Electoral college map: Who actually votes, and who do they vote for? Explore how shifts in turnout and voting patterns for key demographic groups could affect the presidential race.
A supply ship sits anchored next to the Chevron Corp. Jack/St. Malo deep water oil platform in the Gulf of Mexico in the aerial photograph taken off the coast of Louisiana, U.S., on Friday, May 18, 2018.
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A supply ship sits anchored next to the Chevron Corp. Jack/St. Malo deep water oil platform in the Gulf of Mexico in the aerial photograph taken off the coast of Louisiana, U.S., on Friday, May 18, 2018.
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Days after President Joe Biden told world leaders that his administration is committed to slowing climate change with “action, and not words,” his Interior Department oversaw one of the largest oil and gas lease sales in American history.
Eighty million acres of the Gulf of Mexico — an area twice the size of Florida — was put on the auction block on Wednesday. Energy companies, led by Exxon Mobil Corp., only placed bids on a total of 1.7 million acres, and it’s unclear how much of that will later be developed.
Environmentalists decried the lease auction. “This is an administration that campaigned on dealing with climate change,” said Drew Caputo, an attorney at Earthjustice, which sued to stop the sale. “That’s why this lease sale is so disappointing, because it is the most significant action that the administration will have taken on oil and gas development and it goes in the wrong direction.”
The Biden administration argues that it didn’t have much of an option. Shortly after taking office, Biden announced a temporary pause on new oil and gas leasing on federal lands and waters, pending a review of their impact on the worsening climate crisis. Roughly a quarter of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions come from fossil fuel extraction from public lands.
More than a dozen Republican-led states filed a lawsuit challenging the pause, saying it would cause undue harm to the energy industry and state economies reliant on fossil fuel production.
Earlier this summer, a federal judge in Louisiana sided with those states, issuing a nationwide preliminary injunction. The Biden administration is appealing that decision, but agreed to resume lease sales in the interim. Additional lease sales are scheduled in Wyoming, Colorado, Montana and other Western states early next year.
“They can be held in contempt if they don’t comply with the court order and so I think they’re looking at the litigation risk and making a judgement call,” said Hilary Tompkins, an environmental attorney at Hogan Lovells, who served as solicitor of the Interior Department during the Obama administration.
Environmental organizations argue there’s more Biden could have done to halt the sale, if he’s serious about transitioning the U.S. economy away from fossil fuels.
The Justice Department could have filed for an emergency injunction to suspend the lease while the administration’s pause on oil and gas leasing is being appealed. It also could have argued that the environmental risks involved with the lease sale conflict with the National Environmental Protection Act.
Both, Tompkins said, would come with legal and political risk.
“The law is pretty clear,” said Erik Milito, president of the National Ocean Industries Association, a trade group for offshore energy companies. “The law states the Interior Department must have a leasing program in place and it must maintain that leasing program, so it’s hard for the Interior Department to just cancel lease sales without a rational basis.”
Beyond that, he said, an intervention to stop lease sales would have a devastating impact on the country’s oil and gas industry.
An analysis published in August by the Conservation Economics Institute, commissioned by the Natural Resources Defense Council and other conservation-based nonprofits, found that a pause in onshore oil and gas leasing would have “negligible,” economic impacts in the short-term.
Oil and gas companies stocked up on leases during former President Donald Trump’s term. More than half of the land leased by energy companies is currently non-producing, the analysis found, “indicating declining economic demand for federal leases.”
The current lease sale is different, Milito said.
“Production levels are at almost the highest levels we’ve ever seen in the Gulf of Mexico and we see the Gulf as one of the most attractive basins in terms of oil and gas discovery prospects in the world,” he said.
Energy prices are soaring as the world’s economies recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. Republican lawmakers and fossil fuel companies have been quick to point a finger at the Biden administration’s climate policies as a cause, and claim lease sales like the one in the Gulf can alleviate prices.
In truth, oil prices are global, and often determined by how much crude the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) sells in the market. It will take years for the leases auctioned off on Wednesday to produce oil, and challenges from environmental groups are expected.
“It simply does not make sense to put oil company profits over the future of an inhabitable planet,” said Christy Goldfuss, senior vice president for energy and environment policy at the Center for American Progress, a liberal think tank. “The Biden administration must take control of the federal leasing program with its existing authority to fulfill their promises to current and future communities across America. We cannot afford this risky, damaging, and inconsistent approach to managing America’s public lands and ocean.”
Rep. Buddy Carter R-Ga., joins ‘Fox Report’ to discuss the Biden administration’s response to the influx of migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border.
EXCLUSIVE: Fox News confirmed Sunday that Border Patrol agents in the Rio Grande Valley Sector (RGV) have begun to process and release illegal border crossers who claim asylum without issuing a Notice to Appear (NTA) – allowing them to depart custody without scheduling a court date for a hearing.
The unprecedented move places the responsibility of seeking an asylum hearing on the migrants through Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) or legal assistance.
Multiple Border Patrol agents confirmed the new process to Fox News, revealing that they have been directed to use prosecutorial discretion (PD) to forgo the hours-long process of paperwork required to issue an NTA amid the surge of migrants at the border.
Instead, migrants are registered into the system with biometrical data taken and largely released into the public – in one instance – at a bus station in McAllen, TX. The processing is being done mostly at a temporary outdoor processing site. Border Patrol agents emphasized that this does not apply to unaccompanied children.
A senior source with Customs and Border Protection (CBP) told Fox News on Saturday that officials were considering the controversial move because the ongoing crisis on the border has “become so dire that BP [Border Patrol] has no choice but to release people nearly immediately after apprehension because there is no space to hold people even to do necessary NTA paperwork.”
The process of issuing each migrant an NTA can take hours per individual or family.
The decision comes as the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is working to open another facility for unaccompanied child migrants in Pecos, Texas, the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) announced Saturday.
The Temporary Influx Care Facility would house at least 500 unaccompanied minors to start, with the capacity to house 2,000 children.
“While ORR has worked to build up its licensed bed capacity to almost 13,500 beds, additional capacity is urgently needed to manage both enhanced COVID-19 mitigation strategies and the increasing numbers of UC referrals from DHS,” an ORR spokesperson said.
