The FBI is offering a 50-thousand-dollar reward for information that leads to the arrest of the assassin of a health-care CEO in New York City. Law enforcement took the unusual step of identifying a suspect without naming him as the search for the killer continues. VOA’s Arash Arabasadi has the story.
…
Author: SeeUS
Trump calls for ‘immediate ceasefire’ in Ukraine after meeting Zelenskyy in Paris
KYIV — U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on Sunday called for an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine, shortly after a meeting in Paris with French and Ukrainian leaders, claiming Kyiv “would like to make a deal” to end the more than 1,000-day war.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump claimed that Moscow and Kyiv have both lost hundreds of thousands of soldiers in a war that “should never have started.”
“There should be an immediate ceasefire and negotiations should begin. Too many lives are being needlessly wasted, too many families destroyed,” he said, as he called on Russian President Vladimir Putin to act to bring the fighting to an end.
Trump’s remarks came after a meeting Saturday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, that Zelenskyy later described as “constructive”.
Speaking to reporters later that day, Zelenskyy insisted that any peace deal “should be just” for Ukrainians, “so that Russia and Putin or any other aggressors will not have the opportunity to return.”
In a separate social media update Sunday, Zelenskyy asserted that Kyiv has so far lost 43,000 soldiers since Moscow’s all-out invasion on Feb. 24, 2022, while a further 370,000 have been wounded.
Both Russia and Ukraine have been reluctant to publish official casualty figures, but Western officials have said that the past few months of grinding positional warfare in eastern Ukraine have meant record losses for both sides, with tens of thousands killed and wounded each month.
…
World’s oldest-known wild bird lays egg in Hawaii at age 74
The oldest known wild bird in the world has laid an egg at the ripe age of about 74, her first in four years, U.S. wildlife officials said.
The long-winged seabird named Wisdom, a Laysan albatross, returned to Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge at the northwestern edge of the Hawaiian Archipelago and laid what experts estimate may be her 60th egg, the Pacific Region of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service said in a Facebook post this week.
Wisdom and her mate, Akeakamai, had returned to the atoll in the Pacific Ocean to lay and hatch eggs since 2006. Laysan albatrosses mate for life and lay one egg per year. But Akeakamai has not been seen for several years, and Wisdom began interacting with another male when she returned last week, officials said.
“We are optimistic that the egg will hatch,” Jonathan Plissner, supervisory wildlife biologist at Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge, said in a statement. Every year, millions of seabirds return to the refuge to nest and raise their young.
Albatross parents take turns incubating an egg for about two months. Chicks fly out to sea about five to six months after hatching. They spend most of their lives flying over the ocean and feeding on squid and fish eggs.
Wisdom was first banded as an adult in 1956 and has raised as many as 30 chicks, Plissner said.
The typical lifespan of a Laysan albatross is 68 years, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
…
As data centers proliferate, conflict with local communities follows
ALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA — Richard Andre Newman thought he would live the rest of his life in his quiet, leafy neighborhood in suburban Virginia. He was born and raised in Bren Mar Park, where children ride their bikes and neighbors wave hello.
But now, as he’s approaching 60, he’s considering selling his Fairfax County home and moving away. That’s because he’s getting a new neighbor: Plaza 500, a 466,000-square-foot data center and an adjacent electrical substation to be built a few hundred feet from townhomes, playgrounds and a community center.
Newman feels helpless to stop it.
“I planned on staying here until I died,” he said, “until this came up.”
The sprawling, windowless warehouses that hold rows of high-speed servers powering almost everything the world does on phones and computers are increasingly becoming fixtures of the American landscape, popping up in towns, cities and suburbs across the United States.
Demand for data centers ballooned in recent years due to the rapid growth of cloud computing and artificial intelligence, and local governments are competing for lucrative deals with big tech companies. But as data centers begin to move into more densely populated areas, abutting homes and schools, parks and recreation centers, some residents are pushing back against the world’s most powerful corporations over concerns about the economic, social and environmental health of their communities.
Tyler Ray, a vocal critic of data centers and leader in the fight against the Virginia project, said the incentives offered are not enough to counteract the consequences of building a facility so close to homes.
“All that we are asking for is, as the county is trying to bring in this data center income, that they are doing it in a way that doesn’t run residents away from their homes,” he said.
Dotting the hills in Northern Virginia
In Northern Virginia, more than 300 data centers dot the rolling hills of the area’s westernmost counties. Cyclists who ride the popular Washington & Old Dominion trail are at times flanked by data centers, and the thousands of commuters who head into the nation’s capital each day can see them in the distance from the Metro.
Plaza 500, one of the latest proposals in the area, is encroaching on neighborhoods like never before, said Newman, who heads a homeowners association in the community.
The pitch from Starwood Capital Group, the private investment firm founded by billionaire Barry Sternlicht, to Fairfax County officials promised a significant property tax boost and, in addition to permanent positions in the data center itself, hundreds of temporary construction and electrical jobs to build the facility.
Tyler Ray and his husband moved to the Bren Pointe community in 2022, hoping to balance proximity to Washington with a desire for green space.
But shortly after the couple moved in, Starwood Capital began scoping out a commercial property near their new home as a possible location for the Plaza 500 project.
When Ray and his neighbors learned of the proposal, they held protests, attended regular county meetings and drew media attention to their concerns to try and stop the development. But their efforts were largely unsuccessful: the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors in September said all newly proposed data centers must adhere to stricter zoning rules, but the Plaza 500 project would be grandfathered in under the old rules.
Ray worries that more data centers in the area could compromise the already stressed power grid: Over 25% of all power produced in Virginia in 2023 went to data centers, a figure that could rise as high as 46% by 2030 if data center growth continues at its current pace. Some estimates also show a mid-sized data center commands the same water usage every day as 1,000 households, prompting concerns over the cost of water. Ray also frets over air quality, as the massive diesel generators that help power the data centers’ hardware send plumes of toxic pollutants into the atmosphere.
A spokesperson for the firm declined to respond to questions for this story.
“I don’t know how a general resident, even someone who has been engaging intently on an issue,” Ray said, “has any chance to go up against the data center industry.”
