos del aumento de temperaturas.

El embajador de CVF y ex presidente de Maldivas, Mohamed Nasheed, instó a los países grandes y pequeños a permanecer unidos y "no darse por vencidos".

"Es extremadamente ingenuo que los líderes digan que salvarán los puestos de trabajo de las personas al limitarse a los combustibles fósiles", dijo. "Ahora todo el mundo es vulnerable, no solo nosotros, las pequeñas islas".

Los líderes del grupo tenían un estribillo similar: si bien sus países se encuentran entre los menos contaminantes del mundo, están en la primera línea de la crisis climática.

"El IPCC muestra que África se está calentando más rápido que cualquier continente del mundo, a pesar de que somos los menos emisores", dijo en el foro la presidenta de Ghana, Nana Akufo-Addo, refiriéndose al Panel Intergubernamental sobre Cambio Climático de la ONU. "Es por eso que apoyamos al Grupo Africano y la CVF para pedir a los países desarrollados que lideren la mitigación de las emisiones".

Kerry también asistió a la reunión. Si bien reconoció las dificultades que enfrentan los países vulnerables, también los instó a actuar sobre el clima y reducir sus propias emisiones.

"Seré muy directo con ustedes. Su queja sobre lo que nos trajo aquí es legítima. El futuro se definirá, pero lo que elijamos hacer", dijo Kerry. "Si vamos a ser responsables ante nosotros mismos en el mundo, tenemos que reducir las emisiones y también tenemos que ser responsables haciendo lo suficiente para que se haya hecho la adaptación para reparar el daño y ayudar a los países a poder trabajar en eso".

Más detalles sobre el plan contra la deforestación en la COP26

La gran promesa de la COP26 de poner fin a la deforestación para 2030, anunciada por más de 100 países este lunes, comenzó a tomar una forma más clara cuando varios gobiernos anunciaron compromisos concretos.

La UE ha prometido € 1.000 millones (US$ 1.100 millones) para ayudar a proteger los bosques del mundo durante los próximos cinco años, una cuarta parte de los cuales se reservará para el compromiso de la cuenca del Congo, un fondo establecido para proteger la segunda selva tropical más grande del mundo contra las amenazas. planteados por la tala industrial y la minería.

Crece la deforestación de la Amazonia en Brasil un 43%

El Reino Unido dijo que comprometería £ 1.500 millones (US$ 2.000 millones) durante cinco años para apoyar la promesa, incluidos £ 350 millones (US$ 475 millones) para los bosques tropicales en Indonesia y hasta £ 300 millones (US$ 408 millones) destinados a la Amazonía.

Y Biden prometió US$ 9.000 millones en nombre de Estados Unidos.

"Este plan es el primero de su tipo, adopta un enfoque gubernamental completo y trabaja en nuestro caso con el Congreso para emplear hasta US$ 9 mil millones en fondos estadounidenses hasta 2030 para conservar y restaurar nuestros bosques y movilizar miles de millones más de nuestros socios", dijo.

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Estas son las grandes conclusiones del segundo día de la COP26

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¿Por qué es vital la cumbre COP26 para los inversores? (CNN) -- El estado de ánimo en Glasgow fue optimista este martes cuando los líderes mundiales concluyeron su cumbre de alto nivel en la conferencia climática COP26. Varios anuncios importantes iluminaron la perspectiva sobre si la reunión puede lograr resultados significativo s.

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Reproduciendo 0:50

Pfizer informó que las ganancias y las ventas se duplicaron con creces en el último trimestre. La farmacéutica elevó su perspectiva de resultados para todo el año, gracias en gran medida a su vacuna contra el covid-19. Conoce más detalles aquí.

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Los ingresos y las ganancias de Pfizer se disparan en su negocio de vacunas contra el covid-19 | Video | CNN

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Pfizer informó que las ganancias y las ventas se duplicaron con creces en el último trimestre. La farmacéutica elevó su perspectiva de resultados para todo el año, gracias en gran medida a su vacuna contra el covid-19. Conoce más detalles aquí.

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Kavanaugh, Barrett air skepticism of Texas abortion law

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Two of three Trump-appointed justices grilled the state on the implications of its ban.

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26 posts

Brasil dice que tiene como objetivo acabar con toda la deforestación ilegal para 2028

La delegación brasileña en la COP26 presentó un plan que incluía el objetivo de acabar con toda la deforestación ilegal para 2028.

En la presentación, que siguió a un discurso del ministro de Medio Ambiente de Brasil, Joaquim Leite, la delegación brasileña anunció el plan de acción de Brasil para reducir la deforestación ilegal a partir de 2022 en un 15% cada año hasta 2024, y luego un 40% en 2025 y 2026 y un 50% en 2027, con el objetivo de poner fin a toda la deforestación ilegal para 2028.

El enviado presidencial especial de Estados Unidos para el clima, John Kerry, tuiteó: "Damos la bienvenida a los nuevos compromisos de Brasil para poner fin a la deforestación ilegal para 2028, lograr una reducción significativa del 50% de GEI para 2030 y lograr cero neto para 2050. Esto agrega un impulso crucial al movimiento global para combatir la #Crisis Climática. ¡Esperamos trabajar juntos!"

We welcome Brazil's new commitments to end illegal deforestation by 2028, achieve a significant 50% GHG reduction by 2030 and achieve net zero by 2050. This adds crucial momentum to the global movement to combat the #ClimateCrisis. Looking forward to working together!

- Special Presidential Envoy John Kerry (@ClimateEnvoy) November 1, 2021

Marcelo Freire, subsecretario de Relaciones Internacionales Climáticas de Brasil en el Ministerio de Medio Ambiente, presentó el plan de Brasil que incluía el objetivo del país de restaurar y reforestar 18 millones de hectáreas de bosques, para usos múltiples, para 2030. El objetivo inicial, según la delegación, era recuperar 12 millones de hectáreas de bosque para 2030, pero el gobierno dice que ya llegó a 16 millones de hectáreas en 2020.

En cuanto al sector energético, el plan de acción incluyó incrementar el uso de biocombustibles como el etanol y aumentar el uso de energías renovables y reducir las emisiones.

"Vamos a seguir aumentando los estándares industriales y utilizando tecnologías que son menos intensivas en emisiones", dijo Freire.

El plan también incluyó incentivar y avanzar en la fabricación de vehículos híbridos y eléctricos, implementar programas específicos para reducir las emisiones en el sector agrícola, invertir en nuevas redes ferroviarias para transportar carga y reducir el transporte por carretera para reducir las emisiones. Según el plan, un ferrocarril podría generar una reducción de aproximadamente un 77% en las emisiones de dióxido de carbono en la atmósfera en comparación con el transporte de mercancías por carretera. El plan también apunta a crear nuevos estándares para los procesos industriales y la facilitación de negocios verdes.

Horas antes de la presentación del plan de Brasil, Human Rights Watch dijo que los compromisos y políticas climáticos de Brasil "no alcanzan" lo que se necesita para abordar la crisis en la Amazonía, dijo el grupo en un comunicado. La delegación brasileña llegó a Glasgow con un plan de acción nacional "menos ambicioso que el anterior" y que el gobierno carecía de un plan creíble para salvar la selva amazónica, según el comunicado de HRW.

"El gobierno de Bolsonaro ahora quiere que el mundo crea que está comprometido con salvar la selva tropical", dijo Maria Laura Canineu, directora de Human Rights Watch para Brasil. "Pero este compromiso no puede tomarse en serio dado su desastroso historial y la falta de presentación de planes creíbles para lograr el progreso que se necesita con urgencia en la lucha contra la deforestación".

Algunos antecedentes: la deforestación en la Amazonía brasileña se disparó desde que Bolsonaro asumió el cargo en enero de 2019 y alcanzó un máximo de 12 años en el año entre agosto de 2019 y julio de 2020, según el Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Espaciales (INPE) del país. Según el INPE, durante ese tiempo, se destruyeron más de 17.611 kilómetros cuadrados, los niveles más altos de destrucción desde 2008.

El INPE registró 985 kilómetros cuadrados, o unas 380 millas cuadradas, de deforestación en la Amazonía en septiembre de 2021. Es la segunda cifra más alta jamás registrada por el instituto para el mes de septiembre, siendo la peor de 1.454 kilómetros cuadrados (o 561 millas cuadradas). ) en 2019.

Reducción de las emisiones de gases de efecto invernadero: estos países no están cumpliendo sus objetivos

Casi 200 países se han comprometido a reducir las emisiones de gases de efecto invernadero para evitar las peores consecuencias de la crisis climática. Sin embargo, todavía hay una enorme brecha entre lo que se ha prometido y lo que los científicos dicen que se necesita, según un informe del Programa de las Naciones Unidas para el Medio Ambiente (Pnuma, por sus siglas en inglés).

De los países del G20, que representan el 80% de las emisiones mundiales, solo seis naciones han aumentado formalmente sus objetivos. El informe también reveló que seis naciones del G20, incluido Estados Unidos, nunca cumplieron sus antiguos objetivos. Los demás eran Canadá, Australia, Brasil, Corea del Sur y México.

Lee el artículo completo aquí.
Informe de John Keefe y Rachel Ramirez

Estados Unidos y China son los mayores emisores de gases de efecto invernadero del mundo. Pero, ¿quién es peor?

China y Estados Unidos son los dos mayores emisores de gases de efecto invernadero del mundo, por lo que cualquier intento de abordar la crisis climática deberá implicar grandes recortes de emisiones de estas dos naciones.

Las emisiones de China son más del doble que las de EE.UU., pero históricamente, EE.UU. ha emitido más que cualquier otro país del mundo.

Hay muchos factores a considerar al juzgar las credenciales climáticas de un país, y en la COP26, los planes de Estados Unidos y China están en el centro de atención.

Lee cómo se comparan los dos haciendo click aquí.
Informe de Helen Regan

Del "cero neto" a la "mitigación", estos son los términos con los que se discute sobre el clima

Mientras se desarrolla la COP26, te contamos cuáles son son algunos términos que hay que conocer para estar al día de las conversaciones, entender lo que está en juego y, sobre todo, sonar inteligente en la mesa.

Emisiones netas cero

Las emisiones netas cero se consiguen eliminando de la atmósfera tantos gases de efecto invernadero como los que se emiten, de modo que la cantidad neta añadida es cero. Para ello, los países y las empresas tendrán que recurrir a métodos naturales, como plantar árboles o restaurar praderas, para absorber el dióxido de carbono (CO2), el gas de efecto invernadero más abundante que emitimos, o utilizar la tecnología para "capturar" el gas y almacenarlo donde no se escape a la atmósfera.

Decenas de países ya se han comprometido a lograr la emisión neta cero para mediados de siglo y existe una enorme presión sobre los países que aún no lo han hecho para que se comprometan antes de la COP26.

Emisiones negativas

Para salvar al mundo de los peores efectos del cambio climático, los científicos afirman que probablemente no baste con alcanzar el cero neto. Las emisiones negativas netas se dan cuando la cantidad de gas de efecto invernadero que se elimina de la atmósfera es en realidad mayor que la cantidad que los seres humanos emiten en un periodo de tiempo determinado.

Sumideros de carbono

Los sumideros de carbono son depósitos que absorben el dióxido de carbono de la atmósfera y lo encierran.

Los sumideros naturales, como los árboles y otra vegetación, eliminan el CO2 de la atmósfera a través de la fotosíntesis: las plantas utilizan el dióxido de carbono de la atmósfera para crecer. El océano también es un importante sumidero de carbono debido al fitoplancton que, como planta, también absorbe dióxido de carbono.

Los científicos afirman que la preservación y ampliación de los sumideros naturales, como los bosques, son fundamentales para reducir las emisiones.

Para conocer los significados de otros términos relacionados a la COP26, lee el artículo completo aquí.
Informe de Laura Smith-Spark

Cuatro jóvenes activistas, entre ellas, una mexicana, navegan hasta la COP26

Cuatro jóvenes activistas, entre ellas, una mexicana, llegan a la COP26 este lunes a bordo del "Rainbow Warrior" de Greenpeace.

Los activistas que llegan en barco son:

Jakapita Faith Kandanga, 24 años, de Namibia

Edwin Namakanga, 27, de Uganda

María Reyes, 19, de México

Farzana Faruk Jhumu, 22 años, de Bangladesh

Al barco se le advirtió originalmente que no se le permitiría navegar por el Clyde hacia la zona restringida alrededor de la conferencia, dijo Greenpeace, pero se le concedió el paso este lunes por la mañana.

"Los líderes mundiales que asistan a las conversaciones podrían aprender mucho de esta cooperación", dijeron los cuatro activistas en un comunicado conjunto. "Hemos sido ignorados durante bastante tiempo, y ahora, con un pasaje seguro a Glasgow, nuestras voces deben ser escuchadas en la COP26".

Biden: "Nos reunimos con los ojos de la historia sobre nosotros"

El presidente de EE.UU., Joe Biden, instó a actuar con rapidez para combatir la crisis climática en el primer día de la crucial cumbre del clima COP26 en Glasgow, diciendo a sus colegas líderes mundiales que solo queda una "breve ventana" para tomar medidas para frenar las emisiones.

"Para decir lo que es obvio, nos reunimos con los ojos de la historia sobre nosotros y con una profunda pregunta ante nosotros. Es sencilla: ¿Actuaremos? ¿Haremos lo necesario? ¿Aprovecharemos la enorme oportunidad que tenemos ante nosotros? O condenaremos a las generaciones futuras a sufrir", dijo Biden.

El presidente continuó: "Esta es la década que determinará la respuesta. Esta década".

"Glasgow debe ser el pistoletazo de salida de una década de ambición e innovación para preservar nuestro futuro compartido", siguió Biden en su discurso en la cumbre COP26.

Reconoció que el cambio climático está haciendo estragos en el mundo, "destruyendo la vida y el sustento de las personas" y costando a los países billones de dólares.

"Calor y sequía récord, alimentando incendios forestales más extendidos, en algunos lugares pérdidas de cosechas y otros", dijo. "Lo que antes eran tormentas que ocurrían una vez por siglo, están ocurriendo cada pocos años. En los últimos meses, Estados Unidos ha experimentado todo esto".

"Estamos en un punto de inflexión en la historia del mundo", instó a los líderes. "Tenemos la capacidad de invertir en nosotros mismos y construir un futuro equitativo de energía limpia, y en el proceso crear millones de empleos bien remunerados y oportunidades en todo el mundo".

Altos funcionarios de EE.UU. destacan agenda climática de Biden

Los dos máximos responsables del clima del presidente de los Estados Unidos, John Kerry, enviado especial para el clima, y Gina McCarthy, asesora de la Casa Blanca en materia de clima, destacaron la actuación de Estados Unidos al inicio de la COP26 este lunes.

En declaraciones a los periodistas, Kerry dijo que los funcionarios desvelarían más detalles sobre el Compromiso Global sobre el Metano de EE.UU. y la UE, un compromiso internacional para reducir las emisiones de metano en un 30% para 2030, así como los compromisos de financiación privada de los principales bancos de EE.UU.

"Nunca antes hemos necesitado reunir más medidas, más transparencia y más compromiso que hoy", dijo Kerry. "Si no se hace lo suficiente entre 2020 y 2030, no se mantiene viva la perspectiva de cero emisiones netas para 2050. Eso es lo que nos guía aquí en Glasgow".

Kerry dijo que su equipo "se ha ocupado de convertir al sector privado en nuestros socios en este empeño", y afirmó que los seis mayores bancos estadounidenses se comprometen a invertir un mínimo de casi US$ 4,2 billones en proyectos climáticos durante la próxima década.

McCarthy hizo hincapié en la agenda legislativa de Biden sobre el clima, que es una pieza fundamental de la acción climática global de Estados Unidos. La semana pasada, la Casa Blanca de Biden anunció un marco económico y climático de US$ 1,75 billones, que contiene US$ 555.000 millones en inversiones propuestas para el clima y la energía limpia. Sin embargo, ese marco aún no se ha convertido en ley, ya que los legisladores estadounidenses están negociando a última hora.

"Esto es lo que parece un compromiso; se trata de la mayor inversión para combatir el clima en nuestra historia por diez veces", dijo McCarthy. "Y nos va a permitir reducir las emisiones bastante más de una gigatonelada. Estamos hablando de un gran cambio".

McCarthy también mencionó un nuevo informe de estrategia a largo plazo publicado este lunes por ella y la oficina de Kerry, según el cual EE.UU. debe empezar a eliminar el dióxido de carbono de la atmósfera para lograr emisiones netas cero en 2050, utilizando herramientas agrícolas que secuestren carbono en el suelo, los bosques y las praderas, así como la eliminación de carbono por ingeniería.

Boris Johnson invoca a James Bond, instando a los líderes mundiales a desactivar la "bomba" de tiempo

El primer ministro del Reino Unido, Boris Johnson, invocó al agente secreto británico ficticio James Bond cuando instó a los líderes mundiales a cambiar el rumbo de la crisis climática, haciendo una analogía entre "desactivar" una bomba de tiempo y la crisis climática que enfrenta el mundo.

"Puede que no nos sintamos mucho como James Bond, no todos necesariamente nos parecemos a James Bond, pero tenemos la oportunidad y tenemos el deber de hacer de esta cumbre el momento en que la humanidad finalmente comenzó, comenzó a desactivar esa bomba", dijo.

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Minuto a minuto: así se desarrolla la COP26 en Glasgow

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26 posts Brasil dice que tiene como objetivo acabar con toda la deforestación ilegal para 2028 La delegación brasileña en la COP26 presentó un plan que incluía el objetivo de acabar con toda la deforestación ilegal para 2028.

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Travel hassles continued for American Airlines passengers Monday as the carrier canceled more than 300 flights - bringing its total number of cancellations since Friday to over 2,000.

There were 376 canceled American Airlines flights as of 1:30 p.m. ET Monday, representing 13 percent of the airline's scheduled flights, according to the flight tracker site Flight Aware. Another 375 flights were delayed.

"It said choose another flight, but they don't have flights available," passenger Monica Velez, who did not get a text that her flight back home to Detroit was canceled until she arrived at Miami International Airport, told NBC 6 South Florida over the weekend. "I have to work Monday, and I have a 9-year-old at home."

The airline has cited staffing shortages and bad weather for the disruptions to its schedule.

On Saturday, American Airlines Chief Operating Officer David Seymour said in a staff note obtained by CNBC that the problems began with high wind gusts Thursday that cut runway capacity at its hub at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, creating a domino effect that resulted in crew members unable to be in position for their next flights.

Pilot and flight attendant availability was listed as the reason for most of the cancellations on Saturday and Sunday, according to internal tallies, which were seen by CNBC.

Seymour said that most customers were rebooked the same day and he expected operations to stabilize in the coming days.

But the blip has raised questions ahead of the busy holiday travel season.

In recent months, other airlines, too, have had to cancel hundreds of flights as a result of staffing shortfalls: Southwest Airlines in October canceled more than 2,000 flights, which it said cost it $75 million.

Air travel saw a sharp rebound in the spring, but many airlines have still been running on skeletal staffing, having offered voluntary buyouts or leaves of absence to thousands of employees when the pandemic brought their industry to a halt.

Carriers are working to ramp staffing back up. Seymour said that 1,800 American Airlines flight attendants would be returning from leave starting Monday and that the rest would be back by December, CNBC reported.

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More travel chaos for American Airlines as over 300 flights canceled Monday

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Travel hassles continued for American Airlines passengers Monday as the carrier canceled more than 300 flights - bringing its total number of cancellations since Friday to over 2,000. There were 376 canceled American Airlines flights as of 1:30 p.m. ET Monday, representing 13 percent of the airline's scheduled flights, according to the flight tracker site Flight Aware.

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Comienza la COP26 de la ONU sobre la crisis climática

(CNN) -- Fue en la ciudad de Glasgow donde el ingeniero escocés James Watt mejoró el funcionamiento de la máquina de vapor y, sin saberlo, dio inicio a la Revolución Industrial. Nunca podría haber imaginado que los humanos quemarían tanto carbón, petróleo y gas durante los próximos dos siglos que pondrían en peligro el mismo clima que ha permitido su existencia.

