International
Biden hammers Republican ‘chaos’ in economic speech
January 26 | By AFP |
President Joe Biden said Thursday he will veto any Republican legislation that threatens to sow “chaos” in the US economy.
“I will not let it happen. Not on my watch. I will veto everything,” he said in a speech laying out his economic vision at a Virginia pipe fitters union hall.
Biden said congressional Republicans’ push to block expansion of the nation’s borrowing limit, threatening a US debt default, would spark “chaos” and “pain” for the world’s number one economy.
He described another major Republican economic idea — replacing the income tax with a 30 percent sales tax — as “almost unbelievable” and a gimmick to allow “millionaires and billionaires” to avoid paying taxes.
The speech, which touted Biden’s promise of a US manufacturing rebirth, laid out the attack lines of the Democrat’s expected 2024 re-election bid.
The president, who at 80 is already the oldest US leader in the nation’s history, has not yet announced whether he will seek a second term.
However, a decision is expected soon and the timing of US economic resurgence from the Covid-19 pandemic shutdowns appears to be working in Biden’s favor.
Only a few months ago, Biden looked deeply vulnerable as the highest inflation in four decades ate into Americans’ savings and salaries, while economists sounded increasingly pessimistic on the prospects of avoiding a recession.
The latest data on Friday showing GDP growth of 2.1 percent in 2022, with a stronger than expected 2.9 percent surge in October to December, gave ammunition to Biden administration officials who argue that they have instead managed to steer the world’s largest economy out of danger.
Likewise, inflation has been slowly but steadily dropping from highs through six straight months.
Polls show Biden remains unpopular — with only a 42 percent average approval rating. There is lukewarm enthusiasm, even among Democrats, for him to seek a second term, which he would complete at the age of 86.
But with hard-right Republicans holding sway in the House of Representatives and Donald Trump already campaigning to try a comeback in 2024, Biden’s calculus is that he will be able to repeat his feat in 2020 when Americans opted for his centrist message.
To underline his economic credentials, Biden announced what the White House is calling an “Invest in America Cabinet” comprising the secretaries of commerce, labor, transportation, treasury, energy, health and the environment.
International
Five Bodies Found in Ecuador as Police Probe Suspected Gang Turf War
Ecuadorian authorities are investigating the deaths of five people whose bodies were found inside a rural home, in what police believe may be linked to a territorial dispute between organized criminal groups.
The victims, aged between 21 and 30, were discovered Tuesday in the town of La Troncal, in the Andean province of Cañar. Police reported that two of the bodies were bound with wire, while a burned-out vehicle was found outside the residence.
Investigators said graffiti on the walls of the house included messages such as “Lobos territory” and “Lobos active,” suggesting a possible connection to the criminal organization known as Los Lobos.
Police believe the killings were likely the result of a conflict over territorial control between rival gangs.
The discovery came on the same day authorities arrested a former mayor in the neighboring province of Azuay. Officials identified him as the alleged main financial backer of Los Lobos, one of Ecuador’s most powerful criminal organizations.
Ecuador has experienced an unprecedented surge in violence in recent years, driven by criminal groups involved in drug trafficking, illegal mining, kidnapping, and extortion.
According to Insight Crime, the country recorded 51 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants in 2025—equivalent to roughly one killing every hour—making it one of the most violent countries in Latin America.
International
Georgia Teen Sentenced to Life Without Parole for Deadly School Shooting
A Georgia teenager who killed four people in a 2024 school shooting was sentenced Tuesday to life in prison without the possibility of parole after pleading guilty to the attack.
Colt Gray, now 16, admitted to opening fire at Apalachee High School in Winder, about 70 kilometers (45 miles) northeast of Atlanta. He was 14 years old at the time of the shooting.
The attack claimed the lives of two students and two teachers, while nine other people were injured. Despite being a minor when the shooting occurred, Gray was prosecuted as an adult.
During the sentencing hearing, Judge Nicholas Trimm acknowledged the failures of the teenager’s family but said they did not excuse his actions.
“Your parents failed you. Your family failed you. But that does not absolve you,” the judge said.
Trimm also rejected any suggestion that the shooting was motivated by bullying or personal grievances.
“You were not bullied at Apalachee. This was not driven by hate. You didn’t know anyone at that school. It was simply the desire to commit a notorious act,” he told Gray.
The case also led to the prosecution of the shooter’s father, Colin Gray, who was convicted in March of voluntary manslaughter and involuntary manslaughter. The case marked one of the first instances in which a parent was held criminally responsible for a mass shooting carried out by their child.
Prosecutors said Colin Gray had given his son an AR-15-style rifle as a Christmas gift in 2023, despite being aware that the teenager had previously threatened to carry out a school shooting.
Authorities said the same rifle was used in the attack less than a year later. Months before the shooting, FBI investigators had alerted local law enforcement after receiving reports of online messages linked to the Gray family’s internet address that referenced plans for a school massacre.
The case reflects growing legal scrutiny in the United States over the responsibility of parents whose children commit acts of gun violence.
In a similar case, the parents of a Michigan teenager who killed four people at his high school in 2021 were convicted of involuntary manslaughter in 2024 and sentenced to prison terms ranging from 10 to 15 years.
According to U.S. health authorities, firearms have been the leading cause of death among children and teenagers in the United States for several years.
International
Portuguese Authorities Seize 2.6 Tons of Cocaine Worth More Than $550 Million in Drug Bust
Italian financial police reported Monday that Portuguese authorities intercepted a speedboat carrying more than 2.6 tons of cocaine, with an estimated street value exceeding $550 million.
Four people — two Spanish nationals, one Albanian citizen, and a man from Gibraltar — were arrested in connection with the operation, according to Italian authorities.
The vessel was intercepted off the coast of Lisbon by Portugal’s maritime police following an investigation led by Italian authorities.
Italian financial police estimated that the seized shipment had a street value of approximately 500 million euros ($570 million), making it one of the largest drug seizures reported in the region in recent years.
Portuguese authorities said the interception took place on Thursday, about 90 kilometers (50 nautical miles) southwest of Cape Espichel, during an operation targeting international drug trafficking routes.
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