Local leaders say data centers a financial boon
For local governments, attracting data centers to their municipalities means a financial boon: Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin said in 2024 that Virginia’s existing data centers brought in $1 billion in tax revenue, more than the $750 million in tax breaks given to the tech companies that own them in 2023.
For average-sized facilities, data centers offer a small number of direct jobs — often fewer than 100 positions. Google announced recently that its two data centers in Loudoun County, which has about 440,000 residents, created only around 150 direct jobs. But data center advocates argue that the number of indirect jobs like construction, technology support and electrical work make the projects worthwhile. In that same announcement, Google said their investment spurred 2,730 indirect jobs.
Kathy Smith, the vice chair of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, voted in favor of the Plaza 500 proposal because, in her estimation, data center growth is inevitable in the region, and Fairfax County should reap the benefits.
“I have a responsibility to step back from what we do and look at the big picture,” Smith said. “Data centers are not going away.”
Amazon data centers welcomed by some in Oregon
On the other side of the country, in Morrow County, Oregon, Amazon Web Services has built at least five data centers surrounding the 4,200-person town of Boardman, nestled among vast stretches of farmland flecked with mint patches and wind turbines, next to the Columbia river.
Last year, AWS, which is owned by Amazon, paid roughly $34 million in property taxes and fees stipulated in the agreements after receiving a $66 million tax break. The company also paid out $10 million total in two, one-time payments to a community development fund and spent another $1.7 million in charitable donations in the community in 2023.
That money has been instrumental in updating infrastructure and bolstering services for the roughly 12,000-person county, going toward a new ladder fire engine, a school resource officer, police body cameras, and $5,000 grants for homebuyers among other things.
Still, some residents are skeptical of the scale of tax break deals. Suspicions started years ago, when three formerly elected officials allegedly helped approve data center deals while owning a stake in a company that contracted with AWS to provide fiber optic cables for the data centers. In June, they each paid $2,000 to settle an ethics complaint against them.
Those officials are no longer in office. But some remain wary of the relationships between the company and local officials, and raised eyebrows at one of the latest data center deals which gives AWS an estimated $1 billion in tax breaks spread over the 15 years to build five new data centers.
Former county commissioner Jim Doherty described a meeting with AWS officials soon after he was elected to office at an upscale restaurant in Boardman, where large windows opened onto the Columbia River.
The AWS representatives asked what Doherty wanted to accomplish as a commissioner. “They said, ‘Tell us what your dreams are. Tell us what you need. Tell us what we can do for you,'” Doherty recalled. Other former officials have described similar interactions. Doherty said AWS didn’t ask for anything in return, but the exchange left him uneasy.
“We engage with stakeholders in every community where we operate around the world, and part of that outreach is to better understand a community’s goals,” said Kevin Miller, AWS’ Vice President of global data centers. “This helps AWS be a catalyst for communities to achieve those goals, and reflects our ongoing commitment to being good neighbors.”
Doherty and another former county commissioner Melissa Lindsay said they pushed unsuccessfully in 2022 for AWS to pay more in taxes in new data center negotiations. They also lobbied to hire outside counsel to negotiate on their behalf, feeling outgunned by the phalanx of AWS-suited lawyers.
“We didn’t want to blow it up. We didn’t want to run them off,” said Lindsay. “But there were better deals to be made.”
Boardman Mayor Paul Keefer and Police Chief Rick Stokoe say their direct line to AWS allows them to get the most out of the company.
“This road right here? Wouldn’t happen if it wasn’t for AWS,” said Keefer, riding in the passenger seat of Stokoe’s cruiser, pointing out the window at construction workers shifting dirt and laying pavement. Both Keefer and Stokoe have been in positions to vote on whether to authorize tax breaks for AWS.
“These companies would not be here if they weren’t getting some kind of incentive,” Stokoe said. “There wouldn’t be any money to talk about.”
…
US announces nearly $1 billion in military aid for Ukraine
WASHINGTON — The United States on Saturday announced a new $988 million military assistance package for Ukraine as Washington races to provide aid to Kyiv before President-elect Donald Trump takes office.
It nearly halves the available $2.21 billion remaining in Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI) as the Biden administration works to commit to buying weapons from industry, rather than pull from U.S. weapons stocks.
Trump’s victory in the November election has cast doubt on the future of American aid for Ukraine, providing a limited window for billions of dollars in already authorized assistance to be provided before he is sworn in next month.
The package features drones, ammunition for precision HIMARS rocket launchers, and equipment and spare parts for artillery systems, tanks and armored vehicles, the Pentagon said in a statement.
The Biden administration has often used Presidential Drawdown Authority, which authorizes President Joe Biden to transfer excess articles and services from U.S. stocks without congressional approval during an emergency.
The USAI funds are separate and will go to purchase new weapons from the defense industry or partners rather than drawn from American stocks, meaning it will not immediately arrive on the battlefield.
It follows a $725 million package announced Monday that included a second tranche of landmines as well as anti-air and anti-armor weapons.
The outgoing U.S. administration is working to get as much aid as possible to Ukraine before Trump — who has repeatedly criticized U.S. assistance for Kyiv and claimed he could secure a ceasefire within hours — takes over.
Trump’s comments have triggered fears in Kyiv and Europe about the future of U.S. aid, and Ukraine’s ability to withstand Russian attacks in the absence of further American support.
The United States has spearheaded the push for international support for Ukraine, quickly forging a coalition to back Kyiv after Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022 and coordinating aid from dozens of countries.
Ukraine’s international supporters have since then provided tens of billions of dollars in weapons, ammunition, training and other security aid that has been key to helping Kyiv resist Russian forces.
The Biden administration still has about $6 billion of congressionally granted presidential drawdown authority, including funds authorized in 2024 and funds discovered by the Pentagon after overestimating the value of arms shipped to Ukraine.
Since the Russian invasion in February 2022 the U.S. has committed more than $62 billion worth of security assistance to Ukraine.
Some material in this report is from Reuters.
…
‘Net is tightening’ on man suspected of shooting executive, says official
NEW YORK — New York’s mayor said Saturday “the net is tightening” on the man suspected of gunning down a top health insurance executive before fleeing the city.
Mayor Eric Adams said detectives knew the name of the fresh-faced suspect, an image of whom was released by investigators Thursday and who has now been on the run for almost four days.