Más de 120 líderes estarán hablando este lunes en la misma ciudad para comenzar las conversaciones climáticas de la COP26, donde marcarán la pauta para dos semanas de negociaciones que pueden terminar con un plan para descarbonizar rápidamente el planeta, o hacer declaraciones acuosas para retrasar lo que muestra la ciencia es necesario, posiblemente postergándolo hasta que sea demasiado tarde. Los líderes y expertos climáticos lo llaman la última mejor oportunidad del mundo para abordar la crisis climática.

El primer ministro del Reino Unido, Boris Johnson, cuyo gobierno es el anfitrión de las conversaciones, invocó al agente secreto británico ficticio James Bond cuando instó a los líderes mundiales a cambiar el rumbo de la crisis climática, haciendo una analogía entre "desactivar" una bomba de tiempo y la crisis climática que enfrenta el mundo.

En la inauguración de la Cumbre Mundial de Líderes en la COP26 en Glasgow, el secretario general de las Naciones Unidas, António Guterres, dijo a los líderes mundiales que "estamos cavando nuestra propia tumba" y que el mundo debe tomar medidas inmediatas en esta conferencia climática para evitarlo.

Por su parte, el príncipe Carlos dijo que el cambio climático y la pérdida de biodiversidad representan una gran amenaza y ponen al mundo en "pie de guerra". "Los ojos y las esperanzas del mundo están sobre ustedes" para actuar con decisión, agregó.

La reunión de líderes del G20 que finalizó en Roma el domingo sugiere que los líderes finalmente están escuchando la ciencia, pero aún les falta la unidad política para tomar las ambiciosas decisiones necesarias para afrontar el momento.

¿Qué es la COP26? Te lo explicamos

La COP26 convoca a unas 25.000 personas para uno de los mayores eventos internacionales desde que comenzó la pandemia, y se produce después de un año de condiciones meteorológicas extremas que se cobraron cientos de vidas en lugares inesperados que tomaron desprevenidos incluso a los científicos del clima.

El último informe de ciencia climática de la ONU publicado en agosto dejó en claro lo que debe suceder: limitar el calentamiento global lo más cerca de los 1,5 grados Celsius por encima de las temperaturas preindustriales como sea posible para evitar el empeoramiento de los impactos de la crisis climática. Para hacer eso, el mundo debe reducir a la mitad las emisiones durante la próxima década y, para mediados de siglo, llegar a cero, donde las emisiones de gases de efecto invernadero no son mayores que la cantidad eliminada de la atmósfera.

Todo este lenguaje estaba en el comunicado de los líderes del G20, incluido un reconocimiento de que para alcanzar el cero neto a mediados de siglo, muchos países miembros deberán elevar sus compromisos de reducción de emisiones, conocidos como Contribuciones Determinadas a Nivel Nacional (NDC), durante esta década.

Pero su incapacidad para poner una fecha final al uso de carbón, el mayor contribuyente al cambio climático, y para lograr que todos los países se comprometan firmemente con el cero neto para 2050 (a diferencia de 2060, como China, Rusia y Arabia Saudita Arabia se ha comprometido) muestra que los países que usan y producen combustibles fósiles todavía tienen una gran influencia en los acuerdos globales sobre el clima.

De hecho, el tan esperado compromiso de nuevas emisiones de China presentado la semana pasada fue solo una fracción más alto que el anterior. El ministro de Relaciones Exteriores de Rusia, Sergey Lavrov, dijo el domingo que no pondría mano dura sobre el cero neto para 2050. El primer ministro australiano, Scott Morrison, no mostró interés en relegar el carbón a la historia. India no ha hecho ninguna promesa de cero neto y, como dijo el legislador europeo Bas Eickhout a CNN, era una de las pocas naciones en contra de fijar una fecha para la eliminación gradual del carbón.

Michael Mann, un destacado científico de la Universidad Estatal de Pensilvania, dijo que es prometedor que los líderes hayan reconocido que necesitan hacer más con las emisiones en esta década, pero lo importante es asegurarse de que todos los grandes emisores tengan planes que sean consistentes con mantener el calentamiento por debajo de 1,5 grados.

"Y también un cierre de la 'brecha de implementación', es decir, la brecha entre lo que los jefes de Estado se han comprometido nominalmente y lo que realmente están haciendo", dijo Mann.

Mann advirtió que la COP26 no debe ser una cumbre de tácticas dilatorias y dijo que todavía tenía la esperanza de que los países pudieran acordar una eliminación gradual del carbón en las conversaciones, incluso si los líderes del G20 no lograron ponerse de acuerdo sobre ese punto.

"La propia Agencia Internacional de Energía, bastante conservadora, ha dicho que no puede haber una nueva infraestructura de combustibles fósiles si queremos evitar un calentamiento peligroso. Y las naciones del G7 se comprometieron a eliminar el carbón y poner fin al apoyo a nuevos proyectos de carbón a principios de este verano", dijo Mann.

"Necesitamos ver compromisos similares de los países del G20, incluido un calendario acelerado para la eliminación del carbón".

La declaración del G20 se comprometió a poner fin al financiamiento del carbón en el extranjero para finales de este año. El presidente chino, Xi Jinping, en la Asamblea General de la ONU en septiembre, anunció el fin del financiamiento chino del carbón internacional, eliminando al mayor financiador mundial de proyectos de carbón de la mezcla.

Helen Mountford, vicepresidenta de clima y economía del Instituto de Recursos Mundiales, dijo que el acuerdo y las promesas de emisiones actuales no son lo suficientemente ambiciosas para evitar los niveles más peligrosos de calentamiento y es poco probable que muchos logren que los países se encaminen hacia su propio plan de cero neto.

"Para mantener el objetivo de 1,5° C al alcance, los países deben establecer objetivos climáticos para 2030 que tracen un camino realista para cumplir estos compromisos de cero neto", dijo en un comunicado.

"Actualmente, varios países del G20 no están en una trayectoria creíble para alcanzar sus metas de cero neto, incluidos Australia, Rusia, China, Arabia Saudita, Brasil y Turquía".

'Esto no es suficiente'

El secretario general de la ONU, António Guterres, dijo el domingo que se iba de Roma "con mis esperanzas incumplidas, pero al menos no están enterradas". Tenía la esperanza de que Glasgow todavía pudiera "mantener vivo el gol de 1,5 grados".

Las peticiones y pendientes de México en la COP26

Sus comentarios reflejan el estado de ánimo de muchos en la COP26. Si el G20 no pudo poner una fecha de finalización para el carbón y hacer un compromiso firme de cero neto, existe la sensación de que hacer que todo el mundo se sume a esos temas clave simplemente no sucederá.

También existe un problema de confianza. El mundo desarrollado prometió hace más de una década que transferiría US$ 100.000 millones al año al Sur Global para ayudarlo en la transición a economías bajas en carbono y adaptarse al nuevo mundo de la crisis climática.

Ese objetivo no se cumplió el año pasado, y un informe de la presidencia de la COP26 publicado la semana pasada mostró que no se cumpliría hasta 2023, con las promesas actuales en la mano.

Mohamed Nasheed, expresidente de Maldivas que lidera el Foro Vulnerable al Clima, lamentó la falta de acción en la declaración del G20, particularmente sobre la falta de eliminación del carbón. Maldivas es una nación de primera línea en la crisis climática y corre el riesgo de quedar sumergida por el aumento del nivel del mar a finales de siglo.

"Este es un comienzo bienvenido", dijo Nasheed en un comunicado. "Pero no evitará que el clima se caliente más de 1,5 grados y devaste grandes partes del mundo, incluidas las Maldivas. Y, por lo tanto, claramente, esto no es suficiente".

Cero neto, la eliminación gradual del carbón y el cumplimiento de la financiación climática seguirán siendo una prioridad para los negociadores. Otras áreas que podrían tener éxito son un acuerdo para poner fin y revertir la deforestación para 2030 y el movimiento para acelerar la transición a los vehículos eléctricos a nivel mundial.

Tom Burke, cofundador del grupo de expertos climáticos E3G, fue más optimista y dijo que la declaración del G20 mostró un cambio de pensamiento entre los líderes sobre la urgencia de la crisis climática.

"La gran victoria es este cambio de enfoque de 2050 a 2030. Creo que es una gran victoria importante", le dijo a CNN.

"Lo envía a un comienzo mejor de lo que esperábamos. El acuerdo político alcanzado en el G20 creará un impulso político a medida que los líderes se reúnan para comenzar la COP".

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COP26: qué esperar de la cumbre sobre el clima en Glasgow

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Comienza la COP26 de la ONU sobre la crisis climática (CNN) -- Fue en la ciudad de Glasgow donde el ingeniero escocés James Watt mejoró el funcionamiento de la máquina de vapor y, sin saberlo, dio inicio a la Revolución Industrial.

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Nor’easter: 570,000 outages as New England hit by strong winds

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Nor’easter: 570,000 outages as New England hit by strong winds

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https://www.nbcnews.com/news/weather/easter-300000-outages-massachusetts-hit-strong-winds-rcna3880

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More than 300,000 homes and businesses in Massachusetts were without power early Wednesday as a powerful nor'easter continued to batter the East Coast.

The storm has already caused flooding in New York and New Jersey, where emergency services have carried out dozens of rescues.

Its impacts are now being felt further north, where coastal areas of Massachusetts now bearing the brunt with reported wind gusts of up to 97 mph that have brought down trees and power lines.

Utilities firms National Grid and EverSource said more than 140,000 and 170,000 customers respectively were without power as of 5:20 ET.

Most of these, around 180,000, were in Barnstable and Plymouth counties, which cover Cape Cod and an area south of Boston.

All schools on the Cape have been closed, according to the Barnstable County Regional Emergency Planning Committee. And images and video posted on social media showed downed trees and other debris littering roads.

The Massachusetts Steamship Authority, which runs ferries from the mainland to Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket, said it was canceling all services until further notice. It warned people not to attempt to get to its terminals and to stay off the "extremely dangerous" roads.

The harbormaster in Plymouth said some boats had broken free from their moorings.

On Tuesday, New York City saw almost 4 inches of rain in lower Manhattan and and Brooklyn in 24 hours - which are amounts approaching the rainfall typically seen in a month.

The National Weather Service said the storm would push off the East Coast and its heavy rains would begin "tapering off" Wednesday.

But the Northeast won't have much time to dry out, as there's more rain in the forecast for the region on Friday.

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Nor'easter: 300,000 outages as Massachusetts hit by strong winds

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More than 300,000 homes and businesses in Massachusetts were without power early Wednesday as a powerful nor'easter continued to batter the East Coast. The storm has already caused flooding in New York and New Jersey, where emergency services have carried out dozens of rescues.

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https://cnnespanol.cnn.com/2021/10/27/pasaporte-genero-x-ee-uu-lgbti-trax/

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Estos pasaportes no necesitan visa en casi 200 países

(CNN) -- El Departamento de Estado de Estados Unidos emitió el primer pasaporte estadounidense con un marcador de género "X" mientras busca implementar políticas incluyentes de género, anunció el departamento el miércoles.

El Departamento anunció en junio que actualizaría sus procedimientos para permitir que los solicitantes seleccionen por sí mismos su marcador de sexo para los pasaportes y que "ya no requerirá certificación médica" si el marcador de sexo autoseleccionado de un solicitante no coincide con el sexo que figura en otros documentos oficiales de identidad.

"Como anunció el secretario (de Estado) en junio, el Departamento permitirá la adición de un marcador de género X para personas no binarias, intersexuales y no conformes con su género, que soliciten un pasaporte estadounidense o CRBA", dijo el portavoz estatal Ned Price en un comunicado.

"Quiero reiterar, con motivo de la emisión de este pasaporte, el compromiso del Departamento de Estado de promover la libertad, la dignidad y la igualdad de todas las personas, incluidas las personas LGBTQI+".

La opción con el nuevo marcador se ofrecerá a los solicitantes de pasaportes de rutina después de que el Departamento finalice las actualizaciones del sistema y del formulario a principios de 2022, indicó Price.

Los activistas por los derechos de las personas transgénero han dicho durante mucho tiempo que tener identificaciones incorrectas podría conducir al acoso y la discriminación de los miembros de la comunidad LGBTQ.

En una declaración reconociendo el Día de la Conciencia Intersexual, el Departamento de Estado dijo el lunes que era política de Estados Unidos poner fin a "la violencia y la discriminación por motivos de género, orientación sexual, identidad o expresión de género y características sexuales".

Estados Unidos se une a Canadá, Australia, Nueva Zelanda y otros países con políticas de pasaportes similares con inclusión de género.

Al menos 20 estados y Washington también han implementado cambios similares en la documentación estatal, incluida Nueva Jersey, que promulgó el cambio en abril después de retrasarlo el año pasado debido a la pandemia de coronavirus.

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EE.UU. emite primer pasaporte marcado con género "X"

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Estos pasaportes no necesitan visa en casi 200 países (CNN) -- El Departamento de Estado de Estados Unidos emitió el primer pasaporte estadounidense con un marcador de género "X" mientras busca implementar políticas incluyentes de género, anunció el departamento el miércoles.

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https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/alec-baldwin-assistant-director-rust-safety-lapse

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Alec Baldwin’s ‘Rust’ movie assistant director admits to gun-safety mistakes, search warrant reveals

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The assistant director on the movie “Rust” admitted to a safety lapse, according to a new search warrant obtained by Fox News.

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https://www.washingtonpost.com/us-policy/2021/10/27/biden-democrats-spending-deal/

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Sen. Joe Manchin III, D-W.Va., a key holdout vote on President Biden's domestic agenda, speaks to reporters on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Oct. 27, 2021. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

Congressional Democrats exuded fresh optimism Wednesday that they could strike a long-elusive deal on a package to overhaul the nation's health care, education, climate and tax laws, though a series of significant policy hurdles and other political challenges threatened to impede their progress once again.

In public comments and private meetings, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) said they had made significant progress in narrowing the gaps between their warring liberal and moderate factions, opening the door for them to finalize an initiative that some lawmakers believe will cost about $1.75 trillion over 10 years.

"An agreement is within arm's length, and we are hopeful that we can come to a framework agreement by the end of today," Schumer said on the Senate floor.

Democrats' billionaire tax plan would target 10 wealthiest Americans

Party leaders still have plenty of policy battles to resolve, including lingering fights over proposals to expand Medicare, lower the cost of prescription drugs, provide paid leave to millions of Americans and finance the package through a series of tax increases. The disputes stem in large part from two moderate holdouts, Sens. Joe Manchin III (D-W.Va.) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.), who huddled anew with the White House late Tuesday and early Wednesday.

Even Manchin on Wednesday said a deal is "absolutely" possible by day's end, a symbolic achievement as President Biden prepares to depart on a foreign tour later this week where he hoped to tout the new investments, including those that aim to combat climate change. But an actual vote on the spending package still seemed far off, as Democrats continued to whittle down a sprawling economic initiative once valued at $3.5 trillion.

Absent legislative text, a powerful bloc of liberal-leaning lawmakers said Wednesday they remain unwilling to loosen their blockade on a second, separate measure that aims to invest $1.2 trillion in the nation's roads, bridges, pipes, ports and Internet connections. The infrastructure measured cleared the Senate on a bipartisan basis in August, but it remains stalled in the House, where the Congressional Progressive Caucus has used it as leverage to ensure its other priorities aren't weakened at the hands of spending-weary centrists in the Senate.

Rep. Jayapal has emerged as a forceful leader of the House liberals.

In an interview, Jayapal said caucus leaders met last night and affirmed that they aren't willing to move one without the other. Otherwise, the congresswoman said their signature economic initiative could fall victim to significant delays, which she described as "another way to kill the bill."

"We have to have the full legislative text and the vote," she said, noting "dozens" of her members would vote against infrastructure if the House tries to move the two proposals independently. "What I want is the two bills moving together at the same time."

For now, the already frenetic negotiations among Democrats in Congress and at the White House continued into Wednesday morning. Democrats began to speculate anew that Biden himself could pay another visit to Capitol Hill, weeks after he sought to steer his own party away from a similar political showdown in the House over his economic agenda.

The president has sought to try to secure at least the outlines of a spending deal before departing Thursday, heading to the Group of 20 meeting of world leaders in Rome this weekend, followed by an international climate summit in Glasgow, Scotland.

Democrats have closed in on critical elements of the tax-and-spending package, including around $500 billion in funds to combat global warming, even as they continue to haggle over exactly how they plan to reduce carbon emissions. They have similarly found broad agreement on boosting child care, including providing new, free prekindergarten for millions of Americans aged three and four.

Where the White House economic plan stands: from taxes to climate to health to immigration

But some of their most ambitious plans remain the subject of continued sparring. Manchin has expressed skepticism about Democrats' plans to provide paid family and medical leave to millions of Americans, even after the party scaled back the benefits to 4 weeks from 12 weeks. With no immediate sign of a solution, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) on Wednesday raised the possibility Democrats may have to jettison sick leave and offer only limited benefits for new parents with children.

"It's not looking good, and I wish it were otherwise," she said. "We're still trying to talk about" family leave.

Schumer, meanwhile, said he is still working with Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) to ensure the package expands Medicare benefits so they cover dental, vision and hearing. Sanders, for his part, blasted the political dynamic in the chamber where there are "48 members who disagree with two members" - referencing Manchin and Sinema's opposition to the original $3.5 trillion package.

And Democrats labored anew to resolve their internal war over how to finance the new spending, after Sinema objected to Biden's earlier plan to raise rates on corporations and wealthy Americans. Lawmakers led by Sens. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Warren and Sinema herself on Tuesday and early Wednesday backed a slew of new funding mechanisms. One would include a new minimum tax on corporations and another would create a special tax that targets billionaires.

But that latter proposal - which would hit roughly 700 of the wealthiest Americans, including Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and Tesla founder and CEO Elon Musk - seemed to trouble Manchin (Bezos owns The Washington Post). Speaking to reporters, Manchin called it "very convoluted," but also expressed some openness to a 15 percent "patriotic tax" on the wealthy, which he did not explain.

"I don't like the connotation we're targeting different people," he said.

Manchin's skepticism appeared to trouble Sanders, who told reporters he is "not quite clear in terms of the revenue package," adding: "Every sensible revenue option seems to be destroyed."

"Should we raise corporate tax rates, personal income taxes for the very wealthy? Of course, we should, but at least one person in the caucus doesn't want to do that," he said. "Should we demand that the billionaires pay their fair share of taxes? Yes, there's another person who doesn't want to do that."

The skirmishes did not appear to unnerve Democratic leaders, prompting Pelosi to tell a closed-door meeting of her top deputies that the still-forming deal is in "pretty good shape."

"In the next couple of hours, I will be communicating with you on our path from here to there ... depending on what happens at the White House," the speaker told lawmakers, according to a person in the room who requested anonymity to describe the private conversation.

In doing so, Pelosi said it is critical to "have the trust, the confidence" in the spending package particularly so that the House can forge ahead on the related infrastructure package in the days ahead.

Once they reach an agreement, Manchin on Wednesday called on Congress to take the next step on that public-works package. "We owe it to the president to move forward," Manchin said, calling on lawmakers to "take a vote on that."

With so much in flux, however, Jayapal said it is more critical than ever for left-leaning lawmakers to have solid legislative language as they seek to avoid a scenario in which they adopt an infrastructure bill and then see the Senate's two centrists quickly backtrack.

"Had the Progressive Caucus not stood up and fought or the entirely of the president's agenda, we would not be here," Jayapal said, adding there had been more negotiations in the "last two weeks than we have had in the last six months."

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White House hunkers down with Manchin and Sinema as Democrats insist deal is in reach

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Congressional Democrats exuded fresh optimism Wednesday that they could strike a long-elusive deal on a package to overhaul the nation's health care, education, climate and tax laws, though a series of significant policy hurdles and other political challenges threatened to impede their progress once again.

