International
The Baltimore Fallen Bridge: 2,632 meters in length immortalized in the series ‘The Wire’
The Francis Scott Key Bridge, which collapsed on Tuesday after a freighter crashed into it, is the largest in Baltimore, the capital of the state of Maryland: it has a length of 2,632 meters and more than 11 million vehicles travel through it a year.
This bridge was immortalized by “The Wire”, the successful American television series set in Baltimore about judicial telephone interventions against a police group and in which many of its characters are based on real people from the city.
Named in honor of the poet Francis Scott Key, author of the lyrics of the American anthem, the construction of the current bridge began in 1972 and was inaugurated on March 23, 1977.
The structure crosses the lower part of the Patapsco River between Hawkins Point and Sollers Point and runs through it by the I-695 motorway (Baltimore Beltway).
The bridge that collapsed this Tuesday is, according to the organization Historic Sites, heir to the one built between 1833 and 1843 with stone pillars, demolished in 1915, as well as the one that replaced it, a concrete arch inaugurated in 1923.
He already had the name of Francis Scott Key because the artist lived in an area near the beginning of the 19th century. Originally the bridge was known as ‘Outer Harbor Crossing’.
Every summer, in addition, the U.S. Coast Guard deploys the commemorative buoy of the poet Francis Scott Key on the Patapsco River, in the vicinity of the bridge.
The star-covered buoy marks the approximate location where Francis Scott Key wrote the national anthem, ‘The Star-Spangled Banner’, while trying to facilitate the release of a prisoner held on a British ship during the bombing of Fort McHenry in 1814.
The piles of the bridge and other components form an underwater reef that attracts fish, such as striped sea bass or perch, so the place is appreciated by sports fishing enthusiasts.
The area also attracts recreational boats, and tourist boats and local cruises offer travel routes near the bridge.
Near the western end of the bridge, in Fort Armistead Park, there are ramps for launching boats, a fishing dock and views of the bridge.
Baltimore, an important seaport even before the American Revolution settled in Chesapeake Bay, is the most populous city in the state of Maryland.
It has just over 600,000 inhabitants in the urban center and 2,700,000 in its metropolitan area.
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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