News

Biden Turns His Back on Venezuelans at the US Border

Published

2 years ago

2022-10-17

With a rising number of Venezuelans arriving at the US-Mexico border as the November midterm elections approach, Joe Biden has sought help from an unlikely source: Trump’s playbook.

Two years ago, Democrat Joe Biden slammed President Donald Trump’s immigration policies for inflicting “cruelty and exclusion at every turn,” even against those leaving Venezuela’s “brutal” socialist government of socialist Nicolas Maduro.

Last week, Biden utilized Title 42, a Trump-era law that his own Justice Department is challenging in court, to deny Venezuelans leaving their crisis-torn country the right to seek asylum at the border.

The measure, first implemented by Trump in 2020, claims emergency public health power to bar people from requesting asylum at the border, citing the need to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Venezuelans who walk or swim across America’s southern border will be deported, and any Venezuelan who unlawfully enters Mexico or Panama will be ineligible to enter the United States. However, up to 24,000 Venezuelans would be allowed to enter the United States through airports, similar to how Ukrainians have been admitted since Russia’s incursion in February.

According to a Mexican official who was not authorized to address the topic publicly and spoke anonymously, Mexico has requested that the US admit one Venezuelan on humanitarian parole for every Venezuelan it expels to Mexico. So, if the Biden administration paroles 24,000 Venezuelans to the United States, Mexico will only accept 24,000 Venezuelans ejected from the United States.

The Biden policy represents a sharp departure from the White House, which had chastised Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and Texas Governor Greg Abbott, both Republicans, for transporting Venezuelan migrants “fleeing political persecution” a few weeks ago to Democratic strongholds.

“These were children, mothers fleeing communism,” stated White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.

Immigrant advocates have quickly criticized Biden’s new proposal, with many pointing out Trump comparisons.

Venezuelan migrants have returned to Mexico.

“Rather than restoring the right to asylum decimated by the Trump administration,” Jennifer Nagda, from the Young Center for Immigrant Children’s Rights, said, “the Biden administration has dangerously embraced the failures of the past and expanded upon them by explicitly allowing expulsions of Venezuelan migrants.”

According to the government, the program is intended to provide a “lawful and orderly” pathway for Venezuelans to join the United States.

Why the abrupt change from Joe Biden?

After assuming office in January 2021, Biden deferred to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which utilized its authority to maintain the Trump administration’s conclusion that a public health concern existed, necessitating the expedited expulsion of asylum seekers.

Members of Biden’s own party and activist groups had expressed concern about the public health justifications for keeping Title 42 in place, especially since COVID-19 was spreading more broadly in the United States than abroad.

After months of internal deliberation and planning, the CDC announced on April 1 that it would lift the public health order and resume routine border processing of migrants, providing them the opportunity to seek refugee status in the United States.

Homeland Security authorities were bracing for an increase in border crossings.

According to top administration sources, officials inside and outside the White House were divided over eliminating the power since they believed it effectively reduced the number of people crossing the border illegally.

According to an Associated Press source, a court order in May that kept Title 42 in place owing to a challenge from Republican state authorities was met with quiet satisfaction by some in the administration.

The recent increase in migration from Venezuela, caused by political, social, and economic instability, dashed officials’ hopes of finally seeing a pause in the mayhem that had defined the border region for the previous year.

Venezuelans were the second-largest nationality coming at the US border after Mexicans by August. Given that the United States’ relations with Venezuela meant that migrants from the country could not be readily returned, the situation became increasingly difficult to manage.

So an administration that had rejected several Trump-era initiatives geared at keeping migrants out sought to make the asylum procedure easier, and boosted the number of refugees permitted into the United States, went to Title 42.

It arranged for the Venezuelans to be sent to Mexico, which has already agreed to receive migrants expelled under Title 42 if they are from Guatemala, Honduras, or El Salvador.

Meanwhile, Justice Department lawyers continue challenging a court decision that maintains Title 42. They are fighting Republican attorneys general from more than 20 states, who say Title 42 is “the sole safety valve stopping this Administration’s already terrible border control tactics from devolving into an utter disaster.”

Under Title 42, migrants have been ejected from the United States more than 2.3 million times after crossing the country’s land borders from Canada or Mexico, while the majority attempt to enter through Mexico.

Beginning May 23, the administration declared that it would cease removing migrants under Title 42 and return to detaining and deporting migrants who did not qualify to enter and remain in the United States – a lengthy process that permits individuals to seek asylum in the United States.

“We are deeply alarmed by the apparent acceptance, codification, and expansion of the use of Title 42, an irrelevant health order, as a cornerstone of border policy,” Witness at the Border’s Thomas Cartwright stated. “One that revokes the legal right to seek refuge.”

