Stanley Colaço
Staff Writer
National
Biden administration moves to enact new protection to “dreamers”
The Biden administration announced Sept. 27 that they will be pushing for a ruling that will allow “dreamers,” immigrants brought into the United States illegally as children, to attain permanent citizenship. The ruling comes after a Texas District ruling that prevented the federal government from requesting any increases over the current amount of DACA applicants. Alejandro Mayorkas, the current Homeland Security secretary, specified that “only Congress can provide permanent protection” for “Dreamers.” The status of people in the program does not change under the ruling and it only affects the addition of newer applicants into the program.
Ronald Reagan shooter to get unconditional release
John Hinckley Jr., infamous for the attempted assassination of former President Ronald Reagan, was granted Sept. 27 an unconditional release 40 years after he was first admitted into St. Elizabeth’s Hospital in Washington, D.C. He was first released in 2016 but has only now been fully granted release, due to the death of his mother, the retirement of his doctor and continued improvement to his mental state. Once this passes through the courts, he will be a completely free man for the first time.
Thousands of Haitians cross Southern border, expected to be deported
As thousands of Haitians continue to cross the Southern border into the United States each day, the Biden administration has responded by ramping up efforts to immediately deport refugees through use of Title 42, an expulsion policy related to the risk of spreading contagious disease. As many as 14,000 are expected to be deported. The Trump-era ruling, now being frequented by the current administration, allows refugees to be sent back to their home nations if there is a chance they have COVID-19. The Haitian government has asked the Department of Homeland Security to cease deportations due to humanitarian concern and lack of space and resources.
International
Facebook announces pause on rollout of “Instagram for Kids”
After announcing and marketing their new social media platform, Facebook has announced a temporary pause on the release of “Instagram for Kids.” The tech giant has cited concern in relation to privacy and parental control as the reason for pausing the app and website. The app was conceived as a way to decrease the amount of children accessing the main Instagram app by lying about their age. However, parents have complained about the new app, stating that there is a lack of research and supervision tools. They claim this could lead to an increase of addiction and other social media related issues. Some have also claimed that the app could create a “predator’s paradise,” especially as Facebook hasn’t announced any new ways to verify ages.
Australian sub deal continues to increase distrust, questions for American defense
Shortly after the AUKUS alliance, which culminated in the announcement of a termination of France’s $60 billion submarine contract, France reached out via ambassadorships to the United States in an attempt to salvage and repair the heavily criticized deal. The deal replaced French contracts with American ones and took away a large portion of economic influx and GDP from France. The United Kingdom was also involved in the deal. France claimed to have received little notice before the deal was announced and cancelled a memorial for the 240-year anniversary of the Battle of the Capes, a crucial revolutionary war naval battle where France and the United States defeated Great Britain.
South Korean president considers potential dog meat ban due to lack of market
For the first time in South Korean history, South Korean president Moon Jae-In announced a potential ban on the practice of eating dog meat, claiming that the practice is becoming an international embarrassment. The practice, once commonplace, is now considered taboo and dangerous among Korea’s youth and social media. Currently, South Korea does ban cruel slaughter of animals but there are no provisions that ban the consumption of the cultural meat.