International
Smoke blanketing U.S. and Canada could last for days as fires continue unabated
June 8 |
On air quality maps, purple indicates the most serious situation. In reality, it is a dangerously dense haze that disrupts the daily lives of millions of people across the United States and Canada, obscuring the skyline of cities and painting the sky orange.
And with little change in the weather forecast, smoke from the fires in Quebec and Nova Scotia and fine particulate clouds reaching as far as North Carolina should continue through Thursday, and possibly into the weekend.
That’s at least one more day in a dystopian environment that brought players off baseball fields, brought actors off Broadway stages, delayed thousands of flights and prompted the reappearance of facemasks and telecommuting, while raising concerns about the health effects of prolonged exposure to such poor-quality air.
The system causing the big U.S.-Candy smoke – a low-pressure system over Maine and Nova Scotia – “will possibly stick around for at least the next few days,” said Bryan Ramsey, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.
“Conditions are likely to remain unhealthy, at least until the wind direction changes or the fires are put out,” he added. “Given that the fires are active, and they’re really large, they’re likely to continue for weeks. So it’s all going to depend on the wind shift.”
In the eastern United States, authorities warned residents to stay indoors and limit outdoor activity Thursday as well, extending “code red” alerts for poor air quality for the third straight day as forecasts show winds will continue to push smoke-laden air southward.
In Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser ordered schools to cancel outdoor recess and field trips on Thursday. In the Philadelphia suburbs, authorities set up a shelter for the homeless to take shelter from the smoke.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said the state will distribute 1 million N95 masks – those recommended at the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic – at state facilities including 400,000 in New York City.
The more than 400 active fires in Canada have displaced 20,000 people. The United States sent more than 600 firefighters and equipment to the country to fight the blaze, and other countries also provided assistance.
In a phone conversation on Wednesday, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau thanked President Joe Biden for his support, the Canadian president’s office said, adding that the two “recognized the need to work together to address the devastating impact of climate change.”
Canadian authorities say the country is suffering the worst fire season in its history. It started earlier than expected because the ground is drier than usual and accelerated rapidly. Smoke from fires had been affecting the United States since last month, but the situation was exacerbated by recent blazes in Quebec, where on Wednesday there were about a hundred burning out of control.
International
Study finds COVID-19 vaccines prevented 2.5 million deaths worldwide
COVID-19 vaccines prevented an estimated 2,533,000 deaths worldwide between 2020 and 2024, according to an international study led by Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore in Italy and Stanford University in the United States, published in the journal JAMA Health Forum. Researchers calculated that one death was prevented for every 5,400 doses administered.
The analysis also found that the vaccines saved 14.8 million years of life, equivalent to one year of life gained for every 900 doses given.
The study, coordinated by Professor Stefania Boccia, revealed that 82% of the lives saved were people vaccinated before becoming infected with the virus, and 57% of deaths avoided occurred during the Omicron wave. In addition, 90% of the beneficiaries were adults over 60 years old.
“This is the most comprehensive analysis to date, based on global data and fewer assumptions about the evolution of the pandemic,” explained Boccia and researcher Angelo Maria Pezzullo.
International
Trump administration blasts judge’s ruling reinstating TPS for Honduras, Nepal, and Nicaragua
The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump criticized a federal judge’s ruling on Friday that reinstated Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Honduras, Nepal, and Nicaragua, stressing that the immigration program was never intended to serve as a “de facto asylum system.”
On Thursday, Judge Trina Thompson extended protections for about 7,000 Nepalese immigrants, whose TPS was set to expire on August 5. The ruling also impacts roughly 51,000 Hondurans and nearly 3,000 Nicaraguans, whose TPS protections were scheduled to end on September 8.
Immigrants covered by TPS had sued the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), alleging that the program’s termination was driven by “racial animus” and stripped them of protection from deportation.
DHS Deputy Undersecretary Tricia McLaughlin issued a statement saying the decision to end TPS was part of a mandate to “restore the integrity” of the immigration system and return the program to its original purpose.
“TPS was never conceived as a de facto asylum system; however, that is how previous administrations have used it for decades,” McLaughlin emphasized.
She also criticized Judge Thompson, calling the ruling “another example” of judges “stirring up claims of racism to distract from the facts.”
McLaughlin added that DHS would appeal the decision and take the legal battle to higher courts.
The Trump administration has also terminated TPS protections for approximately 160,000 Ukrainians, 350,000 Venezuelans, and at least half a million Haitians, among other immigrant groups.
International
Trump to build $200M ballroom at the White House by 2028
The U.S. government under President Donald Trump announced on Thursday that it will begin construction in September on a new 8,000-square-meter ballroom at the White House.
The announcement was made by Karoline Leavitt, the administration’s press secretary, during a briefing in which she explained that the expansion responds to the need for a larger venue to host “major events.”
“Other presidents have long wished for a space capable of accommodating large gatherings within the White House complex… President Trump has committed to solving this issue,” Leavitt told reporters.
The project is estimated to cost $200 million, fully funded through donations from Trump himself and other “patriots,” according to a government statement. Construction is scheduled to begin in September and is expected to be completed before Trump’s term ends in 2028.
The Clark Construction Group, a Virginia-based company known for projects such as the Capital One Arena and L’Enfant Plaza in Washington, D.C., has been selected to lead the project.
The new ballroom will be built on the East Wing of the White House, expanding the iconic residence with a space designed for state dinners, official ceremonies, and large-scale events.
Study finds COVID-19 vaccines prevented 2.5 million deaths worldwide
Trump administration blasts judge’s ruling reinstating TPS for Honduras, Nepal, and Nicaragua
Costa Rica faces historic vote on lifting presidential immunity for Rodrigo Chaves
Tec de Monterrey honors one of its students for his contribution to nanotechnology in medicine
Defense Minister commends salvadoran soldier for Central American Cross Country victory
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