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https://cnnespanol.cnn.com/2021/10/27/estados-unidos-prohibe-china-telecom-trax/

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Wall Street revoca expulsión de empresas chinas

Hong Kong (CNN Business) -- Washington prohibió a una importante empresa estatal china de telecomunicaciones operar en Estados Unidos por motivos de seguridad nacional, una medida que amenaza con aumentar de nuevo las tensiones entre las dos mayores economías del mundo.

La Comisión Federal de Comunicaciones de EE.UU. (FCC, por sus siglas en inglés) informó este martes que ordenó a China Telecom que deje de prestar servicios en el país en un plazo de 60 días, alegando que la filial estadounidense de la empresa "está sujeta a la explotación, la influencia y el control del gobierno chino".

Además, la empresa "tiene muchas probabilidades de verse obligada a cumplir las peticiones del gobierno chino sin procedimientos legales suficientes sujetos a una supervisión judicial independiente".

La acción de la FCC es la culminación de una larga disputa con China Telecom, que ha operado en Estados Unidos durante casi dos décadas. La agencia dijo que dio a la compañía una oportunidad el pasado diciembre para refutar las preocupaciones sobre su presencia en Estados Unidos, pero que China Telecom no lo ha hecho.

China apunta a reducir el uso de la energía fósil

China Telecom no respondió inmediatamente a las solicitudes de comentarios de CNN Business. Un portavoz de la filial estadounidense dijo a Reuters que la decisión de la FCC era "decepcionante".

"Planeamos buscar todas las opciones disponibles mientras seguimos sirviendo a nuestros clientes", dijo el portavoz.

El antecedente con China Telecom

El principal negocio de la empresa está en China. Dice que tiene unos 370 millones de clientes de telefonía móvil.

China Telecom no desglosa sus clientes por regiones. Su filial estadounidense se constituyó en 2002 y la empresa afirma que presta servicios a empresas y operadores entre América y China.

No es la primera vez que China Telecom es objeto de acciones punitivas por parte de Estados Unidos.
En enero, la Bolsa de Nueva York dijo que retiraría de la lista a tres acciones de telecomunicaciones chinas --incluida China Telecom-- para cumplir con decreto firmado por el entonces presidente Donald Trump. La orden prohibía a los estadounidenses invertir en empresas que el gobierno de Estados Unidos sospecha que son propiedad o están controladas por el ejército chino.

Desde entonces, China Telecom ha dejado de cotizar en Estados Unidos. Las acciones que cotizan en Hong Kong se desplomaron un 0,7% este miércoles.

Washington ha apuntado en los últimos años a otras grandes firmas chinas con sanciones. En 2019, Trump prohibió a las empresas estadounidenses el uso de equipos de telecomunicaciones procedentes de fuentes que la administración considera amenazas para la seguridad nacional, una orden que afectó directamente a la empresa china Huawei, uno de los principales proveedores mundiales de equipos de telecomunicaciones.

Huawei ha dicho durante mucho tiempo que es una empresa privada que opera independientemente del gobierno chino, pero Estados Unidos ha acusado a la compañía de representar una amenaza para la seguridad nacional.

No cambia la relación entre Estados Unidos y China

Aunque el presidente Joe Biden ha adoptado un tono diferente con Beijing que su descarado y franco predecesor, las relaciones entre Estados Unidos y China no han mejorado significativamente.

De hecho, las tensiones se avivaron recientemente después de que Biden dijera que Estados Unidos se comprometía a acudir en defensa de Taiwán si la isla autónoma era atacada por China. Las declaraciones parecían contrastar con la política estadounidense de "ambigüedad estratégica" hacia Taiwán, aunque la Casa Blanca afirmó que no había ningún cambio de política.

El Ministerio de Asuntos Exteriores de China, sin embargo, advirtió horas después de las declaraciones que Estados Unidos no debía enviar "ninguna señal equivocada a las fuerzas separatistas de la independencia de Taiwán".

Aunque el Partido Comunista Chino nunca ha gobernado Taiwán, Beijing considera que la isla es una "parte inseparable" de su territorio y ha amenazado repetidamente con utilizar la fuerza si es necesario para evitar que la isla declare formalmente su independencia.

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El gobierno de Estados Unidos prohíbe a China Telecom operar en el país

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Wall Street revoca expulsión de empresas chinas Hong Kong (CNN Business) -- Washington prohibió a una importante empresa estatal china de telecomunicaciones operar en Estados Unidos por motivos de seguridad nacional, una medida que amenaza con aumentar de nuevo las tensiones entre las dos mayores economías del mundo.

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https://www.foxbusiness.com/politics/democrats-reconciliation-crunch-time-biden-infrastructure

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As Democrats face a self-imposed deadline to pass a sweeping reconciliation spending bill and a bipartisan infrastructure plan they appear in danger of doing neither - again.

President Biden is leaving the United States Thursday for an international trip that will include, among other things, a climate summit. The president made clear he wanted have an agreement among Democrats about what the reconciliation deal will look like, and to sign the infrastructure bill, so that he can tout the climate provisions in both.

"Here's the thing: The president looked at us in the eye and he said, 'I need this before I go represent the United States in Glasgow,'" Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., said on "Fox News Sunday."

"American prestige is on the line," he added.

There's been nonstop talks: Sens. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., and Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., were at the White House Tuesday night, as was House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn, D-S.C. The Congressional Black Caucus was there too, where they say they had "a full dialogue" with Biden.

And Democrat leaders have projected sunny optimism - House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., said Tuesday that a deal could come in a matter of "hours."
RECONCILIATION BILL: PROGRESSIVES SAY NO INFRASTRUCTURE VOTE UNTIL BIGGER BILL PASSES: LIVE UPDATES
One did not come Tuesday. And a deal appears unlikely Wednesday or Thursday either, unless Democrats can suddenly overcome stumbling blocks on policies from Medicaid expansion to immigration to a billionaires tax to an IRS bank account reporting requirement and more.

"We're not doing everything today," Manchin said Wednesday.

The frustration is starting to boil over among some members.

"It's the effing progressives," one moderate Democrat told Fox News. The moderate accused progressives of asking for "unreasonable things."

Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., pointed the finger right back at moderate Democrats.

"It seems to me almost every sensible progressive revenue option that the President wants, that the American people want, that I want, seems to be sabotaged," he said.

At least some progressives, meanwhile, are rejecting the idea pushed by top Democrats that an agreement on a framework of a reconciliation bill would be enough for progressives to ilft their blockade on the infrastructure bill. They instead want a reconciliation bill text ready to pass through the House on the same day as the infrastructure because they don't trust moderates to hold up their end of any bargain.

"It's not really about the sequencing. It's about voting both of them on the same day," Jayapal said Tuesday. "So, in other words, what I don't want is a framework."

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., disagreed when asked about whether a framework on reconciliation would be enough to pass infrastructure.
OSSOFF, WARNOCK PUSH MEDICAID EXPANSION IN RECONCILIATION BILL: 'NO SENATOR'S VOTE SHOULD BE TAKEN FOR GRANTED'
"Well I think it is," she said.

Other Democrats, meanwhile, appear more open to moving quickly on infrastructure.

"I don't think we're in a position to keep kicking the can down the road," Congressional Black Caucus Chairwoman Rep. Joyce Beatty, D-Ohio, said Tuesday.

"Is it perfect?" Beatty said when asked how she feels about the reconciliation bill, and whether a deal is close. "We don't live in a perfect world, and we're not going to give you a perfect answer, but I'm going to give you another 'P,' and it's called progress."

But Jayapal claims to have "dozens" of her Progressive Caucus members willing to tank an infrastructure vote without a reconciliation vote - and with Democrats' tight margins that is more than enough.

It isn't mandatory that Democrats finish either bill this month. They can pass a temporary extension of federal highway funding to either the end of November or December to buy more time to pass infrastructure.

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But the longer talks drag, the closer Democrats get to being caught up in a December morass of deadlines on the debt limit and funding the government. And if talks drag beyond December, it will suddenly be an election year and added pressures on members may cause any deal to break down.

But for this week, all eyes will be on whether the House will send the president to his climate summit in the United Kingdom with a win on infrastructure - or if it will delay infrastructure for lack for a reconciliation deal again, just like last month.

"I pray to God they don't," Manchin said Wednesday of another potential delay.
FOX Business' Caroline McKee, Kelly Phares, Jason Donner and Chad Pergram contributed to this report.

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Democrats explode in frustration over stalled reconciliation spending spree: 'It's the effing progressives'

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As Democrats face a self-imposed deadline to pass a sweeping reconciliation spending bill and a bipartisan infrastructure plan they appear in danger of doing neither - again. President Biden is leaving the United States Thursday for an international trip that will include, among other things, a climate summit.

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https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/mount-tabor-indian-community-texas-indigenous-rcna3746

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Tribes accuse Mount Tabor Indian Community of making questionable historical claims

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The Mount Tabor Indian Community and a Grapevine, Texas, statue show a failure to vet claims to Indigenous nation status, federally recognized tribal leaders say.

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https://www.cnn.com/2021/10/27/economy/housing-bubble-risk/index.html

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no one seems worried about a housing bubble. just like last time the bubble burst - cnn

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No one seems worried about a housing bubble. Just like last time the bubble burst

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Housing prices are surging to new records with no end in sight. They're being fueled by historically low interest rates -- but also investors and economists' belief that the housing market has a unique ability to support runaway prices.

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https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/top-democrat-releases-details-proposed-billionaires-tax-n1282465

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The wealthiest 700 Americans would face tougher tax rules and help fund President Joe Biden's "Build Back Better" agenda under a proposal released Wednesday by Senate Finance Committee Chair Ron Wyden.

The so-called Billionaires Income Tax would ensure that people with more than $1 billion in assets or more than $100 million in income for three consecutive years are not allowed to defer certain taxes, a move that would raise hundreds of billions of dollars annually, said Wyden, D-Ore.

"There are two tax codes in America. The first is mandatory for workers who pay taxes out of every pay check. The second is voluntary for billionaires who defer paying taxes for years, if not indefinitely," Wyden said in a statement. "Two tax codes allow billionaires to use largely untaxed income from wealth to build more wealth, while working families struggle to balance the mortgage against groceries, and utilities against saving for the future."

The proposal would tax financial gains from stocks but allow billionaires to take deductions for losses and carry forward losses. Real estate or business interests would not be taxed annually, Wyden said, but billionaires would still pay a capital gains tax, including an interest charge of 1.22 percent, up from 0.22 percent.

Committee aides acknowledged that very few people have annual incomes that exceed $100 million and that much of the revenue generated by the proposal would come from taxing assets.

Democratic lawmakers continue to haggle over the details of a massive social safety net package that they plan to pass without Republican support. Moderates like Sens. Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona have raised concerns about previous plans to pay for the bill, among them raising the corporate tax rate.

The initial price tag for the social policy spending package was $3.5 trillion. Negotiations with Democratic centrists have pushed it below $2 trillion.

The Biden administration and many progressives have long argued that billionaires should pay more in taxes, and Manchin has expressed openness to the idea. Wyden's proposal would require the backing of all 50 Democratic-voting senators to advance.

The plan is the second that Democrats have released in as many days as they search for ways to cover the cost of the spending bill. Wyden, along with other Senate Democrats, like Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, released a proposal Tuesday that would impose a 15 percent minimum corporate tax on companies with over $1 billion in profits.

Sinema signaled her support for the proposal, saying in a statement that it was a "commonsense step toward ensuring that highly profitable corporations ... pay a reasonable minimum corporate tax on their profits."

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A top Democrat releases details of proposed billionaires tax

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The wealthiest 700 Americans would face tougher tax rules and help fund President Joe Biden's "Build Back Better" agenda under a proposal released Wednesday by Senate Finance Committee Chair Ron Wyden.

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Covid-19 Updates: Moderna Says Its Vaccine Is Safe for Children From 6 Through 11

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The results were announced one day before an advisory committee of the Food and Drug Administration is scheduled to review data for the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine in children 5 through 11.

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https://www.washingtonpost.com/us-policy/2021/10/25/biden-reconciliation-infrastructure-congress/

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President Biden boards Air Force One at Delaware Air National Guard Base for a trip to New Jersey to promote his "Build Back Better" agenda, Monday, Oct. 25, 2021, in New Castle, Del. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Congressional Democrats are set to return to work Monday for what may be one of the most decisive weeks of Biden's presidency, as they near a deal that could dislodge roughly $3 trillion in stalled economic spending initiatives.

The immediate task facing party lawmakers is a proposal to overhaul the nation's health care, education, climate and tax laws. A war over the package's price tag and policy scope has precluded its progress for months, though meetings between President Biden and top Democrats continued into the weekend, raising fresh hopes that they could strike an agreement imminently.

Lawmakers continue to wrestle with some of the core elements of their still-forming bill, including Democrats' plans to try to expand Medicare to cover dental, vision and hearing benefits. Sen. Joe Manchin III (D-WVa.) reiterated his opposition to that proposal on Monday and a related effort to try to expand Medicaid coverage, even as he told reporters that he thinks Democrats can finalize the broad contours of the spending package this week.

"As far as conceptually, we should," Manchin said.

Such a deal could unite the party's sparring liberals and moderates, including Manchin and Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.), who for months have angered their fellow Democrats by seeking cuts to the sweeping measure once valued at $3.5 trillion. It could also open the door for Democrats to move a second proposal - a roughly $1.2 trillion bill to upgrade the country's roads, bridges, pipes, ports and Internet connections - and send it to Biden's desk as soon as this week.

The two initiatives together form the beating heart of Biden's economic agenda, which Democrats see as critical for revitalizing a country still reeling from the pandemic while shoring up their political prospects in the fast-approaching 2022 election. Underscoring the stakes, the president is set to deliver his next public sales pitch for the two tranches of spending later Monday, with two events scheduled later in New Jersey.

Democrats brace for cuts to paid leave program as they whittle down Biden economic package

Democrats also hope to shore up the spending ahead of Biden's planned trip soon to Glasgow, Scotland, for what some experts see as the most significant summit on climate change in nearly a quarter century. Both of the president's economic proposals contain new programs to combat emissions and promote cleaner energy, which the White House hopes to brandish on a global stage as it tries to encourage other countries to fight global warming more aggressively.

With the fate of his first-term agenda hanging in the balance, Biden on Monday sounded another optimistic note, telling reporters as he boarded Air Force One that the talks over the weekend "went well."

"Today, I'm heading to New Jersey to highlight the need for my Build Back Better Agenda and Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal," he later tweeted. "This is our moment to invest in American families, revitalize our nation's infrastructure, and win the competition for the 21st century."

Sinema's silence on spending bill vexes many Democrats while she digs in on talks out of public view

The days ahead offer the opportunity for a major breakthrough for Biden and his Democratic allies in Congress, after party leaders confronted firsthand the tough political reality of governing with only a narrow majority in the House and Senate.

The stalemate centers on what Democrats initially hoped would be a $3.5 trillion package to expand Medicare coverage, combat climate change, introduce new paid leave and child care benefits, offer universal pre-kindergarten and overhaul the U. S. tax code. Manchin and Sinema have objected to core elements of that plan, forcing Democrats back to scale back their ambitions to secure their must-have votes. The battle has proven all encompassing, precluding House from adopting a second, separate set of infrastructure investments - a bipartisan plan that liberals have held hostage to maximize their political leverage in the ongoing talks.

Democrats appeared to reach early political breakthroughs last week, as they began to whittle down their package to a size that the two moderate holdouts could support. Biden personally presented a plan to lawmakers between $1.75 trillion and $1.9 trillion, though Democrats increasingly have come to believe they are likely to secure a number on the lower end of that range.

To bring that price tag down to size, the president's early outline presented substantial policy trade offs to party lawmakers. It put them on verge of securing new spending to offer universal pre-kindergarten, for example, but not free community college. It proposed to expand many federal safety net programs, but some of the proposals, including an extension of recently expanded tax credits for families with children, but only at lower amounts and for shorter periods of time than once envisioned.

Biden tells Democrats that package of up to $1.9 trillion should be new target of talks

Democrats also made significant progress in addressing long-simmering disputes over how to pay for the package. But Biden's top aides signaled a willingness to concede one of this top priorities - a plan to raise rates on corporations and wealthy Americans, which would have unwound the tax cuts enacted under former President Donald Trump in 2017. Instead, the president began exploring other measures targeting the ultrawealthy, specifically to assuage Sinema, who opposes rate increases. She has labored alongside the likes of Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) in recent days on what could be a new wealth tax on billionaires.

But much also remains unresolved, even after Biden huddled with Manchin and Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) during a lengthy, meeting at his Delaware home on Sunday. That includes paid leave, as Manchin continues to fight its inclusion in the package, according to two people familiar with the matter who requested anonymity to describe the private talks. Party lawmakers already have had to scale back their ambitions from 12 weeks of leave to 4 weeks, as they try to lower the overall cost of the bill, angering liberals who have vowed to expand the program.

Manchin on Monday declined to offer his specific concerns on paid leave.

Similarly in jeopardy are Democrats' proposal to expand Medicare to cover dental, vision and hearing benefits, an idea chiefly championed by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.). Manchin also has fought this plan, leading to considerable haggling in recent days over whether Democrats might replace their attempts to offer new coverages with a voucher program that might help seniors offset their medical costs. Another long-held Democratic priority, empowering Medicare to negotiate lower drug costs, faces its own objections from a wide array of moderates in the House and Senate - along with a barrage of lobbying from the pharmaceutical industry.

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Democrats haggle over Medicare, other spending priorities entering critical week for Biden

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Congressional Democrats are set to return to work Monday for what may be one of the most decisive weeks of Biden's presidency, as they near a deal that could dislodge roughly $3 trillion in stalled economic spending initiatives. The immediate task facing party lawmakers is a proposal to overhaul the nation's health care, education, climate and tax laws.

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https://www.foxnews.com/politics/herschel-walker-lands-pivotal-gop-endorsement-in-2022-senate-bid-in-georgia

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Herschel Walker lands pivotal GOP endorsement in 2022 Senate bid in Georgia

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As he runs for the Republican Senate nomination in Georgia, Herschel Walker lands a pivotal endorsement from a key member of the Senate GOP leadership

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https://www.cnn.com/2021/10/25/tech/facebook-papers/index.html

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The Facebook Papers may be the biggest crisis in the company’s history

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Facebook has confronted whistleblowers, PR firestorms and Congressional inquiries in recent years. But now it faces a combination of all three at once in what could be the most intense and wide-ranging crisis in the company’s 17-year history.

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https://cnnespanol.cnn.com/2021/10/25/impresionante-atasco-transporte-maritimo-california-trax/

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Así se ve el impresionante atasco de buques de carga en California

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Los buques de carga están literalmente dando vueltas frente a los puertos de Los Ángeles y Long Beach, a la espera de descargar artículos domésticos y suministros críticos de fabricación.

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https://www.nbcnews.com/business/business-news/graphic-track-grocery-price-trends-n1264037

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Family grocery bills are on the rise due to pandemic disruptions, with higher prices for many items. But unless shoppers are taking notes, it can be hard to really see which items are seeing the biggest spikes.

NBC News is monitoring the average point-of-sale prices paid, and how much those prices have changed since January 2021 for six popular supermarket items: orange juice, eggs, chicken breasts, fresh ground beef, bacon and bread.

Readers can use this interactive chart to see how the price they have paid for groceries differs from the national average, or from the prices shoppers paid in other major metro areas.

The goal is to track the impact of any inflation on consumers' wallets during the pandemic and as the economy reopens. The White House has said inflation is on the rise and here to stay.

The NBC News grocery price tracker is one measure of the outcomes of President Joe Biden's economic policies on everyday people.

The Federal Reserve has said prices have accelerated and are expected to keep rising. Input costs are up, especially in food and fuel, which pressures grocery prices. Supply chain disruptions and weather also play a role.

The data in the NBC News tracker is provided by NielsenIQ and collected from real checkout prices paid nationwide at grocery stores, drug stores, mass merchandisers, select dollar stores, select warehouse clubs and military commissaries.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics' monthly consumer price index, which uses human data collectors and includes other food product categories, is another resource for average price data.
This story will be updated monthly.

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Family grocery bills are on the rise due to pandemic disruptions, with higher prices for many items. But unless shoppers are taking notes, it can be hard to really see which items are seeing the biggest spikes.

