USA

Director of U.S. CDC tests positive for COVID-19

WASHINGTON, Oct. 22 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced on Saturday that its director had tested positive for COVID-19.

Rochelle Walensky, who's up to date with her vaccines, is experiencing mild symptoms, the agency said in a release.

"Consistent with CDC guidelines, she is isolating at home and will participate in her planned meetings virtually," the release read.

Senior staff and close contacts, it added, have been informed of her positive test and are monitoring their health.

USA: Alaska asylum seekers are Indigenous Siberians from Russia

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Two Russian Indigenous Siberians were so scared of having to fight the war in Ukraine, they chanced everything to take a small boat across the treacherous Bering Sea to reach American soil, Alaska’s senior U.S. senator said after talking with the two.

The two, identified as males by a resident, landed earlier this month near Gambell, on Alaska’s St. Lawrence Island in the Bering Strait, where they asked for asylum.

USA: Trump company set for criminal trial in off-books pay scheme

NEW YORK (AP) — More than three years after Manhattan prosecutors started investigating Donald Trump — after going to the Supreme Court twice to gain access to his tax records — the only criminal trial to arise from their efforts is about to begin.

No, the former president isn’t going on trial. His company is.

The Trump Organization, the holding company for Trump’s buildings, golf courses and other assets, is accused of helping some top executives avoid income taxes on compensation they got in addition to their salaries, like rent-free apartments and luxury cars.

Illegal border crossings to US from Mexico hit annual high

SAN DIEGO (AP) — A surge in migration from Venezuela, Cuba and Nicaragua in September brought the number of illegal crossings to the highest level ever recorded in a fiscal year, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

The year-end numbers reflect deteriorating economic and political conditions in some countries, the relative strength of the U.S. economy and uneven enforcement of Trump-era asylum restrictions.

USA: Jan. 6 trial highlights missed warnings before Capitol siege

WASHINGTON (AP) — In a telephone call days after the 2020 election, Oath Keepers leader Stewart Rhodes urged followers to go to Washington and fight to keep President Donald Trump in office.

A concerned member of the extremist group began recording because, as he would later tell jurors in the current seditious conspiracy trial of Rhodes and four associates, it sounded as if they were “going to war against the United States government.”

USA: Biden juggling long list of issues to please Dem coalition

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden wants to tame inflation. He wants Congress to protect access to abortions. He wants to tackle voting rights. And he’s taking on China, promoting construction of new factories, addressing climate change, forgiving student debt, pardoning federal marijuana convictions, cutting the deficit, working to lower prescription drug prices and funneling aid to Ukraine.

US Dems in hot water ahead of midterm elections amid Biden’s declining popularity

Tehran, IRNA – Less than a month into midterm elections in the US, President Joe Biden sees his popularity declining and reaching its lowest level since he took office in January 2021, which makes things difficult for the president and his Democratic party even in the 2024 presidential election.

According to a poll recently published by Fox News, only 33% of respondents said they would vote for Biden in the 2024 election, while 54% said they cast ballots for another candidate.

Pakistan urges int’l cooperation to counter disinformation

UNITED NATIONS, Oct 22 (APP): Warning that disinformation had become a “global pandemic”, Pakistan has called for international cooperation to counter this scourge, which fuels hate speech.

“The disinformation operations via cyber-meddling did not stop after EU Disinfo Lab’s groundbreaking revelations and comprehensive evidence of targeting the UN bodies, its member states, core institutions and core values,” Mariam Shaikh, the Pakistani delegate, told the UN General Assembly’s Fourth Committee, which deals with special political and decolonization matters.

UN Deputy Chief Called For Promoting Women’s Participation In Peacebuilding

UNITED NATIONS, Oct 22 (NNN-XINHUA) – The international community should step up efforts to promote women’s participation in conflict-prevention and peacebuilding, United Nations Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed, said.

The participation of women at all levels “has played a pivotal role in changing the way we approach peace and security, over the last 20 years,” Amina told a UN Security Council open debate on the theme of “Strengthening Women’s Resilience and Leadership as a Path to Peace in Regions Plagued by Armed Groups.”

Subscribe to USA