A rival lawsuit from the American Civil Liberties Union is also attempting to eliminate Title 42, which could render the administration’s proposal ineffective.

“Anyone has the right to seek asylum regardless of where they came from, how they arrived in the United States, or whether they have family here,” said ACLU lawyer Lee Gelernt.

VOR News

Related Topics:biden joe biden venezuelans

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News

Cases Of The US Flu Season Are Rising, While Vaccinations Are Behind Schedule.

Published

22 hours ago

2024-12-21

Salman Ahmad

(AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh, File)

(VOR News) – The U.S. flu season has begun, according to health experts, who also noted a sharp rise in cases countrywide on Friday.

Significant increases were noted by the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention in a number of indicators, such as laboratory tests and ED visits. “For the past few weeks, it has been increasing steadily.” “Yes, we are in flu season right now,” CDC’s Alicia Budd said.

Last week, flu-like sickness was reported at elevated or very elevated levels in 13 states, roughly twice as many as the week before. Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious disease specialist at Vanderbilt University, says Tennessee is seeing a spike in sickness in the Nashville area.

Schaffner said, “Influenza cases have been increasing, but they have increased significantly in the last week.” He noted that up to 25% of patients in a nearby clinic, which is a gauge of illness trends, have flu-like symptoms.

An early focal point was Louisiana.

Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Centre, the largest private hospital in the state, in Baton Rouge, has infectious diseases specialist Dr. Catherine O’Neal, who said, “This week is a significant turning point as individuals are affected by the flu.” “Parents frequently say, ‘I have the flu and can’t go to work,’ and ‘Where can I get a flu test?'”

Fever, cough, sore throat, and other influenza-like symptoms are caused by a variety of viruses. COVID-19 is one of them. Another flu season common disease that causes cold-like symptoms but poses serious hazards to infants and the elderly is respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).

Recent CDC numbers indicate a decline in COVID-19 hospitalisations since the summer. According to CDC wastewater data, COVID-19 activity is modest nationwide but elevated in the Midwest.

Although RSV hospitalisations are still marginally more common than flu admissions, they started to rise before flu season cases and currently show signs of perhaps stabilising. RSV activity is low nationwide, but wastewater data shows that it is high in the South.

Based on a number of indicators, such as laboratory results from hospitalised patients and outpatient clinics, as well as the percentage of ED visits that resulted in an influenza diagnosis at discharge, the CDC declared the start of the flu season.

According to Budd, it is too early in the season to determine the effectiveness of the influenza vaccine, and no type of virus seems to be more common.

The flu season last winter was classified as “moderate” overall, but it continued for 21 weeks, and the CDC estimates that 28,000 people died from the virus. With 205 paediatric deaths reported, the situation was particularly dangerous for kids. It was the largest number ever recorded for a conventional influenza season.

The prolonged flu season was probably one of the reasons, Budd added.

The lack of influenza vaccinations was one of the contributing factors. The CDC reports that 80% of children who passed away and had verified vaccination status and were of the right age for flu shots were not completely immunised.

Children’s immunisation rates are drastically lower this year. About 41% of people had a flu shot as of December 7, which is similar to the percentage at the same time last year. For youngsters, the figure is steady, although it is lower than in the previous year, when 44% received an influenza vaccination, according to CDC data.

About 21% of adults and 11% of children are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, which is still a poor vaccination rate.

Influenza experts advise everyone to get vaccinated, especially as people get ready for holiday gatherings where respiratory diseases could spread widely.

“This virus also has the potential to spread from person to person at all those happy, pleasant, and heartwarming events,” Schaffner said. “flu season Vaccination remains a viable option.”

However, Louisiana’s health department announced on Friday that it was rescinding its COVID-19 and flu vaccination recommendations. According to an official, the department’s current position is that people should speak with their doctors about whether the immunisations are suitable for their situation.

The department’s spokesperson, Emma Herrock, did not respond to follow-up questions regarding the policy. Dr. Ralph Abraham, the state’s surgeon general, has expressed concerns in the past regarding the COVID-19 vaccine’s effectiveness and safety.

SOURCE: AP

News

Social Security Change Approved By Senate Despite Fiscal Concerns

Published

1 day ago

2024-12-21

Salman Ahmad

(VOR News) – On Saturday, the U.S. Congress passed a plan to increase Social Security retirement payouts for some retirees who receive public pensions, a move that critics say will further erode the program’s financial stability. Among these pensioners are former firefighters and police officers.

The Social Security Fairness Act was passed by the Senate on a bipartisan vote of 76-20 just after midnight. The act may lower payments for those receiving pensions and aims to repeal provisions that have existed for 20 years.