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https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/20/us/politics/burns-china.html

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R. Nicholas Burns, President Biden's nominee to be U.S. ambassador to China, told a Senate panel on Wednesday that if he was confirmed he would help Mr. Biden pursue a strategy of competition and cooperation with a rising Beijing, which he called "the biggest geopolitical test of the 21st century."

A lifelong diplomat who has held senior foreign policy posts in Democratic and Republican administrations, Mr. Burns was appearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, which is considering his nomination. He was searing about China's recent international role, saying that Beijing exploits trade rules at the expense of American businesses and workers, intimidates its neighbors, and is "smothering" democracy in Hong Kong.

He also condemned China's treatment of its ethnic Uyghur population, which, in an echo of State Department policy, he called "genocide," and he said that the United States should continue to support Taiwan's self-defense against a potential Chinese attack - both issues of extreme sensitivity for Beijing.

But Mr. Burns said the United States should not overestimate China's power. "Beijing proclaims that the East is rising, and the West is in decline," he said. "I'm confident in our own country."

"The People's Republic of China is not an Olympian power" he said. "It's a country of extraordinary strength, but it also has substantial weaknesses and challenges, demographically, economically, politically,."

He added that America must balance competition with China on matters like its influence in the Indo-Pacific with cooperation on issues like climate change and North Korea's nuclear program.

The soft-spoken Mr. Burns is well-regarded in both parties and likely to win broad support in a Senate confirmation vote. But his confirmation could be delayed by procedural roadblocks by Republican Senators Ted Cruz of Texas and Josh Hawley of Missouri, who have vowed to hold up all of Mr. Biden's State Department nominees.

Mr. Burns's nomination has drawn some positive reactions in China, which has complained about what it calls a sharply hawkish turn in American policy over the past several years.

In an August article about his nomination, The Global Times, a nationalist Beijing newspaper, quoted Lü Xiang, a research fellow on U.S. studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences in Beijing, as saying that Mr. Burns's "opinions on China are relatively balanced, not as extreme and stiff as the diplomats from the previous Trump administration, such as former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo."

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Burns calls for a mix of competition and cooperation with China.

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R. Nicholas Burns, President Biden's nominee to be U.S. ambassador to China, told a Senate panel on Wednesday that if he was confirmed he would help Mr. Biden pursue a strategy of competition and cooperation with a rising Beijing, which he called "the biggest geopolitical test of the 21st century."

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https://www.cnn.com/2021/10/20/politics/liz-cheney-january-6-steve-bannon-donald-trump/index.html

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what liz cheney just said about january 6 is *really* important - cnnpolitics

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Analysis: What Liz Cheney just said about January 6 is *really* important

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At a meeting of the House select committee investigating the January 6 riot at the US Capitol, Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney, a Republican and vice chair of the committee, said something very, very important about both Donald Trump and his former political svengali Steve Bannon.

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https://cnnespanol.cnn.com/2021/10/20/california-emergencia-sequia-trax/

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California, devastada por derrame, incendios y sequía

(CNN) -- Después de que California vivió su año más seco en casi 100 años, todo el estado está ahora bajo una emergencia de sequía, dijeron las autoridades este martes.

El gobernador de California, Gavin Newsom, emitió una declaración de emergencia por sequía en todo el estado, ampliando una ya existente para agregar ocho condados que no estaban incluidos previamente.

"A medida que el oeste de Estados Unidos se enfrenta a un posible tercer año de sequía, es fundamental que los californianos de todo el estado redoblen sus esfuerzos para ahorrar agua de todas las maneras posibles", dijo el gobernador en un comunicado.

La anterior declaración de emergencia se amplió el martes para incluir los condados de Imperial, Los Ángeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Francisco y Ventura, según el comunicado de la oficina del gobernador.

La declaración de emergencia en todo el estado permite a la oficina del gobernador ayudar a financiar la respuesta a la sequía y el suministro de agua.

Grave sequía en Lago Powell podría impactar en energía

Un año difícil para California

California ha tenido un año difícil, sufriendo por las altas temperaturas y las bajas precipitaciones. Ambos son factores que, combinados con la crisis del cambio climático existente, están contribuyendo a una devastadora temporada de incendios forestales que no ha cesado en meses. El estado también está experimentando su peor sequía desde finales del siglo XIX, medida tanto por la falta de precipitaciones como por las altas temperaturas, dijo la oficina del gobernador.

El año hídrico 2021 (que se extendió desde el 1 de octubre de 2020 hasta el 30 de septiembre de 2021) fue el segundo más seco de California según los registros de precipitaciones a nivel estatal, siendo el más seco el de 1924, según un informe del Departamento de Recursos Hídricos del estado.

"El año hídrico 2021... fue un año extremo en términos de temperatura y precipitación, y siguió a un año hídrico 2020 que fue igualmente cálido y seco", según el informe publicado en septiembre.

"La cuenca del río Colorado, un importante suministro para el sur de California, continuó seca en el año hídrico 2021, y el almacenamiento en los lagos Mead y Powell alcanzó nuevos mínimos históricos", dice el informe.

Se vacían los lagos

El lago Powell y el cercano lago Mead, el mayor embalse del país, se han vaciado a un ritmo alarmante este año. Los dos embalses, alimentados por la cuenca del río Colorado, proporcionan un suministro crítico de agua potable y de riego para muchas personas de la región, incluyendo granjas rurales, ranchos y comunidades nativas.

A finales de julio, el lago Powell había descendido a unos 108 metros de altura (solo el 33% de su capacidad), según la Oficina de Reclamación de EE.UU., por debajo del anterior mínimo histórico establecido en 2005.

Y en agosto, el gobierno federal declaró por primera vez la escasez de agua en el río Colorado, lo que provocó recortes obligatorios en el consumo de agua para los estados del suroeste, incluidos California, Arizona y Nevada.

Declaran alerta en California por escasez extrema de agua

Desde la semana pasada, todo el estado de California se encuentra bajo algún tipo de sequía, y algunas zonas experimentan condiciones más extremas que otras, según los datos del US Drought Monitor.

Con más del 45% del estado en el nivel más extremo de las condiciones de sequía, los incendios forestales se han convertido en algo habitual, arrasando cientos de casas y negocios y quemando grandes cantidades de terreno.

Los incendios se suman a la sequía en California

Los bomberos de California han visto más de 8.000 incendios este año, que han calcinado 1.009.761 hectáreas hasta ahora, según datos de Cal Fire. Actualmente, se enfrentan a ocho grandes incendios forestales activos en el estado, según el Centro Nacional Interagencias de Incendios.

Las cuadrillas del condado de Santa Bárbara se enfrentaron recientemente a fuertes vientos mientras luchaban contra el incendio de Alisal, que en un momento dado ardió cerca de un rancho que fue propiedad del expresidente Ronald Reagan.

El incendio, que arrasó más de 6.800 hectáreas, estaba contenido en un 97% este martes, según las autoridades del condado. Poco después de que estallara el incendio, las autoridades se vieron obligadas a cerrar parte de la autopista 101 y las vías férreas de Amtrak en la zona; desde entonces se han reabierto. Se está investigando la causa del incendio.

Más al norte, el incendio del Complejo KNP dañó partes del Cañón de las Secuoyas, que alberga uno de los mayores bosques de secuoyas, así como árboles de esa especie de edad avanzada. Se cree que cientos de esos árboles se quemaron en ese incendio, que fue provocado por un rayo el mes pasado. El fuego ha crecido a más de 35.000 hectáreas, con una contención del 55% este martes, según los funcionarios del fuego.

Y en julio, las cuadrillas comenzaron a luchar contra lo que ahora es el segundo mayor incendio forestal del estado en la historia, el Dixie Fire, que destruyó más de 1.300 estructuras mientras ardía en casi 390.000 hectáreas. Este miércoles por la mañana estaba contenido en un 95%, según los responsables del incendio.

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Declaran emergencia por sequía en California, en su año más seco en casi un siglo

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California, devastada por derrame, incendios y sequía (CNN) -- Después de que California vivió su año más seco en casi 100 años, todo el estado está ahora bajo una emergencia de sequía, dijeron las autoridades este martes.

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China wants the world to know it's 'not going to get pushed around' on Taiwan

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China wants the world to know it's 'not going to get pushed around' on Taiwan

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https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/china-wants-world-know-it-s-not-going-get-pushed-n1281947

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HONG KONG - It was Day 7 of the freediving world championship, streamed live online from Cyprus. One by one, women competing in the constant weight category used bifins or monofins to dive to a targeted depth and back to the surface, all in a single breath. Onscreen next to each diver's name was her nationality and national flag.

But as Mia Hou of Taiwan took her turn, the red, white and blue Taiwanese flag - which had appeared earlier in the livestream - had disappeared. Organizers had removed the flag without warning after authorities in China, which claims the self-ruling island of Taiwan as its territory, stopped the livestream on platforms in the mainland.

The diving association representing Taiwan protested the decision, but was told the flag could not be restored in accordance with International Olympic Committee rules. In the following days, athletes from 10 countries, including the United States, asked that their flags be removed as well, arguing that sports should be politically neutral.

The International Association for the Development of Apnea, which held the event last month, later apologized to Taiwan, saying "the stop of the stream by the Chinese authorities took us by surprise and the team was not prepared to deal with it on such short notice."

The freediving incident is part of China's intensifying international pressure campaign over Taiwan, and an indication of Beijing's growing assertiveness about its claims over the island off its eastern coast. It comes as tensions between China and Taiwan ratchet up, with Beijing sending scores of warplanes toward the island, and Taiwanese officials trying to consolidate international support. While experts say outright war is still unlikely for now, it is clear that the conflict between the two sides goes beyond military posturing, and is making itself felt far from the Taiwan Strait, drawing in countries and organizations around the world.

The dispute goes back to 1949, when Mao Zedong's Communist Party won China's civil war and established the People's Republic of China. The defeated Nationalists fled to Taiwan, officially known as the Republic of China, and claimed they were the only legitimate Chinese government.

"What has shifted in recent years is the fact that finally Beijing has sufficient capabilities to act upon its threat."

Most countries today, including the U.S., have full diplomatic ties with China rather than Taiwan, and do not recognize Taiwan as a sovereign state. But the island, now a democracy, fiercely opposes the "reunification" with China that its leader, Xi Jinping, insists will be achieved, peacefully or not. And while China pressures Taiwan in various ways, the military strides it has made in recent years put it in a stronger position than ever.

"Beijing has been threatening war against Taiwan for decades," said J. Michael Cole, a senior fellow with the Global Taiwan Institute who is based in Taipei, the Taiwanese capital. "What has shifted in recent years is the fact that finally Beijing has sufficient capabilities to act upon its threat."

China has long sent warplanes near Taiwan, home to 23.5 million people about 100 miles from the Chinese mainland, to exhaust the island's air force, test its defenses or otherwise express its displeasure with developments in Taiwan or elsewhere. But the number of military sorties jumped starting last year, buzzing Taiwan's self-declared buffer zone almost daily without actually entering its airspace.

Chinese military activity further escalated over a four-day period in early October that coincided with the country's National Day, with a total of 149 Chinese warplanes appearing in the skies near Taiwan, compared with 380 in all of 2020. The U.S. criticized China's actions as "destabilizing," while China said Taiwan was an internal matter and its incursions were necessary to protect national sovereignty.

"The Taiwan question arose out of the weakness and chaos of our nation, and it will be resolved as national rejuvenation becomes a reality," Xi said in a speech this month.

Taiwan Defense Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng told lawmakers this month that military tensions with China were the worst in more than four decades, and that China would be able to mount a full-scale invasion by 2025.

Experts say China's recent military maneuvers may be aimed less at Taiwan than at the broader international community, which has been showing more robust support for the island.

"Beijing is trying to impress upon everyone that they are not going to get pushed around, that they are not going to tolerate Taiwan moving farther away," said Shelley Rigger, a political science professor at Davidson College in North Carolina and the author of "Why Taiwan Matters."

Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen has described the island as being on the front lines of a global ideological battle, writing in Foreign Affairs this month that "if Taiwan were to fall, the consequences would be catastrophic for regional peace and the democratic alliance system." At Washington's urging, she has pushed to increase defense spending and modernize the Taiwanese military, the results of which were on display this month at a military parade for Taiwan's National Day that included homegrown missiles.

Rigger said Tsai, who some feared Beijing would find too provocative when she took office in 2016, had been a prudent leader.

"Her message all along has been, 'We are not going to give Beijing a pretext for military action, but we are also not surrendering by any means,'" Rigger said.

What is more troubling for Beijing, Rigger said, is the unpredictability of Washington, under not only the Trump administration but President Joe Biden as well. At a news conference last week, Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said the U.S. was "stoking geopolitical confrontation" by selling Taiwan arms, landing U.S. military aircraft on the island and sending warships through the Taiwan Strait.

"The U.S. is a troublemaker, a saboteur of regional peace and stability, and a spoiler of solidarity and cooperation," Zhao said.

Biden has made no change to basic policy: While the U.S. sells defensive weapons to Taiwan and maintains unofficial ties, it does not support Taiwanese independence and has never explicitly committed to defending Taiwan against Chinese invasion. But he has followed former President Donald Trump in deepening ties with the island, including reviving trade talks, enhancing cooperation with the Taiwanese coast guard and easing limits on contacts between U.S. and Taiwan government officials.

At the same time, the U.S. and China have continued to spar over issues including Hong Kong, Xinjiang, human rights, cybersecurity and trade, with diplomats from the two countries having a public spat during talks in Alaska in March. Though there are signs of a thaw in relations, including a virtual summit between Biden and Xi expected before the end of the year, that progress could be undermined by disagreement over Taiwan.

China's military activity near the island "is destabilizing, it risks miscalculation, and it has the potential to undermine regional peace and stability," Secretary of State Antony Blinken said at a news conference this month.

The Biden administration's support for Taiwan appears to be backed by growing numbers of Americans.

According to poll results released in August by the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, a majority of Americans believe that the U.S. should recognize Taiwan as an independent country and, for the first time, that the U.S. should send troops to defend Taiwan if China were to invade. Lawmakers from both parties have also said the U.S. should end its policy of "strategic ambiguity" and commit to Taiwan's defense, though others argue that could backfire.

Shifting American attitudes toward Taiwan are motivated partly by cooling attitudes toward China, the council said, a trend that is echoed in advanced economies around the world.

Amid America's hardening attitude toward China, Beijing is also making clear that it is willing to exert influence far beyond its borders. Taiwan accused China of obstructing it from buying coronavirus vaccines internationally, and China has continued to block Taiwan from participating in the World Health Assembly even during the pandemic.

In August, China recalled its ambassador to Lithuania and expelled the Lithuanian envoy to Beijing over plans for Taiwan to set up an unofficial embassy in Vilnius, the Lithuanian capital, called the "Taiwanese Representative Office" rather than the less provocative "Taipei."

Taking issue with the way countries and organizations refer to Taiwan is a key way China tries to isolate the island, said Tiffany Ma, a senior director at BowerGroupAsia. In recent years, global airlines and hotel chains have altered their websites at Beijing's request to avoid any suggestion that Taiwan is not part of China, lest they lose access to the lucrative Chinese market.

Ma also pointed to Chinese demands at the U.N. that nongovernmental organizations seeking consultative status change the way they refer to Taiwan on their websites, including the World Bicycle Industry Association, the American Sociological Association and a Jewish group in New Jersey.

"At this point we see that nothing is really too small for China," she said.

The backlash China is experiencing on the international stage presents real opportunities for Taiwan but also real dangers, Rigger said.

"If you overplay your hand then you may find yourself facing the wrath of the P.L.A.," she said, referring to China's People's Liberation Army, "and you do not know for sure that all of those countries that were talking such a great game before are actually going to come to your aid."
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In Taiwan, residents are keenly aware of the increase in Chinese military activity and worry about the possibility of war, according to a poll conducted this year by the Brookings Institution. But that doesn't mean they live in constant fear of an attack from Beijing.

"I think they're just flexing their muscles," Mary Chen, 65, a trade company manager in Taipei, told NBC News this month after the wave of military sorties. "This is what they do all the time."

Chen said she actually felt more relaxed these days, "because now we have visibility internationally, which is something we didn't have before."

Beijing has good reason not to jeopardize its international position ahead of important events like the 2022 Winter Olympics, which it is hosting, and next year's Communist Party congress, at which Xi is expected to seek an unprecedented third term. But if there is some domestic crisis that threatens the party's hold on power, Ma said, "obviously that calculus shifts."

James Teng, 39, a designer in Taipei, said he wouldn't be surprised if Taiwan came under attack one day, but that it was impossible to predict.

"I think the only win-win situation is that the threats are balanced enough to keep everybody alerted without actually starting a war," he said. "Once there is war, nobody wins."

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Taiwan is getting more global support - and China is pushing back

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HONG KONG - It was Day 7 of the freediving world championship, streamed live online from Cyprus. One by one, women competing in the constant weight category used bifins or monofins to dive to a targeted depth and back to the surface, all in a single breath.

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https://www.foxnews.com/politics/president-bidens-approval-remains-below-40-in-new-national-poll

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Former President Donald Trump suffered from negative poll numbers during his four year tenure in the White House, and now his successor is currently suffering the same fate, with a new national poll indicating that President Biden 's standing among Americans remains well underwater.

Just 37% of Americans questioned in a Quinnipiac University survey say they approve of the job Biden's doing as president, with 52% giving him a thumbs down. The poll was conducted Oct. 15-18 and released on Tuesday.

Adding to Biden's political peril, just 28% of registered independents give the president a thumbs up on his job performance, while 56% do not. The Quinnipiac survey indicated that Republicans, by a 95%-3% margin, disapproved of how the president's handling his duties in the White House, with Democrats approving 80%-11%.

The president's numbers are basically unchanged from Quinnipiac's previous national poll - conducted in early October - when Biden stood at 38%-53% approval/disapproval.
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Biden's approval rating hovered in the low-to-mid-50s during his first six months in the White House. But the president's numbers started sagging in August, in the wake of Biden's much criticized handling of the turbulent U.S. exit from Afghanistan, and following a surge in COVID cases this summer among mainly unvaccinated people due to the spread of the highly infectious delta variant, as the nation continues to combat the coronavirus, the worst pandemic to strike the globe in a century.

The plunge in the president's approval was also compounded by the latest surge of migrants trying to cross into the U.S. along the southern border with Mexico, as well as the rise in inflation, which has fueled a jump in gas and food prices.

Biden's' approval among the slightly narrower pool of registered voters was 40%, with 51% disapproving.

The president stood at 50%-49% approval/disapproval in the most recent Fox News national poll, which was conducted Sept. 12-15. Fox News will release a new national poll Wednesday.

An average of all the most recent national surveys on the president's approval rating compiled by Real Clear Politics indicated Biden at 42%-51%.
BIDEN DROPS BELOW 40% IN A NEW NATIONAL POLL
Only 38% of Americans hold a favorable opinion of Biden, with 50% seeing the president in an unfavorable way.

Opinions of Trump were equally as negative, at 39% favorable and 52% unfavorable.

Nine months removed from the White House, Trump remains very popular with most Republican voters and extremely influential with GOP politicians, as he continues to play a kingmaker's role in party politics and teases another presidential run in 2024. But he also repeatedly makes unfounded claims that the 2020 election was rampant with "massive voter fraud" and "rigged." And the former president continues to push for election audits in numerous states across the country.

A majority of Americans questioned in the poll - 58% -- said they don't want to see Trump run for president again in 2024, with 35% favoring such a move. But among Republicans only, support for another Trump White House bid soared to 78%.

By a 49%-43% margin, those surveyed said Trump's had a mainly negative impact on the GOP. Fifty-one percent of Americans said Trump's been undermining democracy since the 2020 presidential election, with 39% saying he's been protecting democracy.

"While a majority of Americans say, 'been there, done that' about Trump, and half feed he has damaged the underpinnings of democracy, support for the former president within the GOP has grown, Quinnipiac University polling analyst Tim Malloy noted.
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Other findings in the poll - by a 52%-41% margin, Americans say the country's worse off today than a year ago, and opposition to a wall along the nation's southern border with Mexico stands at 49%, down from a high of 64% in 2017. The survey also indicates that 59% considered the deadly storming of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 - by right wing extremists trying to upend congressional certification of Biden's election victory over Trump - an attack on the federal government.