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) chief Alejandro Mayorkas said last week that border crossings were on track to be the highest in 20 years.
CBP announced it had encountered more than 100,000 migrants at the border in February, while numbers of child migrants in custody have also increased dramatically. The Biden administration has been moving to increase capacity of facilities to house migrants, and building a number of extra facilities — including looking at NASA sites and military bases.
The Department of Homeland Security and Customs and Border Protection did not respond to Fox News’ request for comment.
Fox News’ Morgan Phillips contributed to this report.
“MURIENDO POR CRUZAR,” AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE INCREASING NUMBER OF IMMIGRANT DEATHS ALONG THE BORDER, THIS SUNDAY, AUGUST 3 AT 6 P.M./5 C
Carmen Dominicci and Neida Sandoval present the Telemundo and The Weather Channel co-production
Miami – July 31, 2014 –Telemundo presents “Muriendo por Cruzar”, a documentary that investigates why increasing numbers of immigrants are dying while trying to cross the US-Mexican border near the city of Falfurrias, Texas, this Sunday, August 3 at 6PM/5 C. The Telemundo and The Weather Channel co-production, presented by Noticias Telemundo journalists Carmen Dominicci and Neida Sandoval, reveals the obstacles immigrants face once they cross into US territory, including extreme weather conditions, as they try to evade the border patrol. “Muriendo por Cruzar” is part of Noticias Telemundo’s special coverage of the crisis on the border and immigration reform.
“‘Muriendo por Cruzar’” dares to ask questions that reveal the actual conditions undocumented immigrants face as they try to start a new life in the United States,” said Alina Falcón, Telemundo’s Executive Vice President for News and Alternative Programming. “Our collaboration with The Weather Channel was very productive. They have a unique expertise in covering the impact of weather on people’s lives, as we do in covering immigration reform and the border crisis. The result is a compelling documentary that exposes a harrowing reality.”
“Muriendo por Cruzar” is the first co-production by Telemundo and The Weather Channel. Both networks are part of NBCUniversal.
(CNN)An underwater volcano near Tonga has erupted for the third time in four days, potentially threatening the ability of surveillance flights to assess the damage to the Pacific island nation following Saturday’s massive eruption and tsunami.
Amnistía Internacional verificó asesinatos en masa y el secuestro de miles de personas, incluyendo mujeres y niños, a manos de militantes de EI.
Asesinatos colectivos, decapitaciones, hombres enterrados vivos y mujeres vendidas como esclavas.
Estas son algunas de las acciones brutales atribuidas en las últimas semanas a los militantes del Estado Islámico, EI, según testimonios de civiles que lograron huir ante el avance del grupo yihadista en el norte de Irak.
La organización extremista combate contra los gobiernos en Irak y Siria, controlando regiones de ambos países.
Se estima que en todo Irak casi 1,2 millones de personas han abandonado sus hogares en lo que va de año, 600.000 por el conflicto tras la toma de Mosul por el grupo extremista en junio.
Los yihadistas pregonan una interpretación extrema del Islam y han atacado comunidades de yazidíes, cristianos, turcomanos y chiítas.
“Muchos logramos huir. Alguien me dijo que cerca de 80 hombres fueron colocados en fila y se les obligó a gritar shahada, anunciando su conversión. Se negaron y todos fueron asesinados“
Ivan Mrat, refugiado en Dohuk
“Naciones Unidas recibió informes verificados de que EI está persiguiendo sistemáticamente miembros de las minorías atrapadas en zonas bajo su control que reciben un ultimátum, convertirse o morir”, dijo Christof Heyns, relator especial de la ONU sobre ejecuciones extrajudiciales, sumarias y arbitrarias.
Ivan Mrat, un refugiado yazidí que huyó de la región montañosa de Sinyar a la ciudad kurda de Dohuk, relató al servicio árabe de la BBC cómo su poblado fue rodeado por militantes de EI. “Muchos logramos huir. Alguien me dijo que cerca de 80 hombres fueron colocados en fila y se les obligó a gritar shahada, anunciando su conversión. Se negaron y todos fueron asesinados”.
BBC Mundo habló con Donatella Rovera, investigadora de Aministía Internacional, quien se encuentra actualmente en el norte de Irak recogiendo testimonios de civiles yazidíes.
“Las dos grandes realidades que estamos encontrando son la matanza deliberada de gran número de personas y el secuestro de miles de mujeres, hombres, niños y ancianos”, afirmó Rovera.
A sangre fría
“Puedo hablar de los casos específicos que estoy investigando”, señaló a BBC Mundo Rovera mientras se desplazaba desde Dohuk a otra localidad cercana.
“Las personas con quien hable dijeron que los militantes reunieron a todos los residentes del pueblo en la escuela de la localidad. Luego colocaron a los hombres en vehículos y se los llevaron a diferentes lugares donde los militantes abrieron fuego indiscriminado“
Donatella Rovera, Aministía Internacional
“Tengo confianza de que estos informes son verídicos porque hablé con diferentes personas que sobrevivieron esas matanzas”.
“El último caso es el de Qojo, una de las poblaciones al sur de Sinyar, que fue rodeada por militantes de EI. Yo me había comunicado con ellos y luego perdí el contacto. El viernes llegaron informes de que algo terrible había sucedido”.
“Las personas con quien hablé dijeron que los militantes reunieron a todos los residentes del pueblo en la escuela de la localidad y les dijeron que entregaran su dinero, celulares y objetos de oro. Luego colocaron a los hombres en vehículos y se los llevaron a diferentes lugares donde los militantes abrieron fuego indiscriminado. Yo pude hablar con dos hombres que sobrevivieron”.
Rovera dijo tener conocimiento de que EI ha matado a gran cantidad de civiles en incidentes similares en diferentes poblaciones, aunque Aministía Internacional desconoce el número específico de víctimas. Las redadas y matanzas deliberadas se han dado “especialmente en lugares donde hubo enfrentamientos entre los combatientes de EI y la población yasidí local. Allí los civiles fueron muertos a sangre fría, en forma deliberada”.
Al menos 600.000 personas debieron abandonar sus hogares debido al avance de EI en el norte de Irak.
