International
Trump ally in Congress faces public shaming over violent video
AFP
US lawmakers will vote Wednesday to censure a Trump loyalist for posting an animated video depicting him killing a colleague and attacking President Joe Biden, in a rare move underlining the enmity between opposing sides of Congress.
Far right congressman Paul Gosar will be on the end of a public shaming if the punishment goes ahead — called to present himself in the “well” of the House of Representatives for the “pronouncement of the censure.”
The Arizona Republican would be made to stand and listen in silence as the speaker reads a text spelling out that “depictions of violence can foment actual violence and jeopardize the safety of elected officials, as witnessed in this chamber on January 6, 2021.”
A censure resolution is the most severe form of punishment in the House and just a handful of members have faced the sanction over the last century — most recently 11 years ago.
Gosar would also join fellow Trumpist agitator Marjorie Taylor Greene as the second House Republican to lose their position on House committees this year.
An outspoken Donald Trump ally who echoes the former president’s false claims that the 2020 election was stolen, Gosar has been condemned for his associations with white nationalists and his praise for the rioters who stormed the US Capitol on January 6.
He is in the firing line anew after tweeting out a video in the Japanese anime style showing him killing New York Democratic congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and attacking Biden with a sword.
“At some point, you have to say, ‘enough is enough,’” House Rules Committee chairman Jim McGovern said Tuesday.
Gosar removed the video — which received millions of views — after a backlash but has not expressed any regret in public or apologized to his targets.
The vote is expected to be a formality as the sanction requires a simple majority, and the Democrats have three to spare, plus support from at least two Republicans.
Opposition lawmakers have complained that there should have been an ethics investigation before any punishment was meted out, but they have shown little interest in holding Gosar to account.
Some Republicans are making it clear behind the scenes that they intend to retaliate if they win the majority in 2022.
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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