The Quinnipiac University poll questioned 1,341 Americans, with an overall sampling error of plus or minus 2.7 percentage points.

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President Biden's approval rating in free fall, new national poll shows

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Former President Trump suffered from negative poll numbers during his four year tenure in the White House, and now his successor is currently suffering the same fate, with a new national poll indicating that President Biden's standing among Americans remains well underwater.

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https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/white-house-rolls-out-plan-vaccinate-kids-ages-5-11-n1281956

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https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2021/10/17/americas/haiti-american-missionary-kidnap-intl-hnk/index.html

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(CNN) Seventeen missionaries from the United States and Canada, some of them minors, were kidnapped in Haiti on Saturday, according to the organization Christian Aid Ministries.

"The group of sixteen US citizens and one Canadian citizen includes five men, seven women, and five children," read a statement released by the Ohio-based organization Sunday.

"We are seeking God's direction for a resolution, and authorities are seeking ways to help," they said.

An investigation is ongoing, according to a source in Haiti's security forces, who attributed the kidnapping to local gang members. Haitian officials are in touch with the US State Department about the kidnapping, the country's foreign minister, Claude Joseph, told CNN.

The missionaries were traveling by vehicle Saturday to Titanyen, north of the capital Port-au-Prince, after visiting an orphanage in the Croix des Bouquets area. They were abducted along the route between the two places.

Dan Hooley, a former field director for Christian Aid Ministries in Haiti, told CNN on Sunday that all of the kidnapped missionaries are believed to have been in one vehicle, and that some were able to contact the organization's local director before they were taken.

The kidnappers have already made contact with the organization, he also said.

"A couple of fellows right away messaged the director and told him what was going on. And one of them was able to drop a pin, and that's the last thing [the organization] heard until the kidnappers contacted them later in the day," Hooley said.

One of the abducted missionaries, an American citizen, also posted a call for help in a WhatsApp group as the kidnapping was occurring, The Washington Post reported, quoting a person familiar with the abduction who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

"Please pray for us!! We are being held hostage, they kidnapped our driver. Pray pray pray. We don't know where they are taking us," the message said.

It is unclear whether the message was a video or a text sent to the WhatsApp group, and there is no information on the WhatsApp group itself in the Washington Post's reporting.

CNN cannot independently verify the authenticity of this message or the report.

A spokesperson for the US State Department said late Saturday it was aware of the reports, and that "the welfare and safety of US citizens abroad is one of the highest priorities of the Department of State."

According to a senior US official familiar with the situation, the FBI and State Department officials are working around the clock to secure the release of Americans, but so far do not know the current location of the kidnapped missionaries.

Canadian officials are also working with local authorities and "implicated NGOs" to gather information, a spokeswoman for Global Affairs Canada told CNN.

CNN has reached out to the Haitian Justice Ministry and the National Police but they have not yet commented.

'They knew the dangers that they were in'

Kidnappings have surged in Haiti throughout 2021, with numbers rising nearly 300% since July.

At least 628 kidnappings have taken place since January, of which 29 are of foreigners, according to data released earlier this month by the Center for Analysis and Research in Human Rights (CARDH), a non-profit based in Port-au-Prince.

The rise in kidnappings in Haiti is largely due to the gang 400 Mawozo, which controls much of Croix des Bouquets and even taxes local businesses, according to CARDH.

The gang, once notorious for car theft, has pioneered "collective" kidnappings of large groups of victims from buses and cars, the report says. 400 Mawozo typically demands ransoms of around $20,000 USD, it also says.

While the Christian Aid Ministries community is reeling from the news, Hooley said that its members in Haiti would have been cognizant of the risks they were taking.

"These are very dedicated people, people that have risked their lives, they knew the dangers that they were in, or at least were aware of what could happen, I'm sure," he said.

He knows several of the victims personally, he also said. "Two of them are single fellas. One was down there for a while, the other one is a friend of ours who just flew in on Friday, and was planning to help out with the Haiti earthquake, the situation down there in the south."

"And then there's a young couple there - a young couple with two children that were also abducted. We lived with her (the mother) in Oregon, and knew her family very well," Hooley said.

Kidnapping in Haiti is often indiscriminate, with even the poor targeted. Several kidnapping victims and their families previously told CNN that they were still working to pay off debts, after borrowing money from friends, employers and even banks to pay ransoms.

In a case that has become notorious across the country even amid this year's hundreds of kidnappings, a 5-year-old girl was reportedly found dead early this year with signs of strangulation. Her mother, a peanut vendor, told Reuters she had been unable to come up with the equivalent of $4,000 for ransom.

Just before the missionaries' abduction, a Haitian transportation union had called for an indefinite strike starting Monday to protest the spike in kidnappings, among other issues.

"We call on the government to put an end to the kidnappings and provide us safety or for them to resign immediately. We are the most victims; the transportation sector is an easy target for kidnappers all over the country," Méhu Changeux, president of the Association of Owners and Drivers of Haiti, told CNN on Sunday.

"We lost many members to the insecurity and dozens of members have been kidnapped. The latest tragedy of the kidnapping of the American missionaries shows no one is safe in this country," Changeux said.

Turbulent year

On Friday, the UN Security Council voted to extend the mandate of the UN mission in Haiti by nine months, until July 15, 2022.

At the UNSC meeting Friday, US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield said, "As we all know, the past year has been especially turbulent in Haiti. By renewing the mandate of BINUH (the UN mission in Haiti), we have helped to ensure the UN can continue its vital efforts to support democratic institutions and planning for elections, strengthen the rule of law and promote stability."

Haitian Foreign Minister Claude Joseph had urged the UNSC earlier this month to bolster the UN mission's mandate in order to help ensure security and protection for civilians, according to a UN news release.

"These are the legitimate expectations of the people who have suffered enough from gang violence, kidnapping and widespread crime," Joseph said.

CNN's Caitlin Hu in New York contributed to this report.

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17 American and Canadian missionaries kidnapped in Haiti

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(CNN) Seventeen missionaries from the United States and Canada, some of them minors, were kidnapped in Haiti on Saturday, according to the organization Christian Aid Ministries. "The group of sixteen US citizens and one Canadian citizen includes five men, seven women, and five children," read a statement released by the Ohio-based organization Sunday.

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MAP: Covid-19 vaccination tracker across the U.S.

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MAP: Covid-19 vaccination tracker across the U.S.

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https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/map-covid-19-vaccination-tracker-across-u-s-n1252085

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MAP: per-state vaccination numbers across the country

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NBC News is tracking administered doses in each state by surveying health departments and examining daily reports.

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https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/biden-fauci-covid-surprise-polls-david-bossie

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With all of the Biden-created crises worsening by the day, the president's radical agenda stalled in Congress, and more daunting problems coming on the radar with no end in sight, Americans are facing a crisis of confidence not felt since the depressing days of stagflation and the Iranian hostage crisis during the administration of President Jimmy Carter in 1979 and 1980.

The unforeseen consequences of vaccine mandates are continuing to backfire by causing more pain across the country with airline and hospital worker shortages; supply chain disruptions are causing enormous economic concern; the prices of oil, gasoline and groceries are all on the rise; and the Virginia governor's race is on the verge of getting away from the Democrats. Joe Biden needs to make an abrupt change double quick.

Biden's border crisis, Biden's crime crisis, Biden's inflation crisis and Biden's Afghanistan crisis - while still ongoing disasters - are getting pushed out of the headlines because the mainstream media fully supports the Biden administration and frankly, it's getting impossible to cover it all. And, set aside for a moment the slow-moving train wreck that is the Hunter Biden conflict of interest saga.
DAVID BOSSIE: MANCHIN AND SINEMA ARE NOT MODERATES
The White House must be a very difficult place to work in these days because the arrogant Biden brain trust is running out of options. Questions like "how did it get so bad so quickly" and "what can we do to stop the bleeding" are getting hard to answer.

The president's popularity is falling like a lead balloon, because, well, no one ever actually really liked Joe Biden or his policies very much - including his radical progressive base. According to a recent Quinnipiac poll, Biden's job approval rating right now stands at 38% approve and 53% disapprove. Juxtapose these numbers with data from just two months ago, when the president's average approval rating was 50% approve and 46% disapprove, according to Real Clear Politics.
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This sudden fall from grace has been nothing short of precipitous and experts are now wondering where the bottom is for Biden. New polling indicates that on specific issues, the president's not fairing any better. On his handling of the economy, Biden's approval stands at 39%; on foreign policy, a paltry 34%; and on the border crisis, just 23% approve of the atrocious job Biden's done.

But all is not lost. Because this is Joe Biden's America - where everything is political - and desperate times call for desperate measures.

With the mainstream media, deep state and social media all fully Trump deranged and in Biden's hip pocket ready to help at a moment's notice, amazing things can happen. So, get ready for Joe Biden and Anthony Fauci to shock America. In order to stop the economic hemorrhaging and sagging poll numbers, Biden could announce we have achieved herd immunity in the fight against COVID-19 - whether it's true or not.

According to the CDC, they "are still learning how many people   need to be vaccinated against COVID-19 before the population can be considered protected." In Washington-speak, this is known as giving yourself just enough wiggle room to come up with a number that suits your political needs when the time comes. And that time is coming fast.

Rest assured that "Saint" Fauci will be more than ready to take to the airwaves to sell it. Forget the mandates, forget the closings, forget the masks, forget all that, Fauci will tell us with a straight face, because there's a Democrat presidency, Democrat majority in Congress, and a fast-approaching Virginia governor's race to save.

Biden and the Democrats are finding out the hard way that the American people love freedom and individual liberty.

Like Kamala Harris telling us not to trust Trump's vaccine, like Pfizer waiting to announce its vaccine until after the 2020 election, like schools magically allowed to open when Biden became president, and like the White House's "summer of freedom" announcement - oops - this is all politics.

Biden and the Democrats are finding out the hard way that the American people love freedom and individual liberty. The left's attempt to sell socialism and heavy-handed government mandates in the United States of America has been like trying to jam a square peg into a round hole - it just doesn't fit.

Biden's unconstitutional mandates have created some strange political bedfellows that spell mortal danger for the Democrat's electoral success. When ideological conservatives, hospital workers, police, pilots, the military and Black Lives Matter are all united on an issue, you are in some deep kimchi.

So, one answer for team Biden is to manufacture a win over COVID-19 in order to overcome their litany of mistakes on mask-wearing confusion, collusion with teacher unions on school closing rules, and divisive vaccine mandates. The White House needs to do an about face on their COVID-19 mitigation policy failures without delay.

With radicals in Congress and Sens. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., and Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., making it impossible to come to an agreement on the infrastructure and irresponsible multi-trillion-dollar socialist wish list spending bills, President Biden needs a lifeline just nine months into his presidency. Biden must find a way to undo his vaccine mandate because it's causing a dangerous economic slowdown.

Sound far-fetched? Maybe, maybe not. With Election Day in Virginia is just three weeks away, look for the White House to start their 180 degree turn soon.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM DAVID BOSSIE

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David Bossie: Biden-Fauci COVID suprise coming? Sinking poll numbers, crises may bring course correction

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With all of the Biden-created crises worsening by the day, the president's radical agenda stalled in Congress, and more daunting problems coming on the radar with no end in sight, Americans are facing a crisis of confidence not felt since the depressing days of stagflation and the Iranian hostage crisis during the administration of President Jimmy Carter in 1979 and 1980.

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https://www.cnn.com/2021/10/18/politics/joe-biden-democrats-economy-supply-chain-donald-trump-2022-midterms/index.html

Esta noticia habla sobre el impacto que ha tenido y podría tener la catástrofe mundial de supply chain en EE.UU. especialmente tan cerca de midterm elections y navidad.

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rising prices and empty store shelves spell grave political danger for biden and his democrats - cnnpolitics

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Analysis: Rising prices and empty store shelves spell danger for Biden and Democrats

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Joe Biden's struggle to make America normal again after the pandemic is proving to be far more protracted and complicated than first thought, which has enormous political implications for the President and his party.

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https://cnnespanol.cnn.com/video/muere-colin-powell-a-los-84-anos-por-covid-19/

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Muere Colin Powell a los 84 años por covid-19

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Colin Powell, el primer secretario de Estado negro de Estados Unidos, murió a causa de las complicaciones del covid-19, dijo su familia en Facebook. Tenía | Estados Unidos | CNN

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Having been exposed as a racist, misogynist homophobe, Jon Gruden has earned immediate entry into pro football's hall of shame. But the ex-Las Vegas Raiders coach is hardly the NFL's only problem.

A trove of toxic emails sent by Gruden surfaced this month as part of an independent investigation into charges of systemic discrimination brought by former employees of the Washington Football Team.

If the emails that sealed Gruden's fate are ever fully examined they could reveal all sorts of gross behind-the-scenes behavior.

If the emails that sealed Gruden's fate are ever fully examined, as more than 40 former employees and the NFL Players Association have urged, they could reveal all sorts of gross behind-the-scenes behavior in the league. Notably, they could also vindicate blackballed former quarterback Colin Kaepernick.

When Gruden was an ESPN analyst on "Monday Night Football," he found receptive readers for emails he sent to NFL executives from 2010 to 2018, including Bruce Allen, the former president of the Washington franchise. The team fired Allen in December 2019.

And yet, no one in the NFL saw fit to expose Gruden in 2011 when he used a racist trope to describe DeMaurice Smith, the Black executive director of the Players Association, in an email to Allen.

Or when Gruden emailed topless photos of Washington's cheerleaders, taken without their consent, and then denigrated the women.

Or when he claimed NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell pressured the then-St. Louis Rams to select Michael Sam, a gay defensive lineman, in the 2014 draft because of his sexual orientation. Goodell and former Rams coach Jeff Fisher both denied the claim.

Or when Gruden ripped the NFL for hiring women as on-field officials.

Or when he said Black players such as Kaepernick and fellow San Francisco 49er Eric Reid should be fired for taking the knee during the national anthem in 2016 to protest police brutality and systemic racism.

Indeed, if Gruden had not used gay slurs to attack Goodell, he would most likely still be sneering on the Raiders' sideline for the final six years of a 10-year, $100 million contract to coach the team.

If we're being honest, the ad hominem assault on Goodell may have compelled the NFL itself to leak Gruden's damning emails to The New York Times, which led to his ouster. (We still do not know for sure who leaked the emails.)

And there could be so much more dirt where that came from.

Showing us how bad Gruden was is not enough. The NFL needs to release all 650,000 documents.

Gruden's toxic emails were just a handful of the 650,000 documents uncovered as part of the investigation of the Washington team. Showing us how bad Gruden was is not enough. The NFL needs to release all 650,000 documents. That is, to take just one example, the only way to prove that Washington owner Daniel Snyder, the subject of numerous complaints from former employees, is not just as bad as Gruden - or worse.

The NFL fined Snyder $10 million in July after reviewing the results of the investigation.

Examining those documents could also prove that Kaepernick and Reid were right when they alleged in a lawsuit that NFL owners colluded to keep them out of the league. Kaepernick has not played in the NFL since the 2016 season. Reid has not played since 2019.

Kaepernick and Reid reached an out-of-court settlement with the NFL in 2019, reportedly for less than $10 million combined. It appeared to be a hasty resolution at the time. But Kaepernick and Reid could be vindicated - and entitled to larger financial payouts - if they find out now what they did not know then.

Could the emails also reveal evidence that NFL executives conspired to deny opportunities to Black head coaches, offensive and defensive coordinators, player personnel directors, scouting directors and general managers? Currently, there are just five head coaches of color among the 32 NFL teams.

Is there a paper trail that can prove league executives' resistance to any attempts by Black investors to attain majority ownership of an NFL franchise? There are no Black franchise owners in the NFL, and Washington's Jason Wright is the only Black team president.

Such paltry numbers, combined with Gruden's bigotry, expose the fraudulence of the NFL's efforts to appear inclusive and socially evolved.

Putting "End Racism" on the backs of helmets and in the end zones where TV cameras lurk proves nothing. Neither does playing the unofficial Black national anthem, " Lift Every Voice and Sing," during the first week of the season.

In what should be Gruden's final game as an NFL coach, the Raiders looked dispirited in a 20-9 home loss to the Chicago Bears on Sunday. It is likely that Gruden had already lost the respect of his players. Defensive end Carl Nassib, the NFL's first openly gay active player, is said to be popular with his teammates. Gruden's use of gay slurs would not have been received well in the Vegas locker room.

Meanwhile, the fallout from Gruden's noxious views continues. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers, whom he coached to a Super Bowl championship after the 2002 season, said Tuesday that they will remove his name from the team's ring of honor. And Skechers has dropped him as a pitchman.

Whatever chance he had of being enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a Super Bowl-winning coach has most likely also died from self-inflicted wounds.

So Gruden is gone - but that should not be the end of the story. All the electronic responses from his NFL pen pals should be publicly released and scrutinized. Only then can the league begin to clean up its act.

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Opinion | Why Jon Gruden is only the beginning

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Having been exposed as a racist, misogynist homophobe, Jon Gruden has earned immediate entry into pro football's hall of shame. But the ex-Las Vegas Raiders coach is hardly the NFL's only problem. A trove of toxic emails sent by Gruden surfaced this month as part of an independent investigation into charges of systemic discrimination brought by former employees of the Washington Football Team.

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dies of covid-19 complications amid cancer battle - cnnpolitics

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Colin Powell, first Black US secretary of state, dies of Covid-19 complications amid cancer battle

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Colin Powell, the first Black US secretary of state whose leadership in several Republican administrations helped shape American foreign policy in the last years of the 20th century and the early years of the 21st, has died from complications from Covid-19, his family said on Facebook. He was 84.

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Colin L. Powell, who in four decades of public life served as the nation's top soldier, diplomat and national security adviser, and whose speech at the United Nations in 2003 helped pave the way for the United States to go to war in Iraq, died on Monday. He was 84.

He died of complications from Covid-19, his family said in a statement. He was fully vaccinated and was treated at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, his family said.
A full obituary will follow.

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Colin L. Powell, who in four decades of public life served as the nation's top soldier, diplomat and national security adviser, and whose speech at the United Nations in 2003 helped pave the way for the United States to go to war in Iraq, died on Monday. He was 84.

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https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/former-secretary-state-colin-powell-dies-covid-complications-n1281746

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https://www.wsj.com/articles/democrats-face-a-deadline-on-safety-net-and-climate-bill-consensus-11634468400#

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Democrats Face a Deadline on Benefits and Climate Bill Consensus

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Party lawmakers are immersed in whittling down a package initially pegged at roughly $3.5 trillion to an amount that centrists can support.

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With former Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe holding an razor thin edge over GOP nominee Glenn Younkin with less than weeks until Election Day in the state's gubernatorial showdown, McAuliffe's bringing out some of the biggest names in the Democratic Party to help him energize Democrats to vote.

McAuliffe said Tuesday during an education roundtable in Alexandria, Virginia that President Biden will return to the commonwealth, telling reporters "he'll be coming back. You bet he will."

The McAuliffe campaign didn't provide any further details, nor did the White House.
MARGIN OF ERROR RACE IN VIRGINIA WITH ELECTION DAY CLOSING IN
"I don't have any updates on travel. I would expect we would have more to convey soon about his plans to support the election of former governor McAuliffe," White House press secretary Jen Psaki said during Tuesday's briefing.

The president last teamed up with McAuliffe on the campaign trail in late July in the voter-rich and heavily Democratic Virginia suburbs of Washington, D.C.

That was before McAuliffe's lead over Youngkin, a first-time candidate and former CEO of a large private equity firm, started shrinking amid the sinking of Biden's approval ratings. The drop in the president's numbers were fueled by criticism of his handling of the turbulent U.S. exit from Afghanistan, the surge in COVID-19 cases this summer mainly among unvaccinated people due to the spread of the highly infectious delta variant, and the latest surge of migrants trying to cross into the U.S. along the southern border with Mexico.
FOX NEWS POLL: TIGHT RACE FOR VIRGINIA GOVERNOR
The president's approval ratings in Virginia have also deteriorated. A recent Fox News poll indicated Virginians equally divided on the job Biden's doing as president and on his favorability, in a state Biden won by 10 points in last November's presidential election.