Secuestros de mujeres
La relatora especial sobre violencia contra la mujer, Rashida Manjoo, dijo recientemente haber recibido reportes no sólo de secuestros masivos sino de la venta de mujeres y niñas.
“Hemos recibido informes de la ejecución de mujeres y otros informes no verificados que indican que cientos de mujeres y niñas han sido secuestradas. Muchas de las adolescentes han sido asaltadas sexualmente y las mujeres han sido entregadas o vendidas a combatienets de EI como malak yamiin o esclavas”.
Amnistía Internacional asegura haber verificado informes de secuestros masivos.
“Hemos recibido informes de la ejecución de mujeres y otros informes no verificados que indican que cientos de mujeres y niñas han sido secuestradas. Muchas de las adolescentes han sido asaltadas sexualmente y las mujeres han sido entregadas o vendidas a combatienets de EI como malak yamiin o esclavas“
Rashida Manjoo, relatora de la ONU
“Sabemos que algunas personas secuestradas están detenidas en escuelas o casas en Mosul y otros lugares controlados por EI, no podemos decir cómo lo sabemos por la seguridad de las mujeres. Otras han desparecido, no sabemos si están vivas o muertas”.
Rovera no ha podido confirmar que las mujeres secuestradas hayan sido vendidas como esclavas, aunque afirmó que “hay suficientes razones para generar preocupación, porque muchas mujeres han sido detenidas y están desaparecidas, así que la población teme lo peor”.
Por su parte, Ivan Mrat dijo al Servicio Árabe de la BBC, que “EI tomó más de 2.000 mujeres de diferentes poblados. Nadie sabe que pasó con ellas pero es claro para nosotros que estos militantes despiadados las tomaron como esclavas sexuales, despojos de guerra que les pertenecen según su entendimiento erróneo del Islam. Una jovencita llamó con su celular a su primo y dijo que los militantes reunieron a sus compañeras en la escuela y cada tanto venían a sacar a dos o tres menores”.
Entierros y decapitaciones
Otros testimonios hablan de personas enterradas vivas. El refugiado Samo Ilyas Ali, quien huyó de sus tierras ancestrales en Sinyar, dijo a la agencia Reuters que su aldea fue rodeada en medio de la noche por militantes de EI armados con ametralladoras.
AI desconoce qué sucedió con cientos de mujeres secuestradas por los militantes de EI.
“Tenían barbas, algunos llevaban máscaras con inscripciones en árabe. No entendimos cuando comenzaron a cavar zanjas. Entonces empezaron a poner a la gente en aquellos agujeros. Esas personas estaban vivas y después de un rato oímos disparos. No puedo olvidar esa escena, mujeres, niños pidiendo ayuda. Nosotros corrimos por nuestras vidas, no podíamos hacer nada por ellos”, dijo Ilyas Ali, cuyo relato no pudo ser verificado en forma independiente.
“Hay muchos informes que hablan de entierros en vida, pero hasta ahora no hemos podido verificarlos”, dijo Rovera.
Insurgentes del Estado Islámico divulgaron el martes un video que muestra la decapitación del periodista estadounidense James Foley, quien desapareció en Siria hace dos años.
AI no ha documentado hasta ahora ni entierros en vida ni decapitaciones de civiles yazidíes.
“Hemos visto a los militantes realizar estos ataques brutales en Siria y hemos visto como publicitan decapitaciones de soldados iraquíes capturados. Sabemos que es algo que han hecho, pero en las masacres que he documentado hasta ahora en el norte de Irak com miembros de la comunidad yazidí las matanzas fueron por disparos”, señaló Rovera.
Estrategia
El uso de la brutalidad es parte de una estrategia bien delineada, según Sami Ramadami, analista iraquí y profesor de sociología de la London Metropolitan University en la capital británica.
“Hay cuatro escuelas de Islam sunita y no pertenecen a ninguna de ellas. Sus líderes son todos graduados de la secta wahabi de interpretación, que es muy antimujer, represiva y busca imponer la ley sharia en su versión más extrema, con interpretaciones no aceptadas por el 99% de los musulmanes“
Sami Ramadami, London Metropolitan University
“Básicamente usan el terror para lograr la expansión, sembrando miedo y usando las redes sociales para mostrar actos terribles antes de llegar a una nueva zona que quieren controlar. Justifican ese terror usando algún texto religioso poco conocido que es usualmente tomado totalmente fuera de contexto”, dijo Ramadami a BBC Mundo.
El académico afirmó que “EI incluye combatientes profesionales que han venido de todo el mundo, principalmente a traves de la frontera con Turquía.”
“No son reconocidos por el Islam sunita como una secta legítima. Hay cuatro escuelas de Islam sunita y no pertenecen a ninguna de ellas. Sus líderes son todos graduados de la secta wahabi de interpretación, que es muy antimujer, represiva y busca imponer la ley sharia en su versión más extrema, con interpretaciones no aceptadas por el 99% de los musulmanes”.
Los ataques contra minorías son parte de otra táctica, según Ramadami: “inflamar los odios sectarios, dividiendo a diferentes grupos, lo que debilita las sociedades de la region”.
El analista dijo a BBC Mundo que el “objetivo oficial” de EI es crear “un estado que llaman islámico”. “Ya controlan gran parte de Siria e Irak y su lider religioso ha hablado de eliminar las fronteras en Medio Oriente, algo que debilitaría a los estados árabes. Comenzaron con la frontera entre Siria e Irak”.
“Sus medios son brutales y hay muchas teorías sobre cómo logran producir films de extrema calidad con técnicas tan avanzadas. ¿Donde los producen?, ¿quien los financia?, ¿de dónde obtienen su apoyo? Hay muchas preguntas por responder”.
Northbound vehicles on the Glenn Highway approach Eklutna on Monday, Nov. 8, 2021. (Bill Roth / ADN)
The $1.2 trillion infrastructure package that passed the U.S.House Friday night will bring billions of dollars to Alaska to upgrade the state’s aging highways and bridges, improve the struggling ferry system and increase broadband access.
Rep. Don Young voted for the bill on Friday, joining just 12 other Republicans in approving it. In August, Sens. Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan joined 17 of their fellow Republicans to approve the measure. Murkowski helped craft the bill earlier this year.
