International

A federal committee leaves the decision on the purchase of US Steel in the hands of Joe Biden

The United States Foreign Investment Committee (CFIUS), a federal agency chaired by the Treasury Department, told the White House that it is unable to reach an agreement on the purchase of the steel company US Steel by the Japanese Nippon Steel.

The committee informed Washington that it has not reached a consensus on the risk that the operation – valued at 14.9 billion dollars – would pose in national security, thus passing the final decision to President Joe Biden, who has previously opposed the transaction.

“The CFIUS has notified us that the committee has not been able to reach a consensus on the transaction and has sent it to the president to make a decision,” the American company reported today in a statement released on its social networks.

The company indicated that the operation is “the best way” to ensure that US Steel, its employees, communities and customers, “thris in the future.”

And he added that “it improves US national and economic security through investment in manufacturing and innovation and forges a steel alliance to combat China’s competitive threat.”

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“We hope that President Biden does the right thing and adheres to the law,” he said.

Biden, who has previously alleged that “US steel companies should be owned by Americans,” is expected to block the operation before leaving the White House.

Last December, Nippon Steel reached an agreement for the acquisition of the American company that was founded 122 years ago, although since then the operation has been quarantined by the US authorities.

The Japanese company also offered to invest another 2.7 billion in modernizing its plants (which are spread throughout the country), guaranteeing jobs and the majority presence of Americans in its management team and its Board of Directors.

The operation – which would create the third largest steel company in the world – has also been opposed by President-elect Donald Trump, who spoke out “totally against the once large and powerful US Steel being bought by a foreign company.”

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They ask Nippon for guarantees

Likewise, the president of the United Steelworkers (USW) union, David McCall, is also against the transaction, who has asked Nippon Steel to guarantee the “protection of jobs,” as he believes that the Japanese company will “abandon” the company.

For his part, the company’s CEO, David Burritt, told The Wall Street Journal in September that if the sale was not authorized, U.S. Steel would have to close plants and eliminate thousands of jobs in the country.

The acquisition, designed to compete against Chinese rivals, would create the third largest steel mill in the world.
After the news was announced, US Steel shares on the Wall Street stock exchange fell by 3% in operations after closing.

International

White House says Cuba policy unchanged despite sanctioned fuel shipment

The White House said Monday that it has not changed its policy toward Cuba, despite allowing a sanctioned Russian oil tanker to deliver fuel to the island on humanitarian grounds.

U.S. officials emphasized that the decision was made as an exception and does not signal a broader shift in policy.

The administration added that similar decisions would be evaluated on a case-by-case basis, depending on humanitarian considerations.

The clarification comes amid ongoing restrictions related to U.S. sanctions policy, which continue to limit trade and financial flows involving Cuba.

International

Spain to grant citizenship to Venezuelan opposition leader Leopoldo López

The Spanish government is expected to grant citizenship this Tuesday to Venezuelan opposition leader Leopoldo Lópezthrough an extraordinary procedure known as “carta de naturaleza.”

The decision will be approved by royal decree, an exceptional legal mechanism used in special cases that require expedited resolution due to specific circumstances.

López has been living in Madrid since 2020, after leaving Venezuela following a prolonged political and legal conflict with the government of Nicolás Maduro.

According to government sources, López currently does not have a valid Venezuelan passport and faces difficulties in having his nationality fully recognized in his home country.

As a result, he applied for Spanish citizenship via a fast-track process at the end of 2025, after previously attempting to obtain it through regular procedures.

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The Spanish government justified the move based on López’s international relevance and foreign policy considerations.

López is the leader of the Voluntad Popular party and co-founder of the World Liberty Congress, an initiative launched in 2022 alongside figures such as Garry Kasparov and Masih Alinejad.

International

ICE to remain at airports amid DHS shutdown, Homan says

The U.S. “border czar,” Tom Homan, said Sunday that agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) will remain deployed at airports until operations return to “100% normal,” as the shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) continues.

“We will maintain ICE presence until airports feel they are fully back to normal operations,” Homan said during an interview on Face the Nation on CBS.

Homan justified the deployment on security grounds, noting that the measure was ordered by President Donald Trumpamid widespread absenteeism among agents of the Transportation Security Administration, who have gone without pay for over six weeks due to the DHS shutdown.

According to acting TSA administrator Ha Nguyen McNeill, at least 460 TSA agents have resigned during the shutdown, while daily absenteeism has averaged 11%, exceeding 50% at some airports.

Homan warned that if TSA staffing levels do not recover after the shutdown, ICE agents will continue filling the gap. “ICE is there to support our TSA brothers and sisters. We will remain as long as needed to ensure airport security,” he said.

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The DHS shutdown reached 44 days on Sunday, making it the longest government shutdown in U.S. history. The impasse stems from disagreements between Democrats and Republicans over ICE funding.

A recent bipartisan Senate proposal to fund DHS without including ICE failed after being blocked by House Republicans, who insist on full funding for the agency.

Amid the deadlock, Trump signed an executive order directing Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin to immediately pay TSA agents to address what he called an “emergency situation” and restore order at airports, with payments expected to begin Monday.