McAuliffe, in a recent video conference clip that Republicans spotlighted, acknowledged that "we are facing a lot of headwinds from Washington, as you know. The president is unpopular today, unfortunately here in Virginia, so we have got to plow through."

Adding to Biden's polling woes is the inability to date by the White House and congressional Democrats - due to an intra-party battle between progressives and moderate Democrats on Capitol Hill - to agree on the party's massive social spending, human infrastructure and climate change package, as well as a bipartisan infrastructure bill. That has forced McAuliffe to criticize his own party. The odds that the Democrats will come to agreement and pass both packages before Election Day in Virginia are diminishing.

The former governor has repeatedly emphasized - on the debate stage and in interviews - that it's time for lawmakers in Washington "to stop their little chitty-chat up there, and it's time for them to pass it."
TRUMP, BIDEN NOT ON BALLOT, BUT CENTER STAGE IN VIRGINIA SHOWDOWN
An average of the latest polls in the race indicates that McAuliffe - who's running for his old job - holds a slight, single-digit edge over Youngkin in Virginia, where Republicans haven't won a statewide contest in a dozen years. The Cook Report, a top nonpartisan political handicapper, three weeks ago shifted its ranking of the race from "lean Democratic" to "toss up."

Virginia and New Jersey are the only two states to hold gubernatorial elections in the year after the presidency's decided, guaranteeing they always grab outsized attention.

There's a long-running trend of voters in the commonwealth defeating the gubernatorial nominee of the party that controls the White House. McAuliffe broke with that tradition in 2013 with his election as governor in the year after Obama was reelected. McAuliffe was unable to run for reelection in 2017 because Virginia governors are barred from serving two straight terms.

The close contest in Virginia - a one-time key battleground but still competitive state which is seen as a key bellwether ahead of the 2022 midterm elections - has national Democrats on edge as they defend their razor-thin majorities in the House of Representatives and Senate in next year's contests.
MCAULIFFE CALLS BIDEN 'UNPOPULAR' IN VIRGINIA
The latest surveys in the state also indicate that Republican voters are more motivated than their Democratic counterparts. And McAuliffe's putting on a full court press to get Democrats to cast ballots in the current early voting period, or to go to the polls on Election Day.

Besides Biden, McAuliffe's team also announced on Tuesday that former President Obama will campaign with the former governor in the state capital city of Richmond a week from Saturday, on Oct. 23. Even after nearly five years removed from the White House, the former two-term president remains very popular and influential with voters in his own party.

"Folks, I'm excited to announce that President Obama will be joining me," McAuliffe wrote on Twitter.

McAuliffe will also campaign with First Lady Jill Biden on Friday in Richmond. And he'll team up on the campaign trail this upcoming weekend with voting rights advocate Stacey Abrams, the former Georgia House Democratic leader who in 2018 made history as the first Black female gubernatorial nominee of a major political party.

Veteran Democratic strategist Josh Schwerin, who ran communications for McAuliffe's successful 2013 gubernatorial campaign, said "there's no nervousness at all" about having Biden return to the Virginia campaign trail. Schwerin said that Biden "absolutely" can still energize the base, even with his deteriorating poll numbers.

"We're at a point in the election where this is about getting your people out to vote," he emphasized.

But Youngkin campaign communications adviser Devin O'Malley said "it's telling that the announcement about Biden was not included with their list of other surrogates coming in to stump for Terry. All of these announcements are an indication that the McAuliffe campaign is scared. There is a huge enthusiasm gap that McAuliffe's trying to close because he doesn't excite his base."

By contrast, there's no indication that former President Trump, who's endorsed Youngkin, will come to Virginia to campaign with the GOP nominee.

A Virginia GOP official told Fox News that there are no plans in the works right now for the former president campaign in Virginia, but that "the two teams are in touch to determine how the former president can be most helpful."

McAuliffe's been repeatedly linking Youngkin to Trump, who remains deeply unpopular with many Virginia voters.

McAuliffe constantly calls Youngkin a "Trump wannabe," and doesn't miss an opportunity at campaign events, interviews and during the two debates between the nominees to tie Youngkin to Trump.

On Monday, the McAuliffe campaign went up with a new digital ad accusing Youngkin of "putting Trump's agenda first."
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"All the Democrats are on the field. On the flip side, Trump's in hiding," Schwerin charged. "He's who Youngkin needs to turn out his voters and for whatever reason they're afraid to bring him to Virginia. In a close race where both sides need to be throwing everything at this, the Democrats are and Trump's MIA."

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Biden, despite flagging poll numbers, returning to Virginia campaign trail ahead of Election Day

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With former Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe holding an razor thin edge over GOP nominee Glenn Younkin with less than weeks until Election Day in the state's gubernatorial showdown, McAuliffe's bringing out some of the biggest names in the Democratic Party to help him energize Democrats to vote.

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Social Security checks going up by 5.9 percent, the highest increase in decades

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Social Security checks going up by 5.9 percent, the highest increase in decades

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https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/white-house/social-security-checks-going-5-9-percent-highest-increase-decades-n1281414

Joseph Shamosh

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WASHINGTON - The Social Security Administration announced Wednesday that recipients will receive a nearly 6 percent increase in benefits next year.

The boost in benefits, which will affect nearly 70 million people, is being fueled by a spike in inflation caused by supply chain bottlenecks, worker shortages and other economic disruptions from the Covid pandemic.

The larger checks will begin to arrive for most recipients in January.

At the end of December, about 8 million recipients of Social Security's Supplemental Security Income program, which is for people who are disabled or receive little income, will start to receive increased payments.

Rising inflation contributed to the Social Security Administration determining that the cost-of-living adjustment, or COLA, will be 5.9 percent for 2022. Data released Wednesday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics showed that prices rose by 5.4 percent on an annualized basis in September and the inflation rate rose a seasonally adjusted 0.4 percent in September from August.

"Some other adjustments that take effect in January of each year are based on the increase in average wages. Based on that increase, the maximum amount of earnings subject to the Social Security tax (taxable maximum) will increase to $147,000 from $142,800," the Social Security Administration announced Wednesday.

The government said that beneficiaries will receive a notice in December about their increased payments.

Typically, the COLA increase has been 1 to 2 percent each year. At the height of the Great Recession, however, in 2009, benefits went up by 5.8 percent for 50 million people, which at the time was the largest increase in more than a quarter of a century.

CORRECTION (Oct. 13, 2021, 2:25 p.m. ET): A previous version of this article misstated the history of the cost-of-living adjustment for Social Security. The COLA increase of 5.8 percent in 2009 was the largest in more than a quarter of a century, not a century.

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Social Security checks going up by 5.9 percent, the highest increase in decades

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WASHINGTON - The Social Security Administration announced Wednesday that recipients will receive a nearly 6 percent increase in benefits next year. The boost in benefits, which will affect nearly 70 million people, is being fueled by a spike in inflation caused by supply chain bottlenecks, worker shortages and other economic disruptions from the Covid pandemic.

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https://cnnespanol.cnn.com/2021/10/13/estados-unidos-aliviara-restricciones-viaje-mexico-canada-trax/

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Estados Unidos reabrirá las fronteras con México y Canadá a los viajeros completamente vacunados

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Nueva logística de entrada a EE.UU. desde México y Canadá (CNN) -- Estados Unidos planea aliviar las restricciones de viaje para los visitantes completamente vacunados de México y Canadá a partir de principios de noviembre, relajando las prohibiciones que han estado vigentes durante más de 18 meses, según altos funcionarios de la administración.

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https://www.foxnews.com/health/fauci-covid-pandemic-control

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With the U.S. averaging nearly 90,000 new COVID-19 infections each day and some 66 million Americans remaining unvaccinated, Dr. Anthony Fauci, President Biden's chief medical adviser, said the country needs to gain control to approach normalcy.
CLICK HERE TO FIND A COVID-19 VACCINE NEAR YOU
"Much of the world, and in some respects including ourselves, are still in the pandemic phase," Fauci told a virtual White House briefing Wednesday, later adding, "We're looking for a level of control of the virus that would allow us to be able to essentially approach the kind of normal that we are all craving for and that we all talk about."

While the U.S. is experiencing a decline across new infections, hospitalizations and deaths, Fauci said a threshold for adequate control would involve fewer than 10,000 daily new cases.
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"It is going to be very difficult, at least in the foreseeable future and maybe ever, to truly eliminate this highly transmissible virus," Fauci told the briefing, pointing to surges in case numbers during the spring, summer and fall of 2020, and most recently, late summer of 2021. He noted that while each time reported cases accelerated and later diminished, the country never gained proper control.

"We can get to control without a doubt, it is within our power and within our capability," Fauci said, citing a fivefold reduction in risk of infection among fully vaccinated individuals compared to those yet to receive shots, as well as an over tenfold drop in hospitalization and death risk, respectively.

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Fauci says COVID-19 pandemic uncontrolled as 66M remain unvaccinated

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With the U.S. averaging nearly 90,000 new COVID-19 infections each day and some 66 million Americans remaining unvaccinated, Dr. Anthony Fauci, President Biden's chief medical adviser, said the country needs to gain control to approach normalcy.

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https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/biden-s-approval-rating-has-fallen-pollsters-say-there-s-n1281370

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WASHINGTON - The honeymoon is over. And the fading Republican support was inevitable. But Democrats are alarmed by President Joe Biden's decline in job approval among groups central to his base - most notably Black voters, Hispanics and women.

Despite the slip in his job approval, Biden's economic agenda remains popular in the same polls, which find that voters support his plans to overhaul U.S. infrastructure, expand Medicare, fund universal pre-K and put money into clean energy.

But the bills have been caught up in a complex legislative logjam for months. Since late June, Biden's approval rating has fallen from 52.7 percent to 44.5 percent in the FiveThirtyEight average, with disapproval outstripping approval since the end of August.

Democratic pollsters say Biden needs Congress to pass his agenda for his approval to recover.

"Voters are looking for a return on what they were promised," said Jeff Horwitt, a Democratic pollster who co-conducts the NBC News poll.

Horwitt said the sausage-making process is uninspiring to voters, who just want to know whether they're going to be able to afford child care and make ends meet.

"It's messy. And it's part of the process of making laws. But having meetings and disagreements - that's not making people feel great about the president and the job he's doing," Horwitt said. "The things promised in the campaign - not a lot of them have turned into law yet. The good news for Democrats is that there's time. But you need to have some wins."

The shifts among Biden's base have been stark.

A Pew Research Center poll found that from July to September, Biden's approval rating fell by 18 points among Black voters, 16 points among Hispanics and 12 points among women. He won all three groups by lopsided margins last year. Among voters who identify as Democrats or lean Democratic, his approval fell by 13 points, to 75 percent.

Among independents, another key group that powered him into the White House, Biden's approval fell from 54 percent to 42 percent over the summer.

But the same poll found 2-to-1 national support for the two pillars of Biden's agenda: the $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill and the $3.5 trillion package of economic and social programs.

Bill McInturff, the Republican pollster to co-conducts the NBC News poll, said Biden is stuck in a "negative loop" of setbacks and bad stories about them, from the Afghanistan withdrawal to missed deadlines on Capitol Hill to Democratic infighting over his domestic agenda.

"We are starting to see softening among core Democratic constituencies," he said. "The core Democrats that helped elect him were not only looking for an alternative to [Donald] Trump. They were looking for very significant policy change."

McInturff said passing the two bills would brighten the outlook for Biden, particularly with his base.

"Then we get into a positive loop: Democrats were able to solve their infighting. Democrats got something done, a major accomplishment. There's so much money in these bills, and there's so many things core Democratic constituencies want," he said.

But McInturff said the elasticity is limited in this polarized era, with higher intensity of presidential support and opposition between the parties.

Cornell Belcher, a pollster who worked for former President Barack Obama, said Biden has been through "a tumultuous period," and he questioned whether passing his economic proposals would be enough to win back lost Democratic support.

"There are issues with key components of his coalition," he said.

Belcher said many voters were energized more by issues around voting rights and justice in policing, which have faded in Washington because of Democrats' inability to overcome or pierce the 60-vote filibuster in the Senate, where they have 50 votes, to advance those priorities.

"Democrats are trying to put points up on a board passing legislation like Build Back Better and infrastructure, which are solid and popular pieces of legislation," Belcher said. "But those kids and those young people, those progressives who gave Democrats a majority and gave Joe Biden a majority in this country - they were not marching for potholes."

In the 2020 election, Biden won 92 percent of Black voters. His approval among Black voters is just 67 percent in a recent Pew Research poll, 66 percent in a YouGov poll and 66 percent in a Quinnipiac University poll.

Belcher said he hears "the ghost of 2010," referring to the first Obama midterm election, when Democrats were unenthusiastic and the party suffered a beating.

"In a nutshell, if Democrats are not giving their base something to be energized so we can mobilize and energize them around, we're going to have 2010 and 2014 again," he said.

Horwitt took a more optimistic view, arguing that Biden is facing "a low point" in the polls and will bounce back as long as he gets his economic agenda passed.

That raises the stakes as Democrats eye difficult decisions to resolve a host of differences between competing factions within the party over price tag, scope and policy.

"If these bills fail, that's a huge problem," he said. "If you can't pass these bills and demonstrate that you can deliver, then the rationale for voting Democrat is really called into question."

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Biden's approval rating has fallen. Pollsters say there's one way to bounce back.

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WASHINGTON - The honeymoon is over. And the fading Republican support was inevitable. But Democrats are alarmed by President Joe Biden's decline in job approval among groups central to his base - most notably Black voters, Hispanics and women.

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https://edition.cnn.com/business/live-news/william-shatner-blue-origin-space-flight/index.html

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October 13, 2021 William Shatner’s flight on Blue Origin

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“Star Trek” actor William Shatner will be launched into space on a Blue Origin flight alongside Audrey Powers, Chris Boshuizen and Glen de Vries. Follow here for the latest news on the launch.

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https://edition.cnn.com/2021/10/12/business/global-supply-chain-nightmare/index.html

Esta noticia habla sobre la tragedia logística que esta sucediendo y la manera en la que el problema podría empeorar gracias en parte a la falta de conductores de camiones.

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the global supply chain nightmare is about to get worse - cnn

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The global supply chain nightmare is about to get worse

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Computer chip shortages. Epic port congestion. And a serious lack of truck drivers. The world's delicate supply chains are under extreme stress.

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https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/new-fda-guidance-aims-drastically-cut-salt-food-supply-rcna2844

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The Food and Drug Administration is asking food manufacturers and restaurants to cut the salt in their products over the coming 2½ years with the goal of reducing Americans' overall sodium intake by 12 percent.

The sweeping recommendation, announced Wednesday, is expected to cover a wide variety of foods - from chain restaurant meals to processed food on grocery store shelves and even baby food.

"What we'd like to see is the food industry gradually lower the sodium content" in the most common foods, Dr. Janet Woodcock, the acting FDA commissioner, told NBC News.

The goal, Woodcock said, is to slash rates of heart disease, the country's No. 1 killer. Reducing sodium in the diet ultimately "would have a major impact on hypertension, heart disease and stroke," she said.

Current dietary guidelines recommend that adults consume no more than 2,300 milligrams of sodium per day. That equates to about one teaspoon of table salt.

But the average person in the U.S. consumes about 3,400 mg of sodium a day,according to the FDA.

The new recommendations aim to cut that amount by 12 percent, down to 3,000 mg a day, Woodcock said. That is the equivalent of consuming 60 fewer teaspoons of salt a year.

While that goal wouldn't reach the recommended daily intake of 2,300 mg of sodium, outside experts said the guidance is a good first step to address high blood pressure, which affects nearly half of all U.S. adults.

Wednesday's action finalizes interim guidance the agency issued in 2016 about the amount of salt companies should add to food; the food industry largely ignored the guidance.

The newrecommendations arenonbinding, meaning companies aren't required to make such reductions.

Woodcock said the FDA will watch the industry carefully over the coming years, rewarding companies that comply. It was unclear Wednesday what the rewards would be, and Woodcock did not say whether the FDA would take any action against companies that do not lower sodium.

But experts said that the federal push may increase the likelihood that most major manufacturers will indeed act.

Marlene Schwartz, the director of the University of Connecticut's Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity, said, "The benefit of having the government set this goal and put the pressure on is that you have a better chance that everybody is going to make the changes."

The guidance will apply to more than 160 categories of processed, packaged and prepared food - such as tomato sauce, dairy products and breakfast cereals - as well as meals from chain restaurants, Woodcock said. Different food categories will have different sodium target levels.

In a statement, the National Restaurant Association said it has worked with the FDA on the new guidance and "continues to provide options to address customers' desires and health needs."

Public health experts overwhelmingly applauded the guidance.

The president of the American Heart Association, Dr. Donald Lloyd-Jones, said it was "an incredibly exciting moment" that is expected to help people achieve healthier levels of sodium in their diets. That in turn could reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes, he said.

Dr. Peter Lurie, president of one of the highest-profile food industry watchdog groups, the Center for Science in the Public Interest, or CSPI, said the FDA guidance is likely to be "the single most effective intervention that the American government could take at the present time."

The CSPI has been pushing for lower levels of added sodium in foods for decades. "While all natural foods contain small amounts of sodium," it wrote last month in a letter to the federal government, "more than 70 percent of the sodium that the average American consumes comes from packaged and restaurant foods."

What's more, much of the sodium in a typical diet comes from foods that one might not necessarily view as "salty," such as bread, spaghetti sauces and salad dressings.

"There is very little that the average consumer can do," Lurie said. "The only way to have a significant impact on sodium intake is by putting the onus on industry."

Consuming too much salt is often associated with high blood pressure and heart problems.

But the consequences don't begin in the heart, Lloyd-Jones said, but rather the kidneys.

The kidneys' main function is to filter waste and toxins from the blood and maintain an appropriate level of fluid in the body.

As more sodium is consumed, the kidneys are less able to get rid of the excess. As sodium builds up, the kidneys become less efficient at ridding the body of excess fluid, leading to high blood pressure. When blood pressure is elevated, the heart must work harder to pump blood through the body. That, in turn, increases the risk for heart attacks, strokes and heart failure.

Elisabetta Politi, a registered dietitian at the Duke University Lifestyle & Weight Management Center, said the new guidance was "a good step in the right direction."

In her experience treating clients, it takes only a few days for a person's taste buds to acclimate to foods with much less sodium, she said.

Politi said that a week into her program, her clients have balked at the saltiness of their previous meals. What's more, she said, her clients' blood pressure tended to go down within a few days of their having cut salt.

"The data is clear," Politi said. "Lives could be saved if we encourage people to have less sodium."

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New FDA guidance aims to drastically cut salt in food supply

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The Food and Drug Administration is asking food manufacturers and restaurants to cut the salt in their products over the coming 2½ years with the goal of reducing Americans' overall sodium intake by 12 percent. The sweeping recommendation, announced Wednesday, is expected to cover a wide variety of foods - from chain restaurant meals to processed food on grocery store shelves and even baby food.

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https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/12/us/politics/us-canada-mexico-borders-open.html

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https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/11/us/indigenous-peoples-day.html

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Many cities and states are observing the day. Here’s some of the history behind it.

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https://www.foxnews.com/media/fauci-cnn-mocked-after-he-gives-blessing-to-have-halloween-celebrations

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Dr. Anthony Fauci said it was "tough to predict" when Americans could again mingle maskless indoors on CNN's "State of the Union" Sunday.

"It's always tough to predict that," Fauci told co-host Dana Bash when she asked him when vaccinated Americans can once again show their faces inside. "I think if we continue to go down in the cases that we're seeing right now and more and more people get vaccinated, as the dynamics of the outbreak, namely the amount of virus circling the community goes down, I hope we'll be able to pull back on some of those restrictions to get closer to what we really feel is normal in the community."