Young, in a statement on Friday, called the bill “historic” and said it may be the “last best chance” to make badly needed improvements to infrastructure in Alaska.
Young and other Republican supporters were criticized by some in their own party who called the bill wasteful. Young said the bill was flawed, but few bills are perfect, he said. The bill should have followed a different path to the House floor so improvements could be made, he said.
Exactly how much Alaska will receive from the bill is unknown, since funding will be distributed by grants from federal agencies, officials said. Still, the bill contains minimum amounts for each state and in some cases, specific provisions that benefit Alaska.
On a per-person basis, Alaska will do exceptionally well when it comes to funding for hard infrastructure, said Zack Brown, a spokesman for Young, in an emailed statement on Monday.
Murkowski on Friday called the bill “one of the most consequential legislative efforts” she has worked on in her career.
She said it will help expedite permitting that often delays Alaska projects, providing $550 billion in new spending over five years without raising taxes.
A northbound fuel truck travels across one of the Knik River bridges on Monday, Nov. 8, 2021. (Bill Roth / ADN)
Sullivan said in a statement Monday that Alaska is “infrastructure poor.” In addition to significant amounts of money for roads, airports, ports and water and wastewater systems, the measure contains “historic” amounts of money to expand broadband use, he said.
Gov. Mike Dunleavy said his administration is reviewing the measure’s impacts to Alaska. The state is preparing for guidance from federal agencies, he said.
“Alaskans are generally supportive of measures that, under the right terms, build roads, ports, and connect the state with the rest of the world,” he said in an emailed statement.
Here are some of the ways the bill will benefit Alaska, according to members of the state’s congressional delegation and information in the bill.
Vehicles travel north on the Glenn Highway during sunset on Monday, Nov. 8, 2021. (Bill Roth / ADN)
Roads and airports
• $3.5 billion in federal highway funding for Alaska over five years, to build new roads and highways, and rebuild and maintain existing ones.
• $225 million goes to Alaska to address more than 140 bridges considered to be “structurally deficient.”
• Funding is available to help improve a portion of the Alaska Highway in Canada, between the Alaska border and Haines Junction, Yukon, and the Haines Cutoff that goes from Haines Junction to Haines in Alaska.
John MacKinnon, who retired in September as head of the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities, said the bill is critical for Alaska. The transportation department in recent years has been forced to take money intended for construction and improvements, and spend it on maintenance, he said.
“The state’s capital needs have far exceeded the funds available,” he said.
The bill will help change that, he said.
“This is a windfall for Alaska,” he said. “It will be a real opportunity for a lot of work for a lot of Alaskans.”
• Alaska will receive a share of $15 billion in formula funding for the Federal Aviation Administration’s Airport Improvement Program. The money will help support the installation and expansion of runways, gates, and taxiways, and improve other facilities.
An Alaska Airlines passenger jet taxis pass Boeing 747 freighters at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport on Monday, Nov. 8, 2021. (Bill Roth / ADN)
• $5 billion in grants nationally will support a new Airport Terminal Improvement Program. The funding includes set-asides for small airports, like those in Alaska.
Jim Szczesniak, director of the Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport, said the airport is reviewing the bill’s final details. It should provide funding to help the airport better compete for international cargo flights while improving passenger facilities.
“There are definitely some positive signs about what will be potentially coming to Anchorage,” he said.
The M/V Kennicott departs Whittier for Chenega Bay in April. The ferry, named for the Kennicott Glacier in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, was built in 1998 and can carry 499 passengers and around 70 vehicles. (Loren Holmes / ADN)
The state ferry system
• $1 billion over five years for essential ferry service to rural Alaska communities, under a program proposed by Murkowski, according to her office.
• $73 million to build new ferries for Alaska.
• $250 million for an electric or low-emitting ferry pilot program. At least one pilot program will be conducted in Alaska.
Young said the Alaska Marine Highway System qualifies for federal highway funding in the infrastructure bill, for operations and repairs. That will be a first and it will help transform Southeast Alaska’s economy, he said.
“To say that this bill is a game-changer for Southeast is an understatement — this is a once-in-a-generation investment opportunity for Southeast Alaska’s families and economy,” he said.
From left, the container ship Matson Kodiak, bulk carrier Sandy Bay, and tanker Oak Express ships are docked at the Port of Alaska in Anchorage last month. (Loren Holmes / ADN)
Ports
• $250 million for remote and subsistence harbor construction.
• Alaska will benefit from $2.25 billion for the Port Infrastructure Development Program. The program will provide support for ports of all sizes, including in Alaska.
Jim Jager, a spokesman at the Port of Alaska in Anchorage, said the bill includes an array of grant opportunities that the port may be able to take advantage of as the federal money works it way through federal agencies and to states.
“In the big picture, I see lots of opportunities for funding projects we have on our books that we want to build,” he said. “That’s everything from obviously the new dock, to things like a rail-loading facility.”
Water and sanitation
• More than $180 million over five years will support water and wastewater projects in Alaska through the Clean Water State Revolving Fund and Drinking Water State Revolving Fund programs, Murkowski’s office said.
• $3.5 billion will support Indian Health Services sanitation facilities. That will help provide assistance for Alaska villages without household running water and toilets, according to Murkowski’s office.
“This unprecedented investment in sanitation infrastructure will clear all known project needs,” said a statement from Murkowski’s office.
• $10 billion will go to states to address PFAS contamination through Clean Water and Drinking Water programs. The funding will focus on small and disadvantaged communities, such as those in Alaska. PFAS are manmade chemicals that have been widely used, including in foam to help fight fires, and have been found in the ground in some Alaska locations. They can damage the liver and immune system and cause birth defects.
• $230 million for the EPA Alaska Native villages grant program will support Alaska communities with new and improved wastewater and drinking water systems. It will also provide technical assistance for the operation and maintenance of these systems.
The state is looking forward to meeting with rural communities to help them develop the capacity to operate and maintain projects, said Jason Brune, commissioner of the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation.
“We are evaluating the final package, which hopefully will be a shot in the arm for rural Alaska water and wastewater projects,” Brune said.