Adams praised “the manner in which (investigators) were able to follow his footsteps to recover evidence — some of it is known, some of it is unknown — but the net is tightening and we’re going to bring this person to justice,” he said, the New York Post reported.
Adams was quoted by the Post as saying the police were withholding the suspect’s name for now.
“We don’t want to release that,” the mayor said. “If you do, you are basically giving a tip to the person we are seeking, and we do not want to give him an upper hand at all. Let him continue to believe he can hide behind the mask.”
“We revealed his face,” the mayor continued, referring to numerous security camera photos and video released after Brian Thompson, CEO of UnitedHealthcare was gunned down. And eventually, “we’re going to reveal who he is and we’re going to bring him to justice,” Adams said.
The masked assailant was caught on camera entering a bus station in a northern neighborhood of Manhattan in the wake of Wednesday’s slaying, but he could not be identified exiting the facility on foot, a police spokesperson confirmed to Agence France-Presse.
“They believe he’s not in New York City,” the spokesperson added.
The image of the smiling suspect was obtained from a youth hostel where the gunman apparently stayed before the hit, detectives said, with media reporting he lowered his mask to flirt with a receptionist.
The FBI, which said it was assisting the New York police, offered a reward of up to $50,000 for information leading to his capture.
‘Delay’ and ‘deny’
The gunman on Wednesday sprayed Thompson of United Healthcare — one of the country’s largest medical insurers — with bullets in front of bystanders, in an audacious attack captured by a surveillance camera and now seen by millions.
Thompson was attending an investor conference in the Midtown business district.
Police have yet to suggest a motive and would not confirm media reports that the words “delay” and “deny” — often used by insurance companies to reject claims — were written on shell casings found at the scene.
Video footage shows Thompson on the sidewalk outside the New York Hilton Midtown when a man in a hooded top, his lower face covered, approaches from behind, then fires several shots at his 50-year-old victim, who crumples to the ground.
Camera footage showed the suspect fleeing on foot, before getting on a bicycle, with police revealing he headed to Central Park.
Officers have confirmed that a cell phone as well as DNA from a coffee cup were recovered from near the murder scene.
In the absence of an arrest, speculation has been rife that the gunman may have sought revenge for adverse medical coverage decisions made by the insurer.
UnitedHealthcare is a major player in the lucrative American health care market; the parent group had revenues of $100.8 billion in the third quarter of the year.
…
Macron welcomes Trump to Paris with presidential pomp, joined by Zelenskyy
PARIS — French President Emmanuel Macron welcomed Donald Trump to Paris on Saturday with a full a dose of presidential pomp, and they held an impromptu meeting with Ukraine’s Volodymr Zelenskyy on a day that mixed pageantry with attention to pressing global problems.
U.S. President-elect Trump said when he arrived at the Elysee Palace for a face-to-face meeting with Macron — which soon expanded to include Zelenskyy — that the two would be discussing a world that’s gone “a little crazy.”
Trump’s visit to France, part of a global celebration of the reopening of Notre Dame Cathedral five years after a devastating fire, came as Macron and other European leaders are trying to win Trump’s favor and persuade him to maintain support for Ukraine in its defense against Russia’s invasion. Macron’s office said that would be discussed as well as the wars in the Middle East.
As Trump arrived at the official residence of the French president, Macron went out of his way to project an image of close ties, posing for multiple handshakes interspersed with plenty of back-patting. Trump said it was “a great honor” and talked about the “great relationship” they have had. A grand red carpet was rolled in the same way the French welcome sitting American presidents.
Before they went inside, Trump said, “It certainly seems like the world is going a little crazy right now. And we’ll be talking about that.”
Zelenskyy arrived at the palace about 45 minutes after Trump.
Macron had planned to meet with Zelenskyy, and the French president’s office said the three-way meeting was proposed by Macron and arranged shortly before Trump’s arrival. Trump has pledged to end the war in Ukraine swiftly but has not specified how, raising concerns in Kyiv about what terms may be laid out for any future negotiations.
Macron, who has had an up-and-down relationship with Trump, has made a point of cultivating a relationship since the Republican defeated Democrat Kamala Harris last month. But Macron’s office nonetheless played down the significance of the invitation, saying other politicians not now in office had been invited as well.
Trump was invited as president-elect of a “friendly nation,” Macron’s office said, adding, “This is in no way exceptional, we’ve done it before.”
The red-carpet treatment, however, was a sign of how eager Macron and other European leaders are to win Trump’s favor even before he takes office.
During one of Trump’s first trips as president during his first term was to Paris, where Macron made him the guest of honor at Bastille Day events. Trump later said he wanted to replicate the grand military parade back in the United States.
President Joe Biden also was invited but will not attend. White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre cited a scheduling conflict and said first lady Jill Biden will represent the United States.
The meeting with the French president is taking place before the Notre Dame event, as will the get-together with Prince William, who’s also scheduled to meet with Jill Biden, according to the British royal palace.
To build trust with the incoming U.S. administration, Zelenskyy’s top aide, Andriy Yermak, met key members of Trump’s team on a two-day trip earlier this week. A senior Ukrainian official, who spoke on condition of anonymity as he was not authorized to speak publicly, described the meetings as productive but declined to disclose details.
Relations between France and the United States during Trump’s first term began warmly enough but grew increasingly strained over time.
Macron was the guest of honor at Trump’s first state dinner, and Trump traveled to France several times. But the relationship suffered after Macron criticized Trump for questioning the need for NATO and raising doubts about America’s commitment to the mutual defense pact.
During the 2024 presidential campaign, Trump often mocked Macron, imitating his accent and threatening to impose steep tariffs on wine and champagne bottles shipped to the U.S. if France tried to tax American companies.
But Macron was one of the first global leaders to congratulate Trump last month after the election.
When he accepted the invitation to travel to Paris, Trump said Macron had done “a wonderful job ensuring that Notre Dame has been restored to its full level of glory, and even more so. It will be a very special day for all!”
A fire in 2019 nearly destroyed the 861-year-old landmark.
More than 20 French government security agents were helping ensure Trump’s safety alongside the Secret Service, according to French national police. A special French police van provided anti-drone protection for Trump’s convoy.