"I hope that's soon but I can't give a prediction on that date, Dana," he added.
FAUCI GIVES THE GREENLIGHT ON TRICK-OR-TREATING THIS HALLOWEEN
Fauci said he'd need to see the number of cases get to "well below 10,000" cases a day before considering relaxing the guidelines.

Rep. Dan Crenshaw, R-Texas, was one of a few lawmakers to disagree with Fauci's take, asking Google to take action.

Matt Rinaldi, chairman of the Republican Party of Texas, said he respected Fauci's "commitment to the illusion."
ANTHONY FAUCI CLARIFIES CHRISTMAS GATHERING REMARKS, SAYS HE WILL BE SPENDING DAY WITH HIS FAMILY
Several others called Fauci a "clown" and said he had a "smirk" on his face when he answered Bash's question. Others suggested the epidemiologist was undermining the efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccine.

More viewers called out the "hypocrisy" of liberals calling for mask mandates, but breaking the rules themselves. Former President Barack Obama and many of his guests were not wearing masks at his infamous birthday party at Martha's Vineyard over the summer, and Hollywood celebrities have gone maskless at certain points during this season's parties and award shows, such as the glitzy Met Gala or the Emmys.
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Fauci also gave his blessing to children partaking in Halloween during his conversation with Bash. He said children can enjoy the holiday, if cases and deaths continue to decline.

"You can get out there - you're outdoors for the most part, at least, when my children were out there doing trick-or-treating - and enjoy it," Fauci said. "I mean, this is a time that children love. It's a very important part of the year for children. I know my children enjoy it.

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Fauci accused of undermining vaccine for saying it's 'tough to predict' when Americans can go maskless indoors

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Dr. Anthony Fauci said it was "tough to predict" when Americans could again mingle maskless indoors on CNN's "State of the Union" Sunday. "It's always tough to predict that," Fauci told co-host Dana Bash when she asked him when vaccinated Americans can once again show their faces inside.

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https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/how-can-we-benefit-it-if-we-re-not-there-n1280875

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CHICAGO - Less than 3 miles from where former President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama broke ground last week on their long-awaited presidential center on the South Side of Chicago, Tahiti Hamer lies awake at night thinking about the limited time she and her family have left in the neighborhood where she's lived her whole life.

Following the announcement of the center in 2015, neighborhoods adjacent to the 19-acre planned site have seen skyrocketing rents and housing prices, and Hamer, 42, a single mother of three, is one of several facing displacement.

Hamer, a teacher at a local YMCA, said she's tried to buy a home for the last two years, but it's been out of reach in her neighborhood. She found a house she could afford 12 miles south.

"I do not want to leave. I want to stay, but I'm barely keeping my head above water now," she said. Hamer's rent has gone up from $800 to $1,000, and she said her landlord has already told her there's another $100 hike coming because the area is "coming back up."

"It's sad that the place that I've lived my whole life I can't stay in anymore," she said. "And once I leave, it will be impossible to ever come back. It's the same story with so many people in this community."

Despite the Obama Presidential Center being built for the benefit of historically underprivileged communities of color, housing experts say without timely and robust housing protections, it may become a catalyst for displacement, pushing out the residents it intended to help.

The location of the ambitious project was chosen to honor the former first couple's roots and boasts a library, museum and activity center costing more than $500 million.

Demand has already boomed, with housing costs increasing at a higher rate in areas surrounding the proposed center than citywide since 2016, according to a 2019 study by the University of Illinois Chicago.

Much of the existing community is low-income, with many paying more than they can afford for their monthly housing costs, the study reported, and "eviction rates are some of the highest in the city with South Shore being the highest, averaging 1,800 a year, which is about 9 percent of renters."

"This very much follows the script of how gentrification works," said Winifred Curran, a professor of geography and sustainable urban development at DePaul University. "The Obama center is kind of like a signal to developers to get real estate now for cheap, and then the profit potential is huge. That's what gentrification is, and unless you very specifically do things to keep housing affordable to make property accessible to long-term residents, you're going to see displacement."

The battle between residents who live around the site and the city of Chicago has been ongoing for the last six years, but many say they are still waiting for significant aid.

Dixon Romeo, a lifelong South Shore resident and organizer with theObama Community Benefits Agreement Coalition, a resident-based group formed in 2016 to help fight displacement, said residents are not against the Obama center but instead are looking for help, so they will be around to enjoy it.

"How can we benefit from it if we're not there anymore?" he said. "This is the community that sent President Obama to Springfield. This is the community that sent him to the Senate. This is the community that sent him to the White House, and we should be the community that gets to stay for the presidential center."

After intense pushback from the coalition, the city passed the Woodlawn Housing Preservation Ordinance last year, which promises to help one neighborhood, which sits directly across from the site, with $4.5 million in affordable housing programs, a requirement that at least 30 percent of new apartments be made affordable to "very low-income households" and a provision that allows renters a "right of first refusal" if their landlord decides to sell the building, among other things.

But Dixon, 27, said residents still haven't seen any significant changes with the ordinance and that it falls short by not including South Shore and other surrounding neighborhoods that are also feeling financial impacts from the center. He, along with the coalition, is asking the city to implement protections for other neighborhoods.

Mayor Lori Lightfoot's office did not return requests for comment by NBC News.

While more affordable housing is always a good thing, the first step is to make sure people who already have affordable housing don't lose it, Curran said.

"A lot of times we're playing a cat-and-mouse gentrification game. Something happens, causes a big spike in rents, people get displaced, and then all of a sudden the city says, 'Oh, my God, we should have done something with affordable housing,'" she said.

Time is running out. The longer the city drags its feet in providing affordable housing, the more people will be displaced, while gentrification just makes the land more expensive - which means the affordable housing budget will cover fewer units, she said.

"If you're going to do these things, you have to do them right away because you lose momentum, and at a certain point, what happens is that all the activists who fought for these things get displaced themselves," she said. "So they have no one keeping the city accountable for their promises."

While rent control would be a strong solution to help renters with low income, Illinois prohibits municipalities from passing rent control ordinances under the Rent Control Preemption Act passed in 1997. What they can do is offer property tax breaks to help landlords who already are providing affordable housing, and other subsidies for utilities and bills, she said.

Stacey Sutton, a professor of urban planning and policy and the University of Illinois Chicago, said the issue around the Obama center is not novel for any city, and it's the same lower-income Black and brown people that disproportionately bear the burden when development takes place largely because class and race are so intertwined.

A 2020 study by Stanford University showed Black residents have more constraints and fewer options of neighborhoods they can move to compared to their white counterparts and that minority communities disproportionately feel the negative effects of gentrification.

"We think of the neighborhoods that we may visit and enjoy, but there's a full erasure of the history of a lot of those places. Years later, we'll look back and we won't remember who lived there, and that's the erasure," Sutton said.

"I think the problem with large-scale development, there's always some downsides, but you try to mitigate the downside. You try to mitigate the adverse effects. And so there are better ways of doing that, and this was not a better way of doing it right," she said.

Tahiti Hamer is still holding out hope that she'll be able to stay in the neighborhood that she feels is a part of her, but she knows time is running thin for her.

"I feel like I'm being forced out," she said. "How can I not afford a home in my own community where I lived for 42 years? It's unreal and just so unfair."

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Obama Center neighbors still waiting for housing protection

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CHICAGO - Less than 3 miles from where former President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama broke ground last week on their long-awaited presidential center on the South Side of Chicago, Tahiti Hamer lies awake at night thinking about the limited time she and her family have left in the neighborhood where she's lived her whole life.

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https://www.foxnews.com/media/unused-border-wall-materials-texas-melugin-biden-contracts

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More than $100 million worth of border wall materials are going to waste in Texas after the Biden administration terminated all border construction contracts. Fox News' Bill Melugin reported that there is enough steel for over 100 miles of border wall, but only about 14 miles were built before construction was halted after the Trump administration left office.

The Fox Flight Team captured footage of roughly 10,000 steel panels that have been sitting outside, unused, since January. The panels were intended to be used to construct the border wall.

"Keep in mind, taxpayers have already paid for this," Melugin said on " America's Newsroom."

"It's bought and paid for and nothing is happening with it."

Melugin and his crew provided images of the border wall that ends abruptly in La Joya, Texas. He said only half a mile was constructed, leaving the rest of the town's border open and allowing migrants to cross freely.
FOX NEWS' BILL MELUGIN, CREW CAPTURE CARTEL GUNFIRE INTO US: 'THIS WAS REMARKABLE'
"Basically, it's useless," he said. "We watch these migrants just walk around it all the time. It's not doing anything, and the border agents out here are having to run around left and right as runners are constantly coming through."

Biden's former border security chief Rodney Scott said on " Special Report" that the U.S. was paying $5 million each day for border contracts that were on hold, meaning that under President Biden the U.S. has been paying for construction not being completed.

"Many of those projects today are just still on hold, so we're paying contractors," Scott told Fox News' Bret Baier.

"For a while, it was almost five million a day between DoD and DHS to not build the border wall."
TULSI GABBARD ACCUSES BIDEN'S HOMELAND SECURITY SEC. MAYORKAS OF BOLDLY LYING TO CONGRESS
Scott also said that Border Patrol made it clear to President Biden that ending Trump-era immigration policies would lead to an uncontrollable crisis.

Melugin spoke with Border Patrol agents in La Joya who are overwhelmed with the surge of migrants.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
"Border agents tell us they really need the wall here," Melugin said. "They're incredibly frustrated."

"As we've heard the Border Patrol chief say, so far this year more than 400,000 known [migrants] got away. Those are the only ones we know about."

Former Acting ICE Director Tom Homan said over the weekend "it doesn't take a border expert to understand walls work," cautioning about the groups of migrants making it through the unguarded border areas.
Fox News' Hannah Grossman contributed to this report.

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Fox Flight Team footage captures more than $100M in unused border wall materials

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Fox News' Bill Melugin reports on the border wall materials that have gone to waste since the Biden administration halted all construction in January. He noted that taxpayers have already paid for the roughly $100 million worth of unused materials.

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https://cnnespanol.cnn.com/2021/10/11/operacion-encubierta-fbi-pareja-secretos-nucleares-trax/

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EE.UU. da cifra de armas nucleares por primera vez en años

(CNN) -- Luego de una operación de un año por parte de agentes encubiertos del FBI, una pareja de Maryland fue arrestada y acusada de intentar vender secretos nucleares estadounidenses a otro país a cambio de criptomonedas.

El ingeniero nuclear de la Marina de EE.UU. Jonathan Toebbe, quien tenía una autorización de seguridad de alto secreto, y su esposa Diana fueron arrestados el sábado en Virginia Occidental por el FBI y el Servicio de Investigación Criminal Naval después de que la pareja supuestamente vendió información sobre el diseño de buques de guerra estadounidenses de propulsión nuclear "a una persona que creían que era representante de una potencia extranjera pero que en realidad era un agente encubierto del FBI", según un comunicado del Departamento de Justicia.

El diario The Washington Post informó por primera vez sobre el supuesto plan de espionaje.

El Departamento de Justicia dijo que Toebbe tenía acceso a información sobre propulsión nuclear naval y elementos de diseño militar sensibles, incluidos "parámetros operativos y características de rendimiento de los reactores para buques de guerra de propulsión nuclear".

Un agente del FBI en una denuncia penal que justifica el arresto alega que Toebbe envió por primera vez un paquete a un gobierno extranjero en abril de 2020 ofreciendo vender los secretos nucleares, y un agente encubierto del FBI respondió varios meses después a través de un programa de correo electrónico cifrado y mantuvo correspondencia con él. El agente trabajó para ganarse la confianza de Toebbe antes de que supuestamente accediera a vender la información por miles de dólares en criptomonedas, según la denuncia.

Según la denuncia, el FBI "llevó a cabo una operación en el área de Washington, DC, que implicó colocar una señal en un lugar asociado con (el gobierno extranjero) en un intento de ganar buena fe con 'ALICE'", el nombre que Toebbe utilizaba como alias al escribir correos electrónicos.

Durante lo que Toebbe creía que era un "punto muerto", o un escondite que los espías usan para pasar información en secreto, el FBI dijo que arrestó a Jonathan y Diana el sábado después de que Jonathan "colocó otra tarjeta SD" con información clasificada en una ubicación acordada previamente en Virginia Occidental. La pareja ha sido acusada de violaciones de la Ley de Energía Atómica, que prohíbe a cualquier persona con acceso a información clasificada compartir esa información. La denuncia afirma que los Toebbe intentaron "comunicar, transmitir y revelar lo mismo a otra persona con la intención de dañar a Estados Unidos y asegurar una ventaja para una nación extranjera".

No está claro si la pareja ha contratado todavía un abogado.

Fomento de la confianza

En un movimiento de fomento de la confianza durante la extensa correspondencia, el FBI se las arregló para enviar una señal a Toebbe desde un edificio que alberga a los diplomáticos anónimos del país.

Después de ganarse la confianza de Toebbe, el agente trató de convencer a Toebbe de encontrarse en persona, pero a Toebbe le preocupaba que lo atraparan. El agente sugirió usar un punto muerto en un lugar de su elección. En marzo de 2021, Toebbe supuestamente escribió: "Me preocupa que el uso de una ubicación sin salida que su amigo prepare me haga muy vulnerable. Si otras partes interesadas están observando la ubicación, no podré detectarlas".

Toebbe también dijo que estaba preocupado por recibir pagos en efectivo, porque los números de serie se pueden rastrear, y le preocupa que "los dispositivos de rastreo y otras sorpresas desagradables también deben ser considerados", según la denuncia penal del FBI.

En abril de 2021, Toebbe supuestamente escribió: "¿Hay alguna señal física que puedas hacer que me demuestre tu identidad? Podría planear visitar Washington DC durante el fin de semana del Día de los Caídos. Solo sería otro turista entre la multitud. Quizás tú ¿Podrías enarbolar una bandera de señalización en tu techo? ¿Algo fácilmente observable desde la calle, pero nada que despierte la sospecha de un adversario (sic)?".

El agente encubierto respondió: "Estableceremos una señal desde nuestro edificio principal que se pueda observar desde la calle. Le brindará comodidad con una señal en exhibición desde el área dentro de nuestra propiedad que controlamos y no un adversario [sic]. Si está de acuerdo, por favor confirmar".

En cambio, Toebbe supuestamente sugirió usar la criptomoneda descentralizada Monero porque "nos da a ambos una excelente capacidad de negación". En un correo electrónico citado en la demanda, Toebbe supuestamente dijo que entregaría una tarjeta SD que contenía varios cientos de páginas de datos técnicos. Una vez que confirmó la recepción de la criptomoneda, Toebbe supuestamente escribió: "Te daré la contraseña".

Toebbe supuestamente también le dijo al agente que nunca usaría "el mismo lugar de entrega dos veces. Te daré una nueva dirección de Monero cada vez. La clave de descifrado será diferente cada vez. No hay patrones que puedan observar terceros. Las únicas huellas electrónicas será Proton a Proton, por lo que hay menos riesgo de que el tráfico cifrado sea recopilado para un análisis futuro por parte de terceros. Esa parte no es perfecta. ¿Quizás a medida que nuestra amistad se desarrolle cambiemos de dirección periódicamente?".

En junio de 2021, Toebbe y su esposa viajaron a Virginia Occidental, donde el FBI dijo que Toebbe "colocó una tarjeta SD oculta dentro de medio sándwich de mantequilla de maní en un lugar preestablecido".

Después de recuperar la tarjeta SD, el agente encubierto envió a Toebbe un pago en criptomoneda de US$ 20.000 y Toebbe respondió con la clave de descripción de la tarjeta, según la denuncia. El FBI dijo que "abrió la tarjeta SD proporcionada y proporcionó el contenido" a un experto en la materia de la Marina de EE.UU., quien confirmó que tenía información clasificada.

Una correspondencia en curso

El FBI dijo que Toebbe supuestamente mantuvo la relación con el agente encubierto, haciendo otro punto muerto en el este de Virginia en agosto de 2021, donde el FBI lo tenía bajo vigilancia cuando salía de su casa en Annapolis, Maryland, y se dirigía a la gota muerta.

La denuncia decía que "el FBI observó que JONATHAN TOEBBE prestaba servicio en un punto muerto en el este de Virginia. El FBI observó que JONATHAN TOEBBE colocaba un artículo en el contenedor y retiraba un mensaje escrito colocado en el contenedor por el FBI".

"Posteriormente, el FBI abrió la tarjeta SD y proporcionó el contenido al experto en la materia de la Marina de EE.UU. El experto en la materia de la Marina de EE.UU. determinó que varios documentos de la tarjeta SD contenían datos restringidos. El documento contenía diseños esquemáticos para el submarino de clase Virginia. Los submarinos de clase Virginia son submarinos de ataque rápido con misiles de crucero de propulsión nuclear, que incorporan lo último en tecnología de sigilo, recopilación de inteligencia y sistemas de armas", alega la denuncia penal.

En otro intercambio enumerado en la queja, Toebbe explicó cómo obtuvo toda la información clasificada, diciendo: "Fui extremadamente cuidadoso en recopilar los archivos que poseo lenta y naturalmente en la rutina de mi trabajo, para que nadie sospechara de mi plan. Recibimos capacitación sobre señales de advertencia para detectar amenazas internas. Nos aseguramos de no mostrar ni una sola. No creo que ninguno de mis antiguos colegas sospeche de mí, si hay una investigación futura".

También dijo: "He considerado la posible necesidad de irme con poca antelación. Si eso fuera necesario, estaré eternamente agradecido por su ayuda para sacarme a mí y a mi familia. Supongo que el primer paso sería viajar sin previo aviso a un tercer país seguro con planes de reunirme con sus colegas. Disponemos de pasaportes y dinero en efectivo reservados para este fin". Dijo que esperaba que tal movimiento nunca fuera necesario.

Toebbe dijo que esperaba algún día encontrarse y tomar unas copas con su manejador extranjero, y sin saberlo escribió al agente del FBI: "Gracias por su asociación también, amigo mío. Un día, cuando sea seguro, tal vez dos viejos amigos tengan la oportunidad de encontrarse en un café, compartir una botella de vino y reírnos de las historias de sus hazañas compartidas. Un buen pensamiento, pero estoy de acuerdo en que nuestra necesidad mutua de seguridad puede hacer que eso sea imposible. Ya sea que nos encontremos o no, siempre recordaré su valentía al servir a su país y su compromiso de ayudarme".

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Cae pareja intentaba vender secretos nucleares de EE.UU.

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EE.UU. da cifra de armas nucleares por primera vez en años (CNN) -- Luego de una operación de un año por parte de agentes encubiertos del FBI, una pareja de Maryland fue arrestada y acusada de intentar vender secretos nucleares estadounidenses a otro país a cambio de criptomonedas.

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https://edition.cnn.com/2021/10/11/asia/afghanistan-taliban-justice-cmd-intl/index.html

Esta noticia habla sobre la nueva imagen moderada que la policía religiosa de los Taliban ha mostrado. Aun así, lejos de la vista internacional en zonas rurales, esta nueva tendencia es  ignorada por los Taliban.

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taliban's religious police instructed to be more moderate

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but vulnerable afghans say brutal justice is still being meted out - cnn

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Taliban's religious police instructed to be more moderate, but vulnerable Afghans say brutal justice is still being meted out

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In Ghazni, the much-feared religious police are back on the streets, but instead of doling out punishment, they are on a charm offensive.

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https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/british-police-drop-investigation-prince-andrew-sex-abuse-claims-rcna2835

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LONDON - British police said Monday that they would take no action after reviewing a document related to a U.S. civil sexual assault lawsuit filed against Queen Elizabeth II's son, Prince Andrew.

Virginia Giuffre, who has accused Andrew of sexually abusing her when she was a teenager, filed the suit in August in New York's Southern District. The suit alleges that convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, who died by suicide in 2019 after he was arrested on federal sex trafficking charges, and his longtime associate, Ghislaine Maxwell, compelled her to engage in sexual acts with Andrew 20 years ago.

She sued Andrew under New York State's Child Victim's Act, alleging he committed "rape in the first degree."