Microwave and satellite communication dishes point across the tundra on Nov. 3, 2021 in Utqiagvik. (Loren Holmes / ADN)
Broadband
• $42 billion in grants will support the deployment of broadband nationwide. The money includes a minimum allocation of $100 million for each state, Murkowski’s office said.
• $2 billion will support the Tribal Broadband Connectivity Grant Program in Alaska and other states.
• $1 billion will support Middle Mile Broadband Infrastructure grants in the U.S., including Alaska.
In a statement, Sen. Sullivan said Alaska “is projected to be in the top ten in the country when it comes to money received for broadband build-out as a result of this infrastructure bill.”
Wind turbines sit on a hill near Kotzebue in July. The smaller turbines, some of which were installed in the late 1990s, have exceeded their operational life and have been replaced by two larger, more modern 900 kW turbines. Kotzebue Electric Association operates the wind farm in addition to a 300 kW solar power system and diesel generators. (Loren Holmes / ADN)
Climate change, electricity and renewable energy
• About $215 million will be available nationally over five years to help tribes adapt to climate issues. Of that, $130 million is for community relocation, which can help Alaska villages where land is eroding. Another $85 million is for climate resilience and adaptation projects, including in Alaska.
• $145 million will support hydropower and marine energy research nationally. The Alaska Hydrokinetic Energy Research Center at the University of Alaska Fairbanks uses money from that allotment.
• About $265 million will support geothermal, wind and solar energy projects. Alaska will receive some of that money to support the deployment and expansion of renewable energy.
• The bill incorporates legislation from Murkowski that will make available $250 million in grants and technical assistance for small utility providers that are not regulated by the U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. It will apply to many cooperatives and municipal utilities in Alaska, Murkowski’s office said.
Ecosystem and wildfire management
• $250 million for decommissioning, road and trail repair and maintenance and removal of fish passage barriers. Some of the money will help restore salmon and other fish habitat in Alaska’s national forests.
• More than $3.3 billion will be used in Alaska and other states for wildfire management, including tree thinning, controlled burns and creating breaks in brush and trees that can protect communities.
• Some $20 million will support construction and maintenance of public use cabins, including those found across Alaska.
• $100 million will support workforce training for firefighting and vegetation management. Native village fire crews will be able to take advantage of the money.
Other items
• $75 million for the Denali Commission, a federal agency that builds rural infrastructure in Alaska.
• Nationally, railroads will receive $5 billion through the Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvement Program; the Alaska Railroad will receive a share of that money.
• Alaska should receive $362 million over five years for a mix of transit formula grants available under the Federal Transit Administration, which support public transportation systems.
• More than $4.7 billion will support the clean up old oil and gas wells that can leak methane or other pollutants. The money will support the cleanup of wells drilled last century by the federal government in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska on the North Slope.
• Some $23 million is provided for the National Geological and Geophysical Data Preservation Program. The program supports the Geologic Materials Center in Anchorage.
• Reinstates a federal loan guarantee of $18 billion to support the Alaska LNG project, a proposal that seeks to tap vast deposits of North Slope natural gas for overseas shipment to utilities in Asia.
Early Monday, ERCOT (Electric Reliability Council of Texas), the agency that oversees the state’s electric grid, declared the state of Texas at the highest energy emergency level because of lower power supply and high demand due to extremely low temperatures during the winter storm.
CARACAS (Reuters) – After weeks of power cuts and limited access to water, tens of thousands of Venezuelans took to the streets on Saturday to back opposition leader Juan Guaido and protest against President Nicolas Maduro, who they accuse of wrecking the economy.
Venezuelans, already suffering from hyperinflation and widespread shortages of food and medicine, say the crisis has worsened over the past month. That is when crippling nationwide power outages began to leave vast swaths of territory in the dark for days at a time, cutting off water supplies and cell phone service.
Guaido, head of the opposition-controlled National Assembly and recognized as Venezuela’s legitimate head of state by most Western nations, had called for rallies on Saturday to mark the start of what he has billed as a new wave of “definitive” protests to oust Maduro.
Guaido invoked the constitution to assume an interim presidency in January, denouncing Maduro as a “usurper” for beginning a second term after a 2018 election widely considered fraudulent. Maduro, who retains the support of the military and allies including Russia and China, has derided Guaido as a U.S. puppet and said he will face justice.
In Caracas, thousands of opposition supporters assembled at a main rally point in the eastern El Marques district. Protesters said their homes had been without water for days and many had taken to drawing it from unsanitary pipes or streams running off the Avila mountain overlooking Caracas.
“We have to get rid of this usurper, and we can’t think about anything else,” said Claudia Rueda, a 53-year-old homemaker at the protest.
At one point, the crowd chanted, “The water has gone, power has gone, and now Maduro what’s missing is that you go too.”
Two massive power outages in recent weeks led Maduro’s government to cancel school classes and left many businesses shuttered. The resumption of services has been uneven, with cities such as San Cristobal, Valencia and Maracay still reporting intermittent blackouts.
“We haven’t just come to demand water and power. We’ve come to demand freedom and democracy,” Guaido said at the Caracas rally, surrounded by a cheering crowd. “We can’t let ourselves become used to this, we can’t put up with it, we aren’t going to let these crooks keep hold of our country.”
While no immediate protest-related violence was reported in Caracas, witnesses reported clashes between protesters and police in the steamy oil hub of Maracaibo. Demonstrators in the city, in the western state of Zulia, told Reuters police had fired rubber bullet rounds and tear gas to disperse them.
“I’m fed up. They hurt me, and though I was frightened, what it makes me most is angry,” said Denis Fernandez, a 25-year-old who said he had been injured by a rubber bullet.
Fernandez said his daughter had almost died from hepatitis a month ago, as hospitals had no supplies to treat her. When there is no electricity for air conditioning, he said he and his wife had taken to fanning their children at night to keep them cool.
The National Assembly, on its Twitter account, said two of its lawmakers had been arrested and then released by authorities at the Maracaibo protest. Venezuela’s Information Ministry did not respond to a request to comment.
“TRUE NATIONAL EMERGENCY”
The ruling Socialist Party staged a rival march in Caracas’ center on Saturday, with several thousand people, mostly state workers clad in red shirts and red baseball caps, banging drums and dancing salsa.