Security was tighter than usual outside the U.S. Embassy and other sites around Paris for the Notre Dame reopening, where dozens of international VIPs were expected.
Trump was president in 2019 when the fire engulfed Notre Dame, collapsing its spire and threatening to destroy one of the world’s greatest architectural treasures, known for its mesmerizing stained glass.
“So horrible to watch the massive fire at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris,” he wrote at the time on what was then Twitter.
Last weekend, Trump announced that he intends to nominate real estate developer Charles Kushner, the father of his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, to serve as ambassador to France. Predecessors in that prestigious role include Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson.
…
Trump says that US should ‘not get involved’ in conflict in Syria
WASHINGTON — President-elect Donald Trump said on Saturday the U.S. should not be involved in the conflict in Syria, where rebel forces are threatening the government of President Bashar Assad.
“Syria is a mess, but is not our friend, & THE UNITED STATES SHOULD HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH IT. THIS IS NOT OUR FIGHT. LET IT PLAY OUT. DO NOT GET INVOLVED!,” Trump said in a post on his social media platform Truth Social.
Trump said because Russia, an Assad ally, is tied up fighting a war with Ukraine, it “seems incapable of stopping this literal march through Syria, a country they have protected for years.”
If Russia were forced out of Syria, it “may actually be the best thing that can happen to them” because “there was never much of a benefit in Syria for Russia,” Trump said.
Trump’s comments appeared to reflect his opposition to the presence of some 900 U.S. troops in Syria, mostly of them in the northeast, where they have backed a Syrian Kurd-led alliance in preventing a resurgence of Islamic State militants.
Trump announced in 2018 during his first term that he wanted to withdraw the U.S. troops because he said Islamic State was near defeat.
But he held off as advisers warned that a pullout would leave a void that would be filled by Iran and Russia.
…
Appeals court upholds law that could ban TikTok in US
A federal appeals court in Washington on Friday upheld a law requiring the wildly popular social media app TikTok to be sold to a non-Chinese owner or face closure in the United States by next month. The court cited “persuasive” and “compelling” arguments presented by the federal government that TikTok poses a risk to national security.
The ruling could leave the 170 million Americans who regularly use TikTok without access to a social media platform that has enjoyed explosive global growth in recent years. It could also mean that the millions of Americans who create content for TikTok — some of whom rely on monetizing that content for their livelihood — could be cut off from their audiences.
The government has argued that TikTok presents a unique danger to national security because it collects vast amounts of information about its users, and because the Chinese government ultimately exercises control over its parent company, ByteDance, and over the algorithm that determines what content TikTok users see.
Because ByteDance is in the People’s Republic of China (PRC) it is subject to that country’s laws, including measures requiring private companies to cooperate with government intelligence agencies.
The three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit found that the government has a compelling interest in taking steps “to counter the PRC’s efforts to collect great quantities of data about tens of millions of Americans” and “to limit the PRC’s ability to manipulate content covertly on the TikTok platform.”
TikTok signals an appeal
TikTok immediately signaled that it would appeal the circuit court’s ruling to the Supreme Court.
In a statement posted to its website, the company said, “The Supreme Court has an established historical record of protecting Americans’ right to free speech, and we expect they will do just that on this important constitutional issue.”
The company said that the law underlying the case “was conceived and pushed through based on inaccurate, flawed and hypothetical information, resulting in outright censorship of the American people,” and warned that it “will silence the voices of over 170 million Americans here in the U.S. and around the world.”
The Supreme Court is not obligated to hear the company’s appeal, and it was not immediately clear that it would do so. If the high court accepts the case, it is possible that it would block the government from enforcing the law until the case is decided.
President-elect Donald Trump, who once supported a TikTok ban before changing his mind during the recent presidential election, has suggested that he will act to save the app when he takes office. However, it is unclear what options he might have for doing that.
Lack of trust
In April, President Joe Biden signed the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act into law. The measure gave TikTok 270 days to find a way to separate itself from ByteDance before a ban on the application would kick in on January 19, 2025.
The federal government made it clear that the only kind of divestiture that it would accept was a complete separation of TikTok from its Chinese parent. The company offered alternatives, and established TikTok U.S. Data Security Inc. (TTUSDS) as a subsidiary in Delaware, to wall off U.S. user data from ByteDance.
However, the government cited instances in which U.S. user data that the company claimed to have shielded from the PRC was, in fact, accessible to ByteDance employees in mainland China. It told the court that it lacked “the requisite trust” that “ByteDance and TTUSDS would comply in good faith” with any arrangement other than complete separation of TikTok and ByteDance.
In Friday’s ruling, the judges wrote, “The court can neither fault nor second-guess the government on these crucial points.”
First Amendment concerns
TikTok and its supporters have claimed that severing TikTok from ByteDance is both practically impossible for technological reasons and legally impossible because the Chinese government will block the sale of the company. Therefore, they claim, the law constitutes a de facto ban and a violation of the guarantee of free speech enshrined in the First Amendment to the Constitution.
In a sign of how seriously the court took the First Amendment arguments, the panel of judges agreed that the law should be subject to “heightened scrutiny,” which the Supreme Court has applied to measures restricting fundamental rights.
In the end, the panel determined that the law satisfies even the most stringent form of “strict scrutiny,” which requires that the government “prove that the restriction furthers a compelling interest and is narrowly tailored to achieve that interest.”
Free speech advocates respond
The decision came under immediate criticism from free speech advocates.
“Although we’re still analyzing the decision, we find it deeply disappointing,” David Greene, civil liberties director at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, said in a statement emailed to VOA. “The court appropriately applied strict scrutiny as we have urged it to. But the strict-scrutiny analysis is lacking, relying heavily on speculation about possible future harms.
“Restricting the free flow of information, even from foreign adversaries, is fundamentally undemocratic,” Greene said. “Until now, the U.S. has championed the free flow of information and called out other nations when they have shut down internet access or banned online communications tools like social media apps.”
George Wang, a staff attorney at the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University, told VOA that the court accorded “a shocking amount of deference” to the government’s claims about the danger TikTok poses to national security.