The House of Representatives passed the bill last month by a vote of 327-75, meaning that if the Senate also approves it, it would be delivered to Democratic President Joe Biden to become law.

The White House dodged enquiries regarding Social Security’s objectives.

In order to limit government benefits for certain higher-paid employees who are also getting pensions, the measure will reverse a long-standing change to the program. It has become increasingly common in recent years for municipal employees, such as postal workers and firefighters, to face pay limitations.

The vast majority of Americans do not take part in pension plans that provide a fixed return on investment, instead relying on their own savings and Social Security. According to data from the Department of Labour, only 10% of private sector employees in the US are covered by pension plans.

The new rules apply to about 3 percent of Social Security users, or more than 2.5 million people in the United States. Legislators are heavily influenced by the workers and retirees impacted by these rules, and the powerful advocacy organisations that speak for them have been using the legislative process to push for a legislative cure.

According to retirement experts, some retirees may be able to earn hundreds of dollars more in government benefits each month as a result of the move.

According to a Congressional Budget Office analysis, the bill is expected to cost approximately $196 billion over the next 10 years. As a result, federal budget experts are worried that the change could negatively affect the program’s already fragile financial status.

In an interview with the Bipartisan Policy Centre, Emerson Sprick, associate director of economic policy, said he was frustrated by “the overwhelming support in Congress for the contrary of what policy researchers concur on is quite frustrating.”

Instead of eliminating current formulas, we could improve them.

Among these changes is the Social Security Administration’s increased disclosure of the anticipated monetary benefits for these public sector workers.

The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, a nonpartisan fiscal think tank, has voiced concerns that the additional cost will impact the program’s ability to continue.

Maya MacGuineas, the organization’s leader, made the declaration, saying, “We are hastening towards our own fiscal ruin.”

“It is noteworthy that lawmakers are in a position to shorten the timeframe by six months, as there are just nine years left before the trust fund for the biggest program in the country runs out.”

Senator Ted Cruz, a Republican, said on the Senate floor on Wednesday that the bill in its current form would “throw granny over the cliff.”

According to what he stated, “every senator who votes to impose a burden of $200 billion on the Social Security Trust Fund is opting to put the interests of senior citizens who have contributed to Social Security and earned those benefits in jeopardy.”

Those who favoured the legislation said that the question of what would happen to Social Security could be settled later.

“Those are significantly longer-term concerns that we must collaboratively address,” a supporter of the idea Senator Michael Bennett told Reuters when asked if the move would affect the government’s capacity to be viable.

SOURCE: BR

News

King Charles Could Millions Annually from Renting His Properties

Published

2 days ago

2024-12-21

Geoff Brown

Estimated Annual Rental Income of £1.4 Million

A recent analysis suggests that King Charles might earn over £1 million each year by renting out royal properties to holidaymakers.

The Royal Family’s historic houses and mansions are popular holiday rentals, contributing significantly to the Palace’s revenue.

Pikl Insurance estimates that the royals may earn up to £118,775.85 per month, or around £1,425,310.20 per year, from their holiday rental portfolio. Even after accounting for cancellations, the monarchy is anticipated to generate a net annual income of somewhat more over £1.4 million.

Estimated Annual Rental Income of £1.4 Million

The four primary royal properties accepting public bookings are Balmoral Castle, Castle of Mey’s Captain House, Restormel Manor, and Dumfries House, according to Express.co.uk. Cottages at Balmoral Castle in Scotland are expected to generate £36,798.30 per month after accounting for cancellations.

According to the numbers, the 500-year-old Restormel Manor in Cornwall is the most profitable of them all, earning a solid £47,082 every month. The resort, located in the Fowey Valley, has four booking spaces and six converted barns.

Dumfries House in Ayrshire, Scotland, adds an estimated £31,185.63 and offers 25 rooms for booking. The Castle of Mey’s Captain House in the Scottish Highlands is estimated to generate a more modest £3,709.92 per month, despite the fact that the entire property is available for booking.

The analysts stated, “While the Royal Family’s primary role is undoubtedly to serve the nation, it is clear that their properties are also a valuable asset.” These estimates highlight the royal estate’s considerable financial potential and provide an intriguing peek into the monarchy’s corporate operations.”

Royal Family received £86.3 million from the taxpayer-funded Sovereign Grant in the previous fiscal year, according to official numbers released in July.

All revenues from the Crown Estate, which includes royal households, forestry, agriculture, and offshore wind, are paid directly to the Treasury, with a portion of this money, now 12%, returned to the Royal Family to finance their tasks.

The records also cover a period of jubilation, including the coronation and festivities surrounding the King and Queen’s crowning in May of last year.