Andrew, the Duke of York, has always vehemently denied the allegations. In a 2019 interview with the BBC, he said he has "no recollection" of ever meeting Giuffre. He also suggested that a photograph of them together with Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell could have been doctored.

The suit alleges that Andrew abused her at three locations - in London and New York and at Epstein's private island in the U.S. Virgin Islands, when she was under the age of 18. It mirrors claims that Giuffre, now 38, previously detailed to NBC's "Dateline."

The Metropolitan Police based in London said in the statement that it "continues to liaise with other law enforcement agencies who lead the investigation into matters related to Jeffrey Epstein."

However, its investigation into the document released in August has concluded and no action will be taken. The police also confirmed it had ended its review of Maxwell and allegations reported by Britain's Channel 4 in June that she trafficked, groomed and abused girls and women in the U.K.

Maxwell, who is British, is in jail in the U.S. awaiting trial on charges that she recruited teenage girls for Epstein to abuse. She pleaded not guilty in federal court this year and has long denied any wrongdoing.

Police chief Cressida Dick said in August that "no one is above the law."

The police department had previously looked into claims related to Epstein. After taking legal advice it decided not to pursue further action because the activities involved took place mainly outside its jurisdiction.

After the news of Monday's police decision in the U.K., the hashtag #abolishthemonarchy and #PrinceAndrew trended on social media, with some users suggesting that the police decision to forgo further action was reached because of Andrew's royal background.

Ninth in line to the throne, Andrew has said previously that he first met Epstein in 1999 and had stayed at a number of his residences, but saw him infrequently. The controversy over their relationship and his disastrous interview on the BBC led to his stepping away from his royal duties in 2019.

In June 2020, federal prosecutors in New York formally requested through the British government to speak with Andrew as part of their criminal investigation into Epstein, according to a person familiar with the matter. His lawyers responded that they had offered his help as a witness on at least three occasions.

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British police drop investigation into Prince Andrew sex abuse claims

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LONDON - British police said Monday that they would take no action after reviewing a document related to a U.S. civil sexual assault lawsuit filed against Queen Elizabeth II's son, Prince Andrew. Virginia Giuffre, who has accused Andrew of sexually abusing her when she was a teenager, filed the suit in August in New York's Southern District.

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Climate Change Is Single Biggest Health Threat, WHO Says

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Climate Change Is Single Biggest Health Threat, WHO Says

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https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-10-11/climate-change-is-single-biggest-health-threat-who-says?srnd=premium

Joseph

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https://www.foxnews.com/media/tulsi-gabbard-joe-biden-southern-border-illegal-immigration-alejandro-mayorkas-kamala-harris

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Former congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard slammed President Biden's immigration policies on Saturday during "Justice with Judge Jeanine," which she said had serious humanitarian and national security consequences.

"The Biden-Harris administration has an open-door policy at the borders," the Hawaii Democrat said. "The reality is that people are being let in and crossing the border every single day."

Under the Biden administration, encounters between Border Patrol and illegal immigrants have skyrocketed. In August, there were over 200,000 encounters, up more than 300 percent from the same month in 2020.
FORMER BIDEN BORDER PATROL CHIEF: I WOULD 'CONTINUE' TO BUILD THE BORDER WALL
"Actions speak louder and louder than words," Gabbard said. "[I]t doesn't matter how many times Sec. [Antony] Blinken or Kamala Harris or anyone from the administration says, you know, don't come across the border."

"These drug cartels, these human traffickers, they are incredibly emboldened to the point where they feel that they can do this without consequence, where they feel they can continue profiting off of trafficking people across these borders that are essentially open ... The fact is that the open-door policy that this administration has in place is posing a humanitarian crisis is creating a humanitarian crisis, as well as a very serious security threat for our country," the former lawmaker said.

Gabbard went on to accuse Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas of boldly lying to Congress.

She said, "The Department of Homeland Security secretary recently told Congress: 'Our borders are secure.' This is what he said."

Gabbard argued that when bold-faced" lies like that are being told to the American public, they lose trust in their government and leaders.

"The faith and trust that the American people need to have in our leaders is dropping every day," she said.

Gabbard said lies to the American people reveal, "the arrogance and the self-serving nature of leaders who are in power in this country and the disrespect that they have for the American people and it's why people are losing faith and trust in those leaders."

"And that's the problem here is we don't have leaders who ... put themselves ahead of the interests of the people," she said.

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Tulsi Gabbard accuses Biden's Homeland Security Sec. Mayorkas of boldly lying to Congress

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Former congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard slammed President Biden's immigration policies on Saturday during "Justice with Judge Jeanine," which she said had serious humanitarian and national security consequences. "The Biden-Harris administration has an open-door policy at the borders," the Hawaii Democrat said. "The reality is that people are being let in and crossing the border every single day."

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https://cnnespanol.cnn.com/2021/10/08/aborto-texas-corte-apelaciones-suspende-orden-juez-bloquea-prohibicion-trax/

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(CNN ) -- El viernes por la noche, una corte federal de apelaciones suspendió temporalmente la orden de un juez que bloqueaba la prohibición del aborto de seis semanas en Texas.

La Corte de Apelaciones del Quinto Circuito de EE. UU. concedió la solicitud de Texas de suspensión administrativa de la orden.

Texas presentó la solicitud el viernes por la tarde, después de que el juez federal de distrito Robert Pitman emitiera una orden general el miércoles bloqueando la ley a pedido del Departamento de Justicia de Estados Unidos, que impugnó la ley el mes pasado.

El viernes por la noche, la corte de apelaciones con sede en Nueva Orleans también pidió al Departamento de Justicia que respondiera antes de las 5 p.m. hora local del martes a una solicitud de Texas de que se congelara la orden de Pitman mientras su apelación es considerada por el Quinto Circuito.

La pelea por la orden de Pitman podría terminar en última instancia ante la Corte Suprema, que rechazó una solicitud anterior de las clínicas de aborto de bloquear la ley.

En el panel de apelaciones de tres jueces que consideró la solicitud de Texas estaba el designado por Clinton, el juez Carl Stewart; la jueza Catharina Haynes, nombrada por George W. Bush; y el juez James Ho, designado por Trump.

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Suspenden bloqueo de prohibición de aborto en Texas

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(CNN ) -- El viernes por la noche, una corte federal de apelaciones suspendió temporalmente la orden de un juez que bloqueaba la prohibición del aborto de seis semanas en Texas. La Corte de Apelaciones del Quinto Circuito de EE. UU. concedió la solicitud de Texas de suspensión administrativa de la orden.

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Los Angeles poised to enact strict Covid vaccination mandate

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Los Angeles poised to enact strict Covid vaccination mandate

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https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/los-angeles-poised-enact-strict-covid-vaccination-mandate-n1280897

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LOS ANGELES - Los Angeles leaders on Wednesday were poised to enact one of the nation's strictest vaccine mandates - a sweeping measure that would require the shots for everyone entering a bar, restaurant, nail salon, gym or even a Lakers game.

The City Council was scheduled to consider the proposal after postponing a vote last week to deal with concerns ranging from who could be fined for violations to whether employees could end up in fist-fights when they have to serve as vaccine door monitors.

Some critics charge that a mandate would amount to segregation of those who cannot or refuse to be vaccinated. Others call it unenforceable.

Business trade groups have said the city mandate will sow confusion because Los Angeles County's own vaccine rules - which apply both in LA and in surrounding communities - are less sweeping.

However, council members generally support the ordinance, which is intended to reduce the risk of new COVID-19 surges. The nation's second-most populous city faced a huge rise in infections and hospitalizations last winter and a smaller surge this summer linked to the spread of the highly contagious delta variant.

Mayor Eric Garcetti expressed his support for a vaccine measure last week, saying: "I don't want to bury another city employee, police officer, firefighter."

The ordinance would require people to be fully vaccinated to enter indoor public spaces including shopping malls, restaurants, bars, gyms, sports arenas, museums, spas, nail salons, indoor city facilities and other locations. Current eligibility includes people age 12 and up.

Negative coronavirus tests within 72 hours of entry to those places would be required for people with religious or medical exemptions for vaccinations.

Council President Nury Martinez has said it is clear that the vaccines work but too many people remain unvaccinated despite widespread availability and door-to-door campaigns to vaccinate more people.

The ordinance arrives at a time when COVID-19 cases are plunging while political ambitions are rising - two council members are running for mayor, as is the city attorney who wrote the proposal.

During a recent City Hall meeting, councilman and mayoral candidate Joe Buscaino challenged the measure as being "clear as mud" regarding enforcement.

"Making a teenager ... serve as a bouncer to keep people in or out of a restaurant, and then fining the business for their failure is not the way to go about it," he said.

Buscaino also noted that the conflict between city's measure and county's vaccination mandate, which only covers patrons and workers at indoor bars, wineries, breweries, lounges and nightclubs. The county will require proof of one dose as of Thursday, while proof of full vaccination will be required by Nov. 4.

Of the county's roughly 10 million residents, 78% have received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose and 69% are fully vaccinated, according to public health officials.

The county on Tuesday reported 35 new deaths and 964 new cases of COVID-19. Health officials said the county has reported 14 deaths a day, on average, even though deaths and hospitalization figures have plunged by some 50% since late August.

A growing number of places across the U.S., including San Francisco and New York City, are requiring people to show proof of vaccination to enter various types of businesses and venues.

New York City this summer began requiring proof of vaccination to dine inside restaurants and bars, or to enter certain types of public places, including museums, theaters, gyms, indoor sports arenas and concert halls.

Compliance has been mixed and enforcement purposefully light, with the city favoring initial warnings for violators and fines for repeat offenders.

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Los Angeles poised to enact strict Covid vaccination mandate

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LOS ANGELES - Los Angeles leaders on Wednesday were poised to enact one of the nation's strictest vaccine mandates - a sweeping measure that would require the shots for everyone entering a bar, restaurant, nail salon, gym or even a Lakers game.

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https://edition.cnn.com/us/live-news/arlington-texas-school-shooting-situation-10-06-21/index.html

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What we know so far

At least four people were injured in a shooting at Timberview High School in Arlington, Texas, police said.

The suspect, who has been identified, is still at large and considered "armed and dangerous," according to police.

Law enforcement officials are still conducting a search of the scene, which they said is secure.

Arlington police have identified the suspect of today's school shooting as a student, 18-year-old Timothy George Simpkins, and are asking for the public's help in finding him.

"Please call 911 if you know the whereabouts of 18-year old Timothy George Simpkins who may be driving a 2018 Silver Dodge Charger with license plate PFY-6260," the police department tweeted.

Simpkins should be considered armed and dangerous, Mansfield Police Chief Tracy Aaron said.

Timberview High School is located in Arlington, Texas, near Dallas and Fort Worth.

The police department shared the suspect's photo:

Police said that they believe the suspect in today's shooting at Timberview High School in Arlington, Texas, is not on the premises at this time.

A 911 caller gave police the name of the suspect, Timothy George Simpkins, when calling to report the shooting, according to Arlington Police Department Assistant Police Chief Kevin Kolbye. He said numerous calls came in to report the shooting.

Two police officers from the Mansfield Independent School District were in the school and rendered aid immediately after the shooting, Kolbye said. It's unclear how the gun made it into the school.

Kolbye said he believed three of those injured during today's shooting were students and one was a person who may be a teacher, but he could not confirm those details during a news conference. He did say a pregnant woman fell during the shooting and was treated at the scene but was not transported to the hospital.

Police are asking for anyone with video of today's shooting to contact police to share the information they have.

The weapon used by a suspected shooter in a Texas high school will be tracked down, pledged Jeff Boshek, the special agent in charge for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives' Dallas Field Division.

"We'll figure out where this individual got this gun from. Our agents won't sleep, working with our partners here, to figure out how he got this weapon in his hand to come in this school and cause this tragedy today. So, I don't have much information I can give you on the weapon. Obviously, we don't have that yet. We haven't been in the school to figure out the caliber of the weapon or anything like that yet, but as soon as we do, we'll have something to get out to you guys," Boshek told reporters.

The Arlington Police Department said they have identified a suspect and are looking for any information on his whereabouts.

Police have identified a suspect involved in the shooting as Timothy George Simpkins, an 18-year-old who is currently at large.

He is driving a silver, 2018 Dodge Charger with a license plate PFY6260.

"We currently have multiple agencies, including the US Marshals' task force that is looking for this individual. Again, this is a collaborative effort between state, local and federal agencies to bring this person to justice," Arlington, Texas, PoliceAssistant Chief Kevin Kolbye said at a news conference.

Police consider the suspect armed and dangerous and if seen, people should call 911.

Kolbye said that police believe the shooting happened during a "fight between a student and another individual in a class"at Timberview High School in Arlington, Texas.

He said that there were four victims, one with a minor injury and three were transported to a hospital.

Police and other agencies are currently still performing a "methodical search" of the school and campus "as they were in lockdown, and we're going to try to do an orderly fashion to bring them out of the school to ensure that they are brought to their parents," Kolbye said.

"Once the search is completed, we'll make sure that all the students are transported on a bus on the south side of the school to the Mansfield Independent District Center of Performing Arts at 1110 W Debbie Lane," Kolbye said.

41 min ago
Police believe shooting occurred when a student got "into a fight and drew a weapon"

Arlington Police Assistant Chief Kevin Kolbye said that the shooting "is not a random act of violence."

"This is not somebody attacking our schools. This is a student, we believe right now, preliminary, that it was a student that got into a fight and drew a weapon," he added.

Asked if he knew how the shooter was able to get the weapon inside the school, Kolbye said, "I do not."

He did not know if there are metal detectors inside the school.

42 min ago
4 people hurt in school shooting, police say

Four people were hurt in a shooting this morning at Timberview High School in Arlington, Texas, Arlington Police Assistant Chief Kevin Kolbye said during a news conference.

Kolbye said police got a call at 9:15 a.m. local time that there was a shooting on the second floor of the school.

There were four victims, one suffered minor injuries and three were taken to the hospital.

"Currently we have multiple agencies doing a methodical search as they were in lockdown, and we're going to try to do an orderly fashion to bring them out of the school to ensure that they are brought to their parents," he said.

FBI agents from the Dallas Field Office are on the scene of an active shooter situation at Timberview High School in Arlington, Texas, according to an FBI spokesperson.

Arlington Police is the lead agency, the spokesperson told CNN.

Arlington Police said students will be bused to a parent reunification point once the school is "completely secured."

In a tweet, the police department said that officers will be at the reunification point.

Police are working on an active shooter situation at Timberview High School in Mansfield Independent School District in Arlington, Texas, police confirmed to CNN.

They do not have any additional details available at this time, including any confirmation of injuries.

Arlington Police tweeted that they are on the scene "at a shooting at Timberview High School" Wednesday morning.

They say they are doing a "methodical search" and are working closely with several local police departments and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

They also say they are working on a parent staging location and will announce it once it is identified.

What we know so far

At least four people were injured in a shooting at Timberview High School in Arlington, Texas, police said.

The suspect, who has been identified, is still at large and considered "armed and dangerous," according to police.

Law enforcement officials are still conducting a search of the scene, which they said is secure.

Arlington police have identified the suspect of today's school shooting as a student, 18-year-old Timothy George Simpkins, and are asking for the public's help in finding him.

"Please call 911 if you know the whereabouts of 18-year old Timothy George Simpkins who may be driving a 2018 Silver Dodge Charger with license plate PFY-6260," the police department tweeted.

Simpkins should be considered armed and dangerous, Mansfield Police Chief Tracy Aaron said.

Timberview High School is located in Arlington, Texas, near Dallas and Fort Worth.

The police department shared the suspect's photo:

Police said that they believe the suspect in today's shooting at Timberview High School in Arlington, Texas, is not on the premises at this time.

A 911 caller gave police the name of the suspect, Timothy George Simpkins, when calling to report the shooting, according to Arlington Police Department Assistant Police Chief Kevin Kolbye. He said numerous calls came in to report the shooting.

Two police officers from the Mansfield Independent School District were in the school and rendered aid immediately after the shooting, Kolbye said. It's unclear how the gun made it into the school.

Kolbye said he believed three of those injured during today's shooting were students and one was a person who may be a teacher, but he could not confirm those details during a news conference. He did say a pregnant woman fell during the shooting and was treated at the scene but was not transported to the hospital.

Police are asking for anyone with video of today's shooting to contact police to share the information they have.

The weapon used by a suspected shooter in a Texas high school will be tracked down, pledged Jeff Boshek, the special agent in charge for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives' Dallas Field Division.

"We'll figure out where this individual got this gun from. Our agents won't sleep, working with our partners here, to figure out how he got this weapon in his hand to come in this school and cause this tragedy today. So, I don't have much information I can give you on the weapon. Obviously, we don't have that yet. We haven't been in the school to figure out the caliber of the weapon or anything like that yet, but as soon as we do, we'll have something to get out to you guys," Boshek told reporters.

The Arlington Police Department said they have identified a suspect and are looking for any information on his whereabouts.

Police have identified a suspect involved in the shooting as Timothy George Simpkins, an 18-year-old who is currently at large.

He is driving a silver, 2018 Dodge Charger with a license plate PFY6260.

"We currently have multiple agencies, including the US Marshals' task force that is looking for this individual. Again, this is a collaborative effort between state, local and federal agencies to bring this person to justice," Arlington, Texas, PoliceAssistant Chief Kevin Kolbye said at a news conference.

Police consider the suspect armed and dangerous and if seen, people should call 911.

Kolbye said that police believe the shooting happened during a "fight between a student and another individual in a class"at Timberview High School in Arlington, Texas.

He said that there were four victims, one with a minor injury and three were transported to a hospital.

Police and other agencies are currently still performing a "methodical search" of the school and campus "as they were in lockdown, and we're going to try to do an orderly fashion to bring them out of the school to ensure that they are brought to their parents," Kolbye said.

"Once the search is completed, we'll make sure that all the students are transported on a bus on the south side of the school to the Mansfield Independent District Center of Performing Arts at 1110 W Debbie Lane," Kolbye said.

41 min ago
Police believe shooting occurred when a student got "into a fight and drew a weapon"

Arlington Police Assistant Chief Kevin Kolbye said that the shooting "is not a random act of violence."

"This is not somebody attacking our schools. This is a student, we believe right now, preliminary, that it was a student that got into a fight and drew a weapon," he added.

Asked if he knew how the shooter was able to get the weapon inside the school, Kolbye said, "I do not."

He did not know if there are metal detectors inside the school.

42 min ago
4 people hurt in school shooting, police say

Four people were hurt in a shooting this morning at Timberview High School in Arlington, Texas, Arlington Police Assistant Chief Kevin Kolbye said during a news conference.

Kolbye said police got a call at 9:15 a.m. local time that there was a shooting on the second floor of the school.

There were four victims, one suffered minor injuries and three were taken to the hospital.

"Currently we have multiple agencies doing a methodical search as they were in lockdown, and we're going to try to do an orderly fashion to bring them out of the school to ensure that they are brought to their parents," he said.

FBI agents from the Dallas Field Office are on the scene of an active shooter situation at Timberview High School in Arlington, Texas, according to an FBI spokesperson.

Arlington Police is the lead agency, the spokesperson told CNN.

Arlington Police said students will be bused to a parent reunification point once the school is "completely secured."

In a tweet, the police department said that officers will be at the reunification point.

Police are working on an active shooter situation at Timberview High School in Mansfield Independent School District in Arlington, Texas, police confirmed to CNN.

They do not have any additional details available at this time, including any confirmation of injuries.

Arlington Police tweeted that they are on the scene "at a shooting at Timberview High School" Wednesday morning.

They say they are doing a "methodical search" and are working closely with several local police departments and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

They also say they are working on a parent staging location and will announce it once it is identified.

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By Melissa Macaya, Mike Hayes and Veronica Rocha, CNN

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Live Updates: Arlington, Texas school shooting situation

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What we know so far At least four people were injured in a shooting at Timberview High School in Arlington, Texas, police said. The suspect, who has been identified, is still at large and considered "armed and dangerous," according to police. Law enforcement officials are still conducting a search of the scene, which they said is secure.