“We should be really wary whenever we allow the government to use vague national security arguments as a justification to shut down speech,” Wang said. “That’s a tactic of authoritarian regimes, not democracies. It’s usually the job of courts to stand up to the government when it infringes on the constitutional rights of millions of Americans, and I think the D.C. Circuit really didn’t do that today.”
‘A victory for the American people’
Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi, the senior Democrat on the House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party, and one of the original sponsors of the law requiring TikTok’s divestiture or ban, released a statement Friday praising the court’s decision.
“With today’s opinion, all three branches of government have reached the same conclusion: ByteDance is controlled by the Chinese Communist Party, and TikTok’s ownership by ByteDance is a national security threat that cannot be mitigated through any other means than divestiture,” Krishnamoorthi said.
“Every day that TikTok remains under the Chinese Communist Party’s control is a day that our security is at risk,” Krishnamoorthi added.
Representative John Moolenaar, the committee’s Republican chairman, said in a statement that the ruling was “a victory for the American people and TikTok users, and a loss for the Chinese Communist Party, which will no longer be able to exploit ByteDance’s control over TikTok to undermine our sovereignty, surveil our citizens and threaten our national security.”
Moolenaar also held out hope to the app’s users that access to it may, in the end, be preserved under a Trump presidency.
“I am optimistic that President Trump will facilitate an American takeover of TikTok to allow its continued use in the United States and I look forward to welcoming the app in America under new ownership,” Moolenaar said.
…
Former police officer denies leaking information to Proud Boys leader
WASHINGTON — A retired Washington, D.C., police officer charged with lying about his private communications with former Proud Boys national leader Enrique Tarrio testified Friday that he never leaked sensitive police information to the far-right extremist group leader.
Taking the witness stand at his federal trial, former Metropolitan Police Department Lieutenant Shane Lamond said he was upset that a prosecutor labeled him as a Proud Boys “sympathizer” who acted as a “double agent” for the group after Tarrio burned a stolen Black Lives Matter banner in December 2020.
“I don’t support the Proud Boys, and I’m not a Proud Boys sympathizer,” said Lamond, whose bench trial started Monday and continues next week.
Tarrio, who testified Thursday as a witness for Lamond’s defense, is serving a 22-year prison sentence for his role in a plot to use force to keep Donald Trump in the White House after the 2020 election. Tarrio previously was sentenced to more than five months in jail for burning the banner stolen from a historic Black church in downtown Washington and for bringing two high-capacity firearm magazines into the district.
Lamond said Tarrio never confessed to him that he burned the banner. He also denies tipping off Tarrio that a warrant for his arrest had been signed before he arrived in Washington on January 4, 2021 — two days before other Proud Boys joined a mob’s attack on the U.S. Capitol.
Lamond’s indictment says he and Tarrio exchanged messages about the January 6 riot and discussed whether Proud Boys members were in danger of being charged in the attack.
“Of course I can’t say it officially, but personally I support you all and don’t want to see your group’s name and reputation dragged through the mud,” Lamond wrote.
Lamond said he considered Tarrio to be a source, not a friend. But he said he tried to build a friendly rapport with the group leader to gain his trust.
Justice Department prosecutor Joshua Rothstein pointed to other messages that suggest Lamond provided Tarrio with “real-time updates” on the police investigation of the December 12, 2020, banner burning.
Lamond is charged with one count of obstruction of justice and three counts of making false statements. U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson will decide the case after hearing testimony without a jury.
Lamond, who met Tarrio in 2019, had supervised the intelligence branch of the police department’s Homeland Security Bureau. He was responsible for monitoring groups like the Proud Boys when they came to Washington.
The men exchanged hundreds of messages across several platforms, with Lamond frequently greeting Tarrio as “brother.” However, Lamond acknowledged that he only sent encrypted messages to Tarrio or met him in person after the banner burning.
On the day of his arrest, Tarrio posted a message to other Proud Boys leaders that said, “The warrant was just signed.” Tarrio testified Thursday that he didn’t confess to Lamond or receive any confidential information from him.
After the banner burning but before Tarrio’s arrest, Lamond told him that the FBI and U.S. Secret Service was “all spun up” by chatter that Proud Boys planned to dress up as supporters of President Joe Biden for the Democrat’s inauguration in January 2021.
“I’m just going to let them get all freaked out. They’re idiots,” Lamond wrote of his federal colleagues.
“Lol,” Tarrio responded.
Lamond, 48, of Colonial Beach, Virginia, retired in May 2023 after 23 years of service to the police department.
…
US state seeks $47.8M fine for air pollution by natural gas processor
SANTA FE, NEW MEXICO — New Mexico environmental regulators issued a $47.8 million fine Friday on allegations of excess air pollution at a natural gas processing facility in a prolific oil production region near the Texas state line.
The state Environment Department issued the sanctions including a cease-and-desist order against Houston-based Targa Resources at its processing plant near Jal, New Mexico, alleging permit violations and excess emissions of gases known to cause respiratory issues or contribute to climate change including ozone-producing pollutants.
Representatives for Targa could not immediately be reached for comment. Regulators say Targa has 30 days to respond and comply or request a hearing with the agency secretary.
Regulators also have ordered a series of corrective actions and improvements to the facilities that process gas for transmission by pipeline.
The sanctions are based on allegations of two permit violations, late reporting of emissions and an incomplete requirement for a root cause analysis of excess pollution.
The proposed air-pollution fine against Targa would be the largest in state history by the Environment Department, if upheld. The case also was referred to federal regulators.
Separately, the New Mexico Court of Appeals last month upheld regulations aimed at crushing air pollution in one of the nation’s top-producing oil and gas states.
Democratic Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham’s administration has advanced new restrictions on ozone-precursor pollutants along with regulations to limit methane emissions in its efforts to combat climate change and meet federal clean air standards.
…
NASA delays next moon mission to April 2026
The U.S. space agency, NASA, is leading an effort to return astronauts to the surface of the moon and establish a routine presence on the lunar surface. As VOA’s Kane Farabaugh reports, NASA says it will push the next mission of its Artemis program from late 2025 to early 2026.