Attendees Reuters spoke to echoed Maduro’s statements that the power outages were due to attacks orchestrated by the U.S. government. The opposition, along with power experts, blame the blackouts on the government’s incompetence at maintaining the network and corrupt officials who have pocketed billions of dollars allocated to develop it.
“They’ve resorted to cyber terrorism, to electromagnetic terrorism,” Maduro told the crowd. “I ask for understanding … we are in a true electrical emergency, a true national emergency.”
Venezuela’s Constituent Assembly, a parallel legislature controlled by the Socialist Party, on Tuesday approved a measure allowing for the possible prosecution of Guaido by stripping him of his parliamentary immunity.
Slideshow (14 Images)
The chief prosecutor’s office has opened an investigation into Guaido and his alleged links to the blackouts and to “incidents of violence” in January, but it has not yet ordered his arrest or officially charged him with any crime.
The U.S. government on Friday took another step in its efforts to force Maduro out, by imposing new sanctions on Venezuelan oil shipments, and promising “stronger action” against key ally Cuba for helping to keep his government afloat.
Reporting by Vivian Sequera and Deisy Buitrago, additional reporting by Mayela Armas and Shaylim Valderrama, Mariela Nava in Maracaibo, Anggy Polanco in San Cristobal, and Mircely Guanipa in Punto Fijo; Writing by Angus Berwick; Editing by Tom Brown and Rosalba O’Brien
“Falsas noticias”, titula en su portada el diario L’Osservatore Romano, para desmentir la versión de un medio italiano que asegura que el Papa tiene un tumor cerebral.
Las noticias difundidas sobre la salud del Papa son “falsas” y “el momento elegido revela el intento manipulatorio de la polvareda suscitada”, escribió el Osservatore, aludiendo acaso a las internas que se viven en la Iglesia entre sectorse conservadores y reformistas, en el marco del sínodo de las familias que se celebra por estos días en el Vaticano, y que culmina esta semana, en medio de fuertes disputas.
“Son infundadas las noticias sobre la salud del Papa difundidas esta noche, de modo irresponsable, por los diarios italianos”, dijo el diario de la Santa Sede, haciendo notar que “hoy lo pudieron ver los miles de personas presentes en la plaza San Pedro para la audiencia general”, de los miércoles.
El diario también recuerda el tuit del arzobispo Angelo Becciu, de la Secretaría de Estado, que vio al Papa anoche y dijo que “está muy bien”.
“También el director de la sala de prensa de la Santa Sede, el jesuita padre Federico Lombardi, que intervino anoche con una seca desmentida, reiteró en la mañana la total falsedad de la noticia”, agregó el Osservatore.
ÚN| Nancy Mastronardi.- El director del diario Últimas Noticias, Eleazar Díaz Rangel, aseguró que la oposición engaña a sus seguidores y al pueblo venezolano en relación con el referendo revocatario.
“La oposición sigue diciendo que hay obstrucción por parte del Gobierno (para que se realice el referendo) . No hay obstrucción sino exigencia de que se cumpla la ley”, sentenció.
El también columnista y analista político explicó que el referendo no es posible que se efectúe porque no se solicitó con tiempo, es decir, en enero.
Sobre el posible canal de comunicación entre Estados Unidos y Venezuela, Rangel señaló que es “realmente sorprendente. La posición de John Kerry (secretario de Estado de EEUU) al principio era a favor de la carta democrática. Luego sale el anuncio de querer reunirse con Delcy Rodríguez (canciller venezolana) y la posibilidad de abrir un diálogo con Venezuela”.
Manifestó que Venezuela ha tenido el apoyo de la mayoría de países de América Latina en la Organización de Estados Americanos (OEA).
Dos llamativos fallos ortográficos en pantalla en menos de una semana. Eso es lo que ha provocado una “reunión de urgencia en @sextaNoticias. Análisis del error “chapuzero”. No volverá a ocurrir”.
Así ha lamentado y se ha disculpado en su cuenta de Twitter el periodista y director adjunto de laSexta Noticias, Álvaro Rivas. Uno de estos mensajes cobra aún mayor relevancia, puesto que ha sido ‘retuiteado’ por el director de los informativos de la cadena de Atresmedia, César González Antón.
* Álvaro Rivas en ‘Al rojo vivo’
Hoy, en laSexta Noticias 14:00 horas, ha aparecido en la pantalla un “chapuzero” con “z”, en lugar de “chapucero” con “c”. Así abrían para informar de cómo Sanidad ha rechazado cambiar el reparto de fondos contra la pobreza infantil, por lo que era calificado de esa manera. Era en el informativo de Helena Resano, que presentaba por última vez en esta temporada antes de coger vacaciones.
“No sé dónde meterme. Llevamos dos bien gordas en cinco días”
Antes de anunciar este particular ‘gabinete de crisis periodístico’, Álvaro Rivas -también presentador eventual de Al rojo vivo en especiales de prime time- ha reconocido que “hemos escrito “chapucero” con z en el info. Mil perdones. No sé dónde meterme. Llevamos dos bien gordas en cinco días”.
El periodista se refería, con esas “dos bien gordas”, al otro error ortográfico que se pudo ver en laSexta Noticias el pasado fin de semana, del que ya les informó Vertele. Entonces, se pudo ver el adjetivo “debastador” escrito con “b”, en vez de “devastador” con “v”. Al mismo tiempo, su rival Noticias Cuatro tampoco se libro del ‘gazapo’, ya que impresionó un rótulo de “ubiera” sin “h”, en lugar del correcto “hubiera”.
En cualquier caso, en esta era del ‘bombardeo’, vorágine, saturación informativa y redes sociales, así como de la pelea constante y diaria de los medios de comunicación por la inmediatez, el periodista que esté libre de culpa de errores ortográficos, que tire la primera piedra.
En Twitter, los usuarios con bromas y sin ‘piedad’con el fallo
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El aire acondicionado del camión no estaba funcionando.
Diez muertos y más de una decena de personas en estado crítico es el saldo de lo que la policía llama un “acto atroz” de trata de humanos.
