Chad and Niger question US counterterrorism role in Africa as Washington influence recedes
Called status-of-forces agreements, these deals allow the US to conduct critical counterterrorism operations within both countries’ borders and have supported military partner training. The reversals have prompted concern that US influence in Africa is losing ground to overtures from Russia and China.
Biden signs into law Congress bill that bans TikTok use in America as its Chinese owners vow to go to court
TikTok also has come under fire for its negative influence on children and teenagers, including data collection and other privacy issues. However, the bill’s language appears to leave room for the US government to do more than just target TikTok and its parent company or address concerns over what content children are exposed to or about their privacy.
‘I knew they were killing people’: Whistleblower narrates how hospitals in USA forced Covid positive results
Zowe also addressed the misuse of ventilators. “At one point they [hospital intranet system] sent out a message that said the FiO2 [oxygen concentration] settings on the ventilators have been killing people,” she said. But when she went back to look for the message, it had been deleted.
As US Supreme Court starts hearing Trump’s insurrection case judges seem to lean towards immunity
Trump has pleaded not guilty in this case and in three other criminal cases he faces, including an ongoing trial on New York state charges related to hush money paid to a porn star shortly before the 2016 US election that put him in the White House. Trump did not attend the Supreme Court arguments because he was in a Manhattan courtroom in that case.
Video sharing app TikTok is on the verge of being banned in US after Congress passed bill to outlaw it
TikTok users and content creators, however, needed a place to go – and the ban provided a multi-billion dollar opportunity to snatch up a big market. Within months, Google rolled out YouTube Shorts and Instagram pushed out its Reels feature. Both mimicked the short-form video creation that TikTok had excelled at.
Prospect of Trump recapturing White House prompts US allies to review foreign policies
Some foreign leaders have contacted Trump directly despite the risk of irking his election rival, Democratic President Joe Biden. Saudi’s crown prince recently phoned Trump, a source with knowledge of the conversation said; while Hungary’s prime minister and Poland’s president met him in person in recent weeks.
Biden struggles to retain young voters who now view Trump as an answer to their economic woes
Concerns about Biden’s age and his support of Israel in its war against Hamas in Gaza have fuelled the erosion of his support among young voters at a time he is also losing Hispanic voters.
US House passes $95 billion Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan aid package, sends to Senate
The legislation now proceeds to the Democratic-majority Senate, which passed a similar measure more than two months ago. US leaders from Democratic President Joe Biden to top Senate Republican Mitch McConnell had been urging embattled Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson to bring it up for a vote.
US starts winding down military bases in Niger after ruling junta demanded exit of foreign armies
A US official said there was no timeline for withdrawal besides talks set to start in the coming days about next steps. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to detail the private diplomatic discussions. An American delegation to coordinate the details of the withdrawal process will be dispatched soon.
Questions linger over marijuana legalisation, scars of drug war on Blacks and minorities in US
In Washington, an applicant must own more than half the business and meet other criteria, such as having lived for at least five years between 1980 and 2010 in an area with high poverty, unemployment or cannabis arrest rates; having been arrested for a cannabis-related crime; or having a below-median household income.