…
Trump offers public show of support for Hegseth, his embattled choice to lead Pentagon
WASHINGTON — U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on Friday offered a public show of support for Pete Hegseth, his embattled choice to lead the Defense Department, whose confirmation by the Senate is in doubt as he faces questions over allegations of excessive drinking, sexual assault and his views on women in combat.
“Pete Hegseth is doing very well,” Trump posted on his social media site. “He will be a fantastic, high energy, Secretary of Defense.” The president added that “Pete is a WINNER, and there is nothing that can be done to change that!!!”
Hegseth, a former Fox News host, Army National Guard major and combat veteran, spent much of the week on Capitol Hill trying to salvage his Cabinet nomination and reassure Republican senators that he is fit to lead Trump’s Pentagon.
The effort has quickly become a test of Trump’s clout and of how far loyalty for the president-elect goes with Republican senators who have concerns about his nominees. Trump has already met some resistance. Two of his other choices have stepped aside as they faced intense scrutiny: former Congressman Matt Gaetz, his first choice for attorney general; and Chad Chronister, a Florida sheriff who was Trump’s first choice to lead the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Vice President-elect JD Vance also made a show of support for Hegseth on Friday, part of a full-court press by members of Trump’s Make America Great Again movement.
“If you’re a GOP Senator who voted for Lloyd Austin, but criticize @PeteHegseth, then maybe you’re in the wrong political party!” Vance wrote on X.
Hegseth has promised not to drink on the job and told lawmakers he never engaged in sexual misconduct, even as his professional views on female troops have also come under intensifying scrutiny. He said as recently as last month that women “straight up” should not serve in combat.
Two female senators, Republican Joni Ernst of Iowa and Democrat Tammy Duckworth of Illinois, sit on the Armed Services Committee. Both are combat veterans who served in the Iraq war, and Duckworth lost both legs when a Blackhawk helicopter she was piloting was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade.
Ernst, who is also a sexual assault survivor, stopped short of an endorsement after her meeting with Hegseth this week. She said she appreciates his military service and they “had a frank and thorough conversation.”
Hegseth has yet to meet with Duckworth.
Trump’s transition team has been looking at potential replacements if Hegseth’s nomination cannot move forward, including former Trump rival Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.
DeSantis plans to attend the Army-Navy football game with Trump on December 14, according to a person familiar with the Florida governor’s plans who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity to discuss them before a public announcement.
DeSantis and Trump spoke about the defense secretary post when they saw each other Tuesday at a memorial service for sheriff’s deputies in West Palm Beach, Florida, according to people familiar with the matter who said Trump was interested in DeSantis for the post, and the governor was receptive.
DeSantis also is poised to select a replacement for the expected Senate vacancy to be created by Marco Rubio becoming secretary of state, and Trump’s daughter-in-law Lara Trump is seen as the preferred choice by those in Trump’s orbit.
Hegseth is facing resistance from lawmakers as reports have emerged about his past, including the revelation that he made a settlement payment after being accused of a sexual assault that he denies.
The New Yorker magazine cited what it described as a whistleblower report and other documents about his time leading a veterans advocacy group, Concerned Veterans for America, that alleged multiple incidents of alcohol intoxication at work events, inappropriate behavior around female staffers and financial mismanagement.
The New York Times obtained an email from his mother, Penelope, from 2018, in which she confronted him about mistreating women after he impregnated his current wife while he was married to his second wife. She went on “Fox & Friends” this week to defend her son.
…
US urges China to act as North Korea cozies up to Russia
As North Korean troops bolster Russia’s war effort in Ukraine, the U.S. is urging China to rein in its allies’ provocative actions. This comes amid indications that Beijing is increasingly uneasy about the expanding partnership between Russia and North Korea. VOA State Department Bureau Chief Nike Ching reports.
…
US farmers, economists weigh in on impact of tariffs
Through social media posts, President-elect Donald Trump has threatened to imposed tariffs on Canada, China and Mexico – three of the top trading partners for the United States. VOA’s Kane Farabaugh has more about the potential economic impact if Trump follows through.
…
Trump picks former Sen. David Perdue of Georgia to be ambassador to China
WASHINGTON — U.S. President-elect Donald Trump said Thursday he is choosing former Sen. David Perdue of Georgia to be ambassador to China.
Trump said in a social media post that Perdue, a former CEO, “brings valuable expertise to help build our relationship with China.” Perdue pushed Trump’s debunked lies about electoral fraud during his failed bid for Georgia governor.
Perdue lost his Senate seat to Democrat Jon Ossoff four years ago and ran unsuccessfully in a primary against Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp.
Economic tensions will be a big part of the U.S.-China picture for the new administration.
Trump has threatened to impose sweeping new tariffs on Mexico, Canada and China as soon as he takes office as part of his effort to crack down on illegal immigration and drugs. He said he would impose a 25% tax on all products entering the country from Canada and Mexico, and an additional 10% tariff on goods from China, as one of his first executive orders.
The Chinese Embassy in Washington cautioned earlier this week that there will be losers on all sides if there is a trade war.
“China-US economic and trade cooperation is mutually beneficial in nature,” embassy spokesman Liu Pengyu posted on X. “No one will win a trade war or a #tariff war.” He added that China had taken steps in the last year to help stem drug trafficking.
It is unclear whether Trump will actually go through with the threats or if he is using them as a negotiating tactic.
The tariffs, if implemented, could dramatically raise prices for American consumers on everything from gas to automobiles to agricultural products. The United States is the largest importer of goods in the world, with Mexico, China and Canada its top three suppliers, according to the most recent U.S. Census data.
Trump also filled out more of his immigration team Thursday, as he promises mass deportations and border crackdowns.
He said he’s nominating former Border Patrol Chief Rodney Scott to head U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Scott, a career official, was appointed head of the border agency in January 2020 and enthusiastically embraced then-President Trump’s policies, particularly on building a U.S.-Mexico border wall. He was forced out by the Biden administration.
Trump also said he’d nominate Caleb Vitello as acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the agency that, among other things, arrests migrants in the U.S. illegally. Vitello is a career ICE official with more than 23 years in the agency and most recently has been the assistant director for the office of firearms and tactical programs.