En la madrugada del domingo, la policía descubrió que 38 personas fueron encerradas dentro de un camión de remolque estacionado cerca de un almacén de la cadena Walmart, en San Antonio, Texas (sur de EE.UU.).
Cuando la policía llegó al lugar, 8 personas ya habían muerto. Otras dos personas murieron cuando ya se encontraban en un centro médico.
Un empleado de la tienda fue quien alertó a las fuerzas de seguridad.
Los sobrevivientes fueron trasladados a hospitales de la zona, algunos en estado de gravedad, con hipertermia o deshidratación.
Se cree que la causa de los fallecimientos fue asfixia e hipertermia.
Acto atroz
Thomas Homan, director interino de la Oficina de Inmigración y Aduanas (ICE), catalogó el suceso como un “acto atroz” liderado por una red de tráfico a la que “no le importa la vida de las personas con las que comercia”.
Homan señaló que esa dependencia se encargará de las investigaciones en este caso por tratarse de contrabando de personas, que constituye un delito federal.
Derechos de autor de la imagen EPA
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El jefe de la policía de San Antonio, William McManus, informó que ese organismo recibió una llamada de un empleado de Walmart.
La policía no ha informado de dónde procedía el vehículo, pero confirmó que el conductor está bajo custodiay a la espera de que le formulen cargos.
Ha sido identificado como James Mathew Bradley, de 60 años y residente en Clearwater, estado de Florida.
Las autoridades están intentando establecer las identidades y el estatus legal de las víctimas. Se sospecha que se puede tratar de inmigrantes indocumentados.
Texas es uno de los estados de EE.UU. que tiene frontera con México.
Derechos de autor de la imagen EPA
Image caption
La policía acordonó el lugar.
El hallazgo
El jefe de la policía de San Antonio, William McManus, le dijo a los medios de comunicación que los cuerpos fueron descubiertos después de recibir una llamada de un empleado de Walmart.
El trabajador de la tienda llamó después de que alguien que había estado dentro del camión se le acercó para pedirle agua.
Medios locales de San Antonio indicaron que las cámaras de seguridad del estacionamiento grabaron a varios vehículos que se acercaron al camión y se llevaron a personas, lo que apunta a que hubo más personas que hicieron el viaje dentro del vehículo.
“Estamos viendo un crimen de trata de personas“, añadió el funcionario.
Derechos de autor de la imagen Reuters
Image caption
Durante el día, la policía continuó trabajando en la escena del crimen.
El fiscal del Distrito Occidental de Texas, Richard Durbin, señaló que las autoridades están enfocadas en identificar a los responsables del incidente.
“Estas personas estaban indefensas en las manos de quienes los transportaban. Imaginen el sufrimiento en un camión sofocante a unos 100 grados de calor (más de 37 grados centígrados)”, señaló en un comunicado.
Fueron víctimas de “despiadados tratantes que fueron indiferentes al bienestar de su frágil carga”, añadió.
Dos menores
Charles Hood, jefe del cuerpo de bomberos local, indicó que su equipo llegó al lugar justo después de la medianoche y encontraron ocho personas muertas en la parte trasera del camión.
El aire acondicionado del vehículo no estaba funcionando y no había agua adentro.
Derechos de autor de la imagen EPA
Image caption
El jefe de los bomberos confirmó que al menos dos de las víctimas eran niños en edad escolar, uno de ellos 15 años.
Los sobrevivientes tenían ritmos cardiacos que sobrepasaban las 130 palpitaciones por minuto y cuando los rescatistas los tocaron estaban muy calientes.
“Somos muy afortunados de que no todas las 38 personas que estaban encerradas en el vehículo murieron”, añadió Hood.
El clima en el área ha estado caliente y seco.
Las autoridades de Texas han reportado un incremento en los casos de contrabando humano usando un camión de remolque en los últimos dos meses.
El 19 de junio descubrieron a 44 ciudadanos de Guatemala y México escondidos en un vehículo de ese tipo, y el 7 y 8 de julio, a 72 y 33 inmigrantes dentro de estos remolques cerrados.
La semana pasada, otro grupo de 16 inmigrantes fue descubierto dentro de un camión en un punto fronterizo.
Según datos proporcionados por el Departamento de Seguridad Nacional de Estados Unidos, en el año 2016 hubo un total de 2.110 investigaciones relacionadas con el tráfico de personas que conllevaron a la presentación de 1.522 acusaciones penales.
El contenido, el diseño, las fotografías, los avisos clasificados… Ahora usted tiene acceso a la experiencia de la edición de papel. Por un tiempo limitado, esta opción estará disponible sin costo para todos nuestros lectores en la web. Para acceder, usted puede ingresar a http://edicionimpresa.elcomercio.com/. Allí tendrá disponibles algunas de las ediciones de días pasados.
GUADALAJARA, JALISCO (19/NOV/2014).- Revisa lo más importante del 19 de noviembre en México a través de este resumen de noticias publicadas a través de los sitios web de los medios que conforman los Periódicos Asociados en Red.
CIUDAD DE MÉXICO
La ALDF avala en comisiones desindexar el salario mínimo
Las comisiones unidas de Presupuesto y Cuenta Pública, de Hacienda, y de Asuntos Laborales y Previsión Social de la Asamblea Legislativa del Distrito Federal, avalaron la desindexación del salario mínimo de diversos ordenamientos legales vigentes, así como la creación de la Ley de Unidad de Cuenta de la Ciudad de México.
La Procuraduría de Protección al Ambiente del Estado de Coahuila clausuró esta mañana el circo Barley instalado en Monclova por exhibir animales. Ésta es la primera vez que se clausura un circo en el Estado obedeciendo a la Ley de Protección y Trato Digno a los Animales que entró en vigor este mismo miércoles.
Los diputados federales del Partido Acción Nacional (PAN), promueven que la Ley Anticorrupción se vote antes del 15 de diciembre, fecha en la que concluye el primer periodo de sesiones ordinarias del Tercer Año de Ejercicio de la LXII Legislatura.
Autoridades de 10 municipios y el propio Gobierno del Estado suspendieron la ceremonia oficial y el desfile cívico-deportivo que se tenía programado para mañana jueves 20 de noviembre en Chilpancingo, en el marco del 104 aniversario del movimiento armado.
