International
Trump and Harris campaign in the US Midwest 4 days before the elections
The former president of the United States Donald Trump (2017-2021) and Vice President Kamala Harris encouraged their voters in two key states in the Midwest, 4 days before a tight election that will define the country’s political future for the next four years.
Both candidates had several stops in the two states, Michigan and Wisconsin, and ended the day in Milwaukee, in campaign events just a few kilometers away from each other.
In addition, they emphasized their respective proposals for the country and what differentiates them from each other.
Campaigning all over the country
Harris focused on the importance of the young vote, whom he called the “promise” of the United States and insisted on his vision of unity and collaboration with the Republicans, while Trump emphasized his “love for the country” and assured that the Democrat “hates” the nation.
“He is not a good person (…) I think he hates them,” the former president told his followers and added that he believes that the former prosecutor is “incompetent” and that she has been “the worst vice president in history.”
Harris, for his part, insisted that he believes it is necessary to work with Trump’s party: “I promise to look for common points and find common sense solutions for the challenges we face.”
Several artists participated in the Harris event, including rappers GloRila and Cardi B. The latter gave a speech in which she revealed that she made the decision to vote when the vice president replaced Joe Biden in the Democratic candidacy.
Trump appeals to Arab voters and Biden to the working class
Before visiting Milwaukee, Trump visited Dearborn (Michigan), considered the “Arab capital” of the United States, to fish votes between the Arab and Muslim community, very unhappy with the Democrats for supporting the Israeli offensive on the Gaza Strip.
When visiting a restaurant of Arab owners, the New York tycoon assured that if he wins the elections there will be “peace in the Middle East,” although he did not detail any plan to achieve it.
Trump was questioned by the press about the controversy unleashed on Thursday by suggesting that former Republican Congressman Liz Cheney, facing the former president, should face a firing squad.
Far from rectifying, the Republican again lashed out at Cheney, assuring that he is “a war falcon” and a “unfortunate.”
All for the middle class
“The middle class built this country and the unions built the middle class,” Biden said, repeating one of his best-known phrases and arousing the applause of those present.
Unions are a fundamental pillar in political support for Biden throughout his career, and now the president seeks to transfer that support from the working class to Harris in states with great labor electoral weight such as Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin.
Michigan and Wisconsin are part of the states known as the ‘blue wall’ traditionally democratic thanks to the urban African-American vote and the white working class, until in 2016 they leaned towards former President Donald Trump.
Biden recovered them in 2020 for the Democrats, but four years later they are at risk again: the polls predict a close contest, with Harris outperforeing Trump by a margin of only 1 percentage point, according to the survey aggregator portal FiveThirtyEight.
International
Kristi Noem credits Trump for mass migrant deportations by mexican president
U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem claimed that Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has deported “more than half a million” migrants due to pressure from former President Donald Trump.
During a cabinet meeting highlighting the “achievements” of Trump’s administration in its first 100 days, Noem asserted that under the Republican leader’s influence, “Mexico has finally come to the table” to negotiate on migration and fentanyl trafficking.
“The president of Mexico told me she has returned just over half a million people before they reached our border,” Noem stated, criticizing media reports that suggest the Biden administration deported more migrants than Trump’s.
“I wish those deportations were counted,” Noem added, “because those people never made it to our border—she sent them back because you made her.” She went on to thank Trump: “They never made it here because they got the message—because you were so aggressive.”
Noem has made controversial claims about Sheinbaum in the past, prompting the Mexican leader to refute them.
On April 1, Sheinbaum responded to one such statement by declaring, “The president answers to only one authority, and that is the people of Mexico,” after Noem said on Fox News that she gave Sheinbaum “a list of things Trump would like to see” and that Mexico’s actions would determine whether Trump granted tariff relief.
International
Vatican releases special “Sede Vacante” stamps ahead of papal transition
he Vatican’s post offices and select collector shops began selling special edition stamps this week to mark the period between the death of Pope Francis and the election of his successor.
Known as “Sede Vacante” stamps, they feature an image used on official Vatican documents during the interregnum between popes — two crossed keys without the papal tiara. These stamps went on sale Monday and will remain valid for postal use only until the new pontiff appears at the window overlooking St. Peter’s Square.
Until then, they can be used to send letters, postcards, and parcels. “Once the new pope is elected, the stamps lose their postal validity, but their collectible value rises,” said Francesco Santarossa, who runs a collectors’ shop across from St. Peter’s Square.
The Vatican has issued the stamps in four denominations: €1.25, €1.30, €2.45, and €3.20. Each is inscribed with “Città del Vaticano” and “Sede Vacante MMXXV” — Latin for “Vacant See 2025.”
International
Conclave to choose pope Francis’ successor could begin in early may
The conclave, which in the coming weeks must choose the successor to Pope Francis, will strictly follow a precise protocol refined over centuries.
The 135 cardinal electors, all under the age of 80, will cast their votes four times a day — except on the first day — until one candidate secures a two-thirds majority. The result will be announced to the world through the burning of the ballots with a chemical that produces the eagerly awaited white smoke, accompanied by the traditional cry of “Habemus Papam.”
The start date for the conclave could be announced today, as the cardinals are set to hold their fifth meeting since the pope’s passing. Luxembourg Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich suggested it could begin on May 5 or 6, following the traditional nine days of mourning. According to German Cardinal Reinhard Marx, the conclave could last only “a few days.”
Although the late Argentine pontiff appointed the majority of the cardinal electors, this does not necessarily ensure the selection of a like-minded successor. Francis’ leadership style differed significantly from that of his predecessor, Benedict XVI, a German theologian who was less fond of large public gatherings. It also marked a contrast with the popular Polish pope, John Paul II.
The Argentine Jesuit’s reformist papacy drew strong criticism from more conservative sectors of the Church, who are hoping for a doctrinally focused shift. His tenure was marked by efforts to combat clerical sexual abuse, elevate the role of women and laypeople, and advocate for the poor and migrants, among other causes.
Kristi Noem credits Trump for mass migrant deportations by mexican president
Vatican releases special “Sede Vacante” stamps ahead of papal transition
Conclave to choose pope Francis’ successor could begin in early may
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