International
Six things to know about Biden’s first 100 days
AFP/Editor
President Joe Biden has hit some big targets in 100 days, starting with an epic effort to pull the United States from its Covid-19 nightmare, but headaches lie ahead.
Here are three big achievements and three areas where much remains to be done.
– DONE OR GETTING DONE –
1. Covid vaccinations: the raging pandemic was the gravest single threat facing Biden’s administration when he took over on January 20. The solution was mass vaccinations.
On this, Biden is delivering. Last week he celebrated the 200th million vaccine shot administered and Covid deaths have fallen dramatically.
2. Economic stimulus: Biden pushed through a nearly $2 trillion rescue plan for an economy that has been hobbled and hollowed by the more than year-long coronavirus shutdown.
Although Democrats control Congress, their margin is razor thin and he had to work hard to get the American Rescue Plan passed. Polls show it is popular both among Democratic and Republican voters.
3. Foreign policy rethink: Biden’s priority was to undo what he saw as the reckless damage caused by Donald Trump to traditional US alliances.
Inviting Japan’s Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga as the first foreign leader to the White House showed that Washington is serious about its ties to Asia.
The White House says Biden’s own first foreign trip will be to Europe, where he will attend G7, NATO and EU summits in June. The transatlantic alliance, which Trump questioned, is back.
As well as returning the United States to the Paris climate accord and seeking to revive the Iranian nuclear negotiations, Biden has also set a clear date for pulling the final US soldier out of Afghanistan: September 11.
– STILL TO DO –
1. Working with Congress: Biden promised bipartisanship but so far he has worked on the back of a razor thin Democratic majority.
That raises growing doubts over his upcoming big projects — an infrastructure bill, greening of the economy, police brutality reforms and immigration.
Midterm congressional elections next year could erase the Democrats’ advantage in Congress.
2. Immigration: nowhere has the smooth running Biden administration stumbled more than on handling illegal immigration at the southern border.
Biden promised a more humane approach after Trump’s hardline crackdown, which relied largely on physical barriers.
But the new administration was unprepared for a surge in people, many from Central America. Facilities overwhelmed with unaccompanied migrant children provided Republican critics with political ammunition while angering Biden’s own supporters.
The administration’s confusing back-and-forth on promises to greatly increase the cap on refugees allowed into the United States has fueled the sense of disarray.
3. Foreign policy trouble: Although Biden moved quickly to repair ties with allies, his plans for dealing with adversaries remain very much a work in progress.
He has also yet to be tested by a genuine crisis. China, Iran, North Korea and Russia could provide one at any time.
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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