International
Biden says that Floyd’s death at the hands of the police four years ago changed the world
President Joe Biden said on Friday that the death of African-American George Floyd at the hands of the Police four years ago, which raised massive protests in the United States and other countries, changed the world and “shook the conscience of our country.”
“The day before Floyd’s funeral, his little daughter Gianna told me ‘Dad has changed the world,’” Biden recalled according to a statement from the White House. “Four years after the murder of his father, there is no doubt that he has done it.”
On May 25, 2020, in Minneapolis (Minnesota), Floyd was arrested by police officers from that city and one of them, Derek Chauvin, pressed his knee for more than nine minutes on the neck of the victim who was handcuffed and asked for help.
The autopsy determined that Floyd’s heart had stopped beating while he was subjected to Chauvin and that his death had been a homicide caused by a cardiopulmonary arrest, although the consumption of fentanyl and a heart disease were factors that contributed to his death.
Floyd’s murder, recorded on video, triggered a huge wave of protests in several cities in the United States against racism and police violence that lasted for months and gave impetus to the ‘Black Lives Matter’ movement.
“Floyd should be alive today,” Biden said. “His assassination shook the conscience of our nation and reminded us that our country has never fully fulfilled its highest ideal of a system of impartial justice for all.”
“As a result, we witnessed one of the largest civil rights movements in the history of our nation, in which people from all sectors marched together against racism and systemic injustice,” he added.
Biden pointed out that black and Latino communities “too often have endured the onslaught of injustice.”
After Floyd’s death, the city of Minneapolis reached a reconciliation for 27 million dollars with his family. Chauvin was prosecuted and convicted in June 2021, he received a sentence of 22 and a half years in prison.
Three other police officers involved in the incident were convicted of violating Floyd’s civil rights.
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
Extension of the state of emergency approved in southern Chile
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