International

Trump elects Robert Kennedy Jr. as Secretary of Health

The President-elect of the United States, Donald Trump, elected this Thursday the former presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., known for his conspiracy theories about vaccines, as the new Secretary of Health.

Trump stressed on his social network, Truth Social, that ensuring the health of citizens is the most important position of the Administration and stressed that “for too long Americans have been crushed by the industrial food system and pharmaceutical companies that have been involved in deception and misinformation with regard to public health.”

Elected Robert Kennedy Jr. to guarantee health rights

The future president promised that the Ministry of Health will play an important role in ensuring that the population is protected “from harmful chemicals, pollutants, pesticides, pharmaceuticals and food additives that have contributed to the overwhelming health crisis” in the country.

Kennedy Jr., in his opinion, will ensure that those agencies return to the mandates of science “to end the epidemic of chronic diseases and make the United States great and healthy again.”

At a rally in New York at the end of the election campaign, Trump had already advanced that if he won on November 5 to the vice president and Democratic candidate, Kamala Harris, he would allow Kennedy Jr. to “go crazy” with health.

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The son of the former US Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy and nephew of former President John F. Kennedy, both murdered in the sixties, is in Trump’s opinion “a fantastic guy” and with good knowledge about pesticides and the environment.

Alternative in the US elections.

Before giving his support to Trump, Kennedy Jr. began his failed presidential career on the Democratic side.

In April of last year he presented himself as the alternative to President, Joe Biden, and announced his aspirations to be the candidate of that party, but in October he pointed out that he was leaving that formation to run as an independent, something that he finally ended up failing.

Much of the Kennedy clan had turned its back on him for the conspiracy theories he began to spread during the pandemic about vaccines and COVID-19, such as that this virus aimed to attack Caucasians and blacks and that the most immune people are the Chinese and the Askenazi Jews.

Kennedy Jr. has also linked mass shootings in schools with antidepressants such as Prozac, has denounced that Democrats receive much more money from pharmaceutical companies than Republicans and is convinced that vaccines cause autism.

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Trump had assured him that he would have a position related to Health in his future Executive: “Promise fulfilled,” said this Thursday in X the eldest son of the former president (2017-2021) and New York tycoon, Donald Trump Jr.

His appointment joins the controversial list with which Trump is supporting his second term, which includes as attorney general the far-right legislator Matt Gaetz, accused of sexual trafficking of a minor, the owner of X, Elon Musk, as head of government efficiency or Fox News presenter Pete Hegseth as head of the Pentagon.

International

U.S. Senate Rejects Budget, Bringing Government Closer to Shutdown Amid DHS Dispute

The U.S. Senate voted on Thursday against a budget proposal in a move aimed at pressuring changes at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), following the killing of two civilians during a deployment of immigration agents in Minneapolis.

All Senate Democrats and seven Republican lawmakers voted against the bill, which requires 60 votes to advance, pushing the country closer to a partial government shutdown that would cut funding for several agencies, including the Pentagon and the Department of Health.

The rejection came as Senate leaders and the White House continue negotiations on a separate funding package for DHS that would allow reforms to the agency. Proposed measures include banning Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents from wearing face coverings and requiring them to use body-worn cameras during operations.

The vote took place just hours after President Donald Trump said he was “close” to reaching an agreement with Democrats and did not believe the federal government would face another shutdown, following last year’s record stoppage.

“I don’t think the Democrats want a shutdown either, so we’ll work in a bipartisan way to avoid it. Hopefully, there will be no government shutdown. We’re working on that right now,” Trump said during a Cabinet meeting at the White House.

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International

Trump Says Putin Agreed to One-Week Halt in Attacks on Ukraine Amid Extreme Cold

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that he secured a commitment from Russian President Vladimir Putinto halt attacks against Ukraine for one week, citing extreme weather conditions affecting the region.

“Because of the extreme cold (…) I personally asked Putin not to attack Kyiv or other cities and towns for a week. And he agreed. He was very pleasant,” Trump said during a Cabinet meeting broadcast by the White House.

Trump acknowledged that several advisers had questioned the decision to make the call.
“A lot of people told me not to waste the call because they wouldn’t agree. And he accepted. And we’re very happy they did, because they don’t need missiles hitting their towns and cities,” the president said.

According to Trump, Ukrainian authorities reacted with surprise to the announcement but welcomed the possibility of a temporary ceasefire.
“It’s extraordinarily cold, record cold (…) They say they’ve never experienced cold like this,” he added.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky later commented on the announcement, expressing hope that the agreement would be honored.

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International

Storm Kristin Kills Five in Portugal, Leaves Nearly 500,000 Without Power

Storm Kristin, which battered Portugal with heavy rain and strong winds early Wednesday, has left at least five people dead, while nearly half a million residents remained without electricity as of Thursday, according to updated figures from authorities.

The revised death toll was confirmed to AFP by a spokesperson for the National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority (ANPEC). On Wednesday, the agency had reported four fatalities.

Meanwhile, E-Redes, the country’s electricity distribution network operator, said that around 450,000 customers were still without power, particularly in central Portugal.

Emergency services responded to approximately 1,500 incidents between midnight and 8:00 a.m. local time on Wednesday, as the storm caused widespread disruptions.

The Portuguese government described Kristin as an “extreme weather event” that inflicted significant damage across several regions of the country. At the height of the storm, as many as 850,000 households and institutions lost electricity during the early hours of Wednesday.

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Several municipalities ordered the closure of schools, many of which remained shut on Thursday due to ongoing adverse conditions.

Ricardo Costa, regional deputy commander of the Leiria Fire Brigade, said residents continue to seek assistance as rainfall persists.
“Even though the rain is not extremely intense, it is causing extensive damage to homes,” he noted.

In Figueira da Foz, a coastal city in central Portugal, strong winds toppled a giant Ferris wheel, underscoring the severity of the storm.