El gobernador del Estado, Aristóteles Sandoval, anunció que el titular de la Secretaría Administración y Finanzas (Sepaf), Ricardo Villanueva presentó ayer su renuncia al cargo, misma que surtió efecto a partir de este miércoles a las 10 de la mañana.
Hay una base de datos emitida este mes por la Secretaría de Desarrollo e Integración Social (Sedis) que enlista a ocho mil 614 beneficiarias en este programa; de éstas, seis mil 300 tienen un empleo. Sin embargo, tres mil 829 ganan menos de dos mil 500 pesos mensuales.
Al entregar apoyos del programa Prospera en Michoacán, el Presidente Enrique Peña Nieto anunció que hará pública su declaración patrimonial en su totalidad, en el “ánimo de ganar la confianza de la sociedad”.
En el marco de la reunión de gabinete efectuada la mañana de este martes, el gobernador del estado, Cué Monteagudo evaluó tres proyectos estratégicos que impulsarán el desarrollo de la entidad, en los cuales se invertirá un presupuesto por el orden de los mil 210 millones de pesos y se prevé que los trabajos inicien en 2015.
Un 80 por ciento de migrantes centroamericanos han sido repatriados en lo que va del año, indicó Adolfo Enrique Claussen Iberri, delegado federal del Instituto Nacional de Migración en Sonora.
Vecinos de la colonia Bosques de Saloya continúan afectados por las fuertes lluvias que se registraron en Tabasco durante este martes y las primeras horas del miércoles provocadas por el frente frío número 12.
Con el fin de impulsar la internacionalización de la economía de Yucatán, así como el aprovechamiento de la infraestructura del estado, el Gobernador Rolando Zapata Bello, inauguró en Maxcanú la nueva planta de la empresa Heritage Home Group México, que en una primera etapa ofrecerá empleo a más de 200 personas. – See more at: http://par.mx/primera/2014/544005/6/reporte-nacional.htm#sthash.idPROWZg.dpuf
The prosecutor said the authorities had gathered evidence that Huffman conspired “to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud to cheat on the SAT in order to obtain an artificially high SAT score for her daughter.”
Huffman began to cry as she tried to explain to US District Judge Indira Talwani that her daughter had needed extra time on tests since she was 11 years old.
She said that her daughter had been working with a neuropsychologist since she was 8 and that the neurospsychologist had not been part of any scheme.
Choking up, she said, “I just didn’t want to create the impression that the neuropsychologistt had any part in this because, like my daughter, she didn’t have any knowledge of my involvement.”
“Everything else that Mr. Rosen said I did, I did,” she said.
Talwani set sentencing for Huffman for Sept 13. Huffman left the courthouse without speaking to reporters, getting into a black limo.
Also pleading guilty Monday was Devin Sloane, a Los Angeles businessman who paid $250,000 to have his son designated as a member of the USC water polo team in 2018. Sloane paid mastermind William “Rick” Singer $200,000 and former USC athletic official Donna Heinel $50,000, according to prosecutors. Sentencing for Sloane was set for Sept. 10. Prosecutors have recommended a setence of 12 months and one day.
Singer has pleaded guilty for his role and is awaiting sentencing. Heinel has pleaded not guilty to one count of racketeering conspiracy.
Talwani told Huffman and Sloane in court that she was not bound to follow the sentencing recommendations from prosecutors.
“Do you understand that I could impose a sentence that is more severe than you anticipate?” Talwani asked.
“Yes, Your Honor,” said Huffman.
In exchange for not being charged with more serious crimes, Huffman and Sloane have given up their right to challenge their convictions and sentences.
Huffman is accused of paying $15,000 to improve her daughter’s SAT scores, according to court documents released last month.
“My daughter knew absolutely nothing about my actions, and in my misguided and profoundly wrong way, I have betrayed her,” Huffman said in a statement in April. “This transgression toward her and the public I will carry for the rest of my life.”
Huffman is among more than a dozen parents who signed plea agreements with prosecutors, who will seek prison sentences ranging from a few months to a few years, according to previous court filings.
Lori Loughlin, another high-profile actress involved in the scandal, is among a group of 19 parents under indictment who have pleaded not guilty through their attorneys as they fight the criminal charges.
Prior to his plea, Singer cooperated with law enforcement. Singer’s interactions with Huffman and her husband, actor William H. Macy, were obtained by law enforcement.
Huffman and Macy — who is not facing charges — hired Singer to improve the results of one of their daughters on standardized testing scheduled for December 2017, ultimately paying $15,000 to a bogus charity Singer operated as part of the scam.
Before the December 2017 SAT, Huffman and her spouse agreed to a plan that would arrange for their daughter to take the standardized test at a location where Singer’s ally, Mark Riddell, would proctor the test and could “secretly correct her answers afterwards.”
At the instruction of Singer, Huffman obtained permission from the College Board to allow her daughter a 100 percent increase in the test-taking time. Huffman alerted her daughter’s high school guidance counselor about the change, leading the counselor to unwittingly disrupt the plans, according to an FBI affidavit.
The counselor noted that Huffman’s daughter would have to take the test at her high school and the guidance counselor would be the proctor.
“Ruh Ro!’’ Huffman wrote to Singer, according to the court filing. “Looks like [my daughter’s school] wants to provide their own proctor.”
At the instruction of Singer, Huffman notified the school that her daughter would be taking the test at the West Hollywood Test Center on the weekend so she would not miss any school. According to the court filing, a Singer ally proctored the exam attended by Huffman’s daughter on Dec. 2, 2017, and secretly changed her answers.
“Ultimately, Huffman’s daughter received a score of 1420 on the SAT, an improvement of 400 points over her PSAT” when she took it without help one year earlier, the court filing said.
The man identified as Riddell was allegedly paid $35,000 by Singer for falsifying the test results for Huffman’s daughter and several other Singer clients. Singer also allegedly paid a bribe to the administrator of the test center.
Huffman and her spouse later talked with Singer about scamming the test results for their younger daughter, whom Huffman described as “academically driven.” They agreed to pay $15,000 to get her SAT scores near the 1600 range so her daughter would qualify for “places like” Georgetown University, the court filing said.
However, the couple did not follow through on that plan.
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