The president-elect named the head of the Border Patrol Union, Brandon Judd, as ambassador to Chile. Judd has been a longtime supporter of Trump’s, appearing with him during his visits to the U.S.-Mexico border, though he notably supported a Senate immigration bill championed by Biden that Trump sank in part because he didn’t want to give Democrats an election-year win on the issue.
…
Biden lights National Christmas Tree
U.S. President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris attended the annual National Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony Thursday night on the Ellipse, south of the White House.
“During this season of reflection,” Biden said, “may we continue to seek the light of liberty and love, kindness and compassion, dignity and decency.”
The president said the event is a favorite of his wife’s and that she was sorry to miss this year’s event. First lady Jill Biden is in Qatar for her initiative on women’s health.
Country singing star Mickey Guyton hosted this year’s event.
The tree lighting was launched in 1923 when first lady Grace Coolidge allowed the District of Columbia Public Schools to erect a 48-foot balsam fir on the Ellipse. Three thousand people attended the ceremony that year when President Calvin Coolidge lit the tree, which came from Middlebury College in Vermont.
This year’s tree, a 30-foot red spruce from Virginia, is anchored by steel cables after strong winds blew over last year’s tree.
Americans from every U.S. state and territory and the District of Columbia create the one-of-a-kind ornaments that adorn the tree as it glows with thousands of lights.
Trisha Yearwood, James Taylor, Stephen Sanchez and Trombone Shorty were among the musical guests who performed at this year’s holiday event.
The show will be broadcast on December 20 on CBS-TV.
…
Earthquake strikes off California; tsunami warning issued
EUREKA, CALIFORNIA — A strong earthquake was felt widely across Northern California on Thursday and authorities have issued a tsunami warning.
The quake struck at 10:44 a.m. local time, west of Ferndale, a small city in coastal Humboldt County near the Oregon border, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
It was felt as far south as San Francisco, where residents felt a rolling motion for several seconds. It was followed by smaller aftershocks.
Information is still coming in.
your ad hereUS judge rejects Boeing’s plea deal in conspiracy case stemming from fatal plane crashes
DALLAS — A federal judge on Thursday rejected a deal that would have allowed Boeing to plead guilty to a felony conspiracy charge and pay a fine for misleading U.S. regulators about the 737 Max jetliner before two of the planes crashed, killing 346 people.
The ruling by U.S. District Judge Reed O’Connor in Texas creates uncertainty around the criminal prosecution of the aerospace giant in connection with the development of its bestselling airline plane. Boeing and the Justice Department could try to negotiate a new plea agreement.
The Justice Department and Boeing did not comment immediately.
Paul Cassell, an attorney for families of passengers who died in the crashes, called the ruling an important victory for the rights of crime victims.
“No longer can federal prosecutors and high-powered defense attorney craft backroom deals and just expect judges to approve them,” Cassell said. “Judge O’Connor has recognized that this was a cozy deal between the government and Boeing that failed to focus on the overriding concerns — holding Boeing accountable for its deadly crime and ensuring that nothing like this happens again in the future.”
Many relatives of the passengers who died in the crashes, which took place off the coast of Indonesia and in Ethiopia less than five months apart, have spent years pushing for a public trial, the prosecution of former company officials and more severe financial punishment for Boeing.
The deal the judge rejected would have let Boeing plead guilty to defrauding regulators who approved pilot training requirements for the 737 Max nearly a decade ago. Prosecutors did not allege Boeing’s deception played a role in the crashes.
The Justice Department first charged Boeing in January 2021 with defrauding Federal Aviation Administration regulators who approved pilot training requirements for the 737 Max.
The department simultaneously announced it would drop the charge after three years if the company stayed out of trouble and paid a $2.5 billion settlement — mostly money the company would have paid airline customers anyway due to the FAA grounding the 737 Max fleet for 20 months.
Families of the victims were outraged. O’Connor ruled last year that the Justice Department broke a victims-rights law by not telling relatives that it was negotiating with Boeing, but said he had no power to overturn the deal.
The 2021 deferred-prosecution agreement was due to expire when a door plug blew off a 737 Max early this year during an Alaska Airlines flight over Oregon. The incident renewed concerns about manufacturing quality at Boeing and put the company under intense scrutiny.
After determining that Boeing had violated terms of the 2021 settlement, the Justice Department revived its prosecution of the conspiracy charge. That led to new negotiations and the plea deal that O’Connor rejected.
In July, Boeing agreed to plead guilty to a single felony count of conspiracy to commit fraud for allegedly deceiving the FAA about how much training pilots would need before flying the Max. Boeing had downplayed the significance of a new flight-control system called MCAS.
Acting on Boeing’s incomplete disclosures, the FAA approved minimal, computer-based training instead of more intensive training in flight simulators. Simulator training would have increased the cost for airlines to operate the Max and might have pushed some to buy planes from rival Airbus instead.
Because of Boeing’s actions, airlines and pilots didn’t even know about MCAS until it was implicated in the first crash, in 2018 in the Java Sea. Despite knowing about MCAS, Ethiopian Airlines pilots were unable to control the system and prevent another crash in 2019 near Addis Ababa.
Prosecutors told the judge the conspiracy charge was the toughest they could prove against Boeing. Crucially, the Justice Department said that if the case went to trial, it would not present any evidence that Boeing’s deception caused the crashes.
The plea agreement included a fine of up to $487.2 million but would give/have given Boeing credit for $243.6 million in penalties it paid as part of the 2021 settlement. Under the deal, Boeing, which is based in Arlington, Virginia, also would invest $455 million in compliance and safety programs, and be placed on probation and overseen by an independent monitor for three years.
At an October 11 hearing, Boeing lawyer Ben Hatch defended the plea deal, saying Boeing “is a pillar of the national economy and the national defense” and needed to know its punishment before agreeing to plead guilty.
The lawyer’s argument stunned relatives of the victims, who were in the courtroom.
“Boeing is too important for the economy — they’re too big to jail. That’s what he’s saying,” said Michael Stumo, whose daughter Samya died in the second crash. “It allows them to kill people with no consequences because they’re too big and because their shareholders won’t like it.”
…
Biden caps Angola visit with stop at train terminal at western port
LOBITO, ANGOLA — In the blistering midday heat at Angola’s largest port, U.S. President Joe Biden beamed Wednesday as he shook hands, one by one, with nine smiling hard-hatted workers. He had journeyed all the way from Washington to meet them at the terminus of an ambitious 1,300-kilometer, U.S.-financed rail line that brings critical minerals out of Africa’s remote interior.
On this December afternoon, there wasn’t much activity: The usually bustling port of Lobito had been cleared of most workers for his visit. A nearby black and red rail engine was still shiny and new, as were the long chains of blue half-containers that stretched behind it.
Still, said a smiling Biden, this is Africa’s future.
“When I launched this project with our G7 partners last year, I said our goal was to build a better future,” Biden said. “And folks, the future is here. It’s now. The future is here.”
The U.S. has invested about $4 billion to refurbish the dilapidated cross-continental Lobito Corridor track, which runs from copper-rich Zambia, through mineral-rich Congo and then to the port. Once the full route is completed — which officials say will happen by the end of this decade — the system will cut a road journey of some 45 days to a rail trip of 45 hours.
On Wednesday, Biden announced the United States will invest $600 million more to upgrade the rail, develop the corridor and expand agriculture. And while this project is small compared to China’s sprawling Belt and Road Initiative, Biden emphasized that the U.S. seeks true partnership with African nations.
“The United States understands that how we invest in Africa is just as important as how much we invest in Africa,” he said, flanked by the leaders of Angola, Congo, Zambia and the vice president of Tanzania, who met with Biden to tout the project and plot a path forward.
Angolan President Joao Lourenco said: “This will be a linchpin for the economic development that will provide the participation of small and medium enterprises in the business value chain, mainly in agriculture, industry and mining in order to increase trade and economic growth of SADC [Southern Africa Development Community] region and the Eastern African region.”
And from Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi, whose massive, mineral-rich nation has much to gain: “The corridor is way more than just a transportation access,” he said. “It is a unique opportunity for regional integration, economic transformation, and to improve the living conditions of our fellow citizens.”
Analysts are quick to note that this is no charity.
“From the U.S. and an EU point of view, it’s like if we don’t have access to the critical minerals for the green economy, we’ll lag behind in terms of greening the global economy,” said E.D. Wala Chabala, an independent economic policy and strategy consultant.
A top Angolan agricultural official told VOA that Angola hopes to use this boost to one day export higher-value items duty free to the U.S. through the Africa Growth and Opportunities Act.
“We are also very focused on promoting internal production, effectively solving our need to feed and as the process allows us to effectively evolve towards opportunities such as AGOA,” said Anderson Jeronimo, who heads the Planning Statistics Studies Office of the Ministry of Agriculture.
Mayra Fernandes contributed to this report.
…
Trump’s defense pick ‘unusual,’ hints at major military changes
President-elect Donald Trump made a largely unexpected pick to run the world’s largest military, nominating Fox News television host and Army veteran Pete Hegseth to be defense secretary. VOA Pentagon Correspondent Carla Babb has more.
…
California takes first steps to protect policies from Trump
Special session of the state Legislature met this week to prepare for expected legal clashes with the new administration
…
US senators vow action after briefing on Chinese Salt Typhoon telecom hacking
WASHINGTON — U.S. government agencies held a classified briefing for all senators on Wednesday on China’s alleged efforts known as Salt Typhoon to burrow deep into American telecommunications companies and steal data about U.S. calls.
The FBI, Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines, Federal Communications Commission Chair Jessica Rosenworcel, the National Security Council and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency were among the participants in the closed-door briefing, officials told Reuters.
Democratic Senator Ron Wyden told reporters after the briefing he was working to draft legislation on this issue, while Senator Bob Casey said he had “great concern” about the breach and added it may not be until next year before Congress can address the issue.
Republican Senator Rick Scott expressed frustration with the briefing.
“They have not told us why they didn’t catch it; what they could have done to prevent it,” he said.
Chinese officials have previously described the allegations as disinformation and said Beijing “firmly opposes and combats cyberattacks and cyber theft in all forms.”
Separately, a Senate Commerce subcommittee will hold a December 11 hearing on Salt Typhoon and how “security threats pose risks to our communications networks and review best practices.” The hearing will include Competitive Carriers Association CEO Tim Donovan.
There is growing concern about the size and scope of the reported Chinese hacking into U.S. telecommunications networks and questions about when companies and the government can assure Americans over the matter.
A U.S. official told reporters a large number of Americans’ metadata has been stolen in the sweeping cyber espionage campaign, adding that dozens of companies across the world had been hit by the hackers, including at least eight telecommunications and telecom infrastructure firms in the United States.
“The extent and depth and breadth of Chinese hacking is absolutely mind-boggling — that we would permit as much as has happened in just the last year is terrifying,” Senator Richard Blumenthal said.
Incoming FCC Chair Brendan Carr said Wednesday he will work “with national security agencies through the transition and next year in an effort to root out the threat and secure our networks.”
U.S. officials have previously alleged the hackers targeted Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, Lumen and others and stole phone audio intercepts along with a large tranche of call record data.
T-Mobile said it does not believe hackers got access to its customer information. Lumen said there is no evidence customer data was accessed on its network.
Verizon CEO Hans Vestberg, AT&T CEO John Stankey, Lumen CEO Kate Johnson and T-Mobile took part in a November 22 White House meeting on the issue.
Verizon said “several weeks ago, we became aware that a highly sophisticated, nation-state actor accessed several of the nation’s telecom company networks, including Verizon” adding the incident was focused on a very small subset of individuals in government and politics.
AT&T said it is “working in close coordination with federal law enforcement, industry peers and cyber security experts to identify and remediate any impact on our networks.”
CISA told reporters on Tuesday that it could not offer a timetable for ridding America’s telecom networks of all hackers.
“It would be impossible for us to predict when we’ll have full eviction,” CISA official Jeff Greene said.
…
From VOA Mandarin: Biden hits hard at China’s AI; Trump may pound harder
The Biden administration issued what is likely its final set of export control rules against Beijing earlier this week. The rules forbid companies from exporting an important chip component crucial for training artificial intelligence to China. Experts say it will further constrain the Chinese supply chain for AI. They also expect the next Trump administration to further expand Washington’s strategic tech blockade against China in a more assertive way.
See the full story here.
your ad here