USA

NEW YORK, Dec 13 (Reuters) - A U.S. appeals court on Monday rejected a renewed attempt by the Biden administration to end a policy put in place by former President Donald Trump that forced tens of thousands of migrants to wait in Mexico for the resolution of their U.S. asylum cases.

President Joe Biden, a Democrat, scrapped his Republican predecessor's policy - often referred to as "Remain in Mexico" - soon after taking office in January this year. But after Texas and Missouri sued over the rescission, a federal judge ruled it had to be reinstated.

Dec 13 (Reuters) - The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday rejected challenges brought by a group of Christian doctors and nurses and an organization that promotes vaccine skepticism to New York's refusal to allow religious exemptions to the state's mandate that healthcare workers be vaccinated against COVID-19.

14 Dec 2021; MEMO: Democratic proposal for a US State Department office addressing anti-Muslim bias will get a procedural vote in a House committee today, after a Republican congresswoman used an Islamophobic slur against a Democratic colleague, Reuters reports.

The bill, authored by Representative Ilhan Omar, would create a special envoy for monitoring and combating Islamophobia, and include state-sponsored anti-Muslim violence in the department's annual human rights reports.

13 Dec 2021; MEMO: Former US President, Donald Trump, said in an interview, published Monday, that he did not think Israeli's Benjamin Netanyahu was ever serious about signing a peace deal with Palestinians, Anadolu News Agency reports.

"I don't think Bibi ever wanted to make peace," Trump said to Axios news journalist, Barak Ravid. "I think he just tapped us along. Just tap, tap, tap, you know?" He was referring to Netanyahu using his nickname.

WASHINGTON (AP) — No U.S. troops involved in the August drone strike that killed innocent Kabul civilians and children will face disciplinary action, U.S. defense officials said Monday.

The Pentagon said that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has approved recommendations for improvements in strike operations from the generals who lead U.S. Central Command and Special Operations Command, based on the findings of an independent Pentagon review released last month. There were no recommendations for discipline made by the generals, said John Kirby, chief Pentagon spokesman.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Former Minneapolis police Officer Derek Chauvin appears to be on the verge of pleading guilty to violating George Floyd ’s civil rights, a move that would remove him from a federal trial but could significantly increase the amount of time he’ll spend behind bars.

A notice sent out Monday by the court’s electronic filing system shows a hearing is scheduled for Wednesday for Chauvin to change his not guilty plea. These types of notices typically indicate a defendant is planning to plead guilty, though nothing will be official until it happens in court.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin has signaled anew that he’s still not ready to back his party’s $2 trillion social and environment legislation, then talked to President Joe Biden as party leaders scrambled for a pathway to advance the long-stalled package — preferably by Christmas.

The West Virginia lawmaker declined to describe his telephone conversation with the president Monday, saying he and Biden are “talking about different iterations” and saying “anything’s possible” when asked if they could reach a deal by the holiday.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Air Force has discharged 27 people for refusing to get the COVID-19 vaccine, making them what officials believe are the first service members to be removed for disobeying the mandate to get the shots.

The Air Force gave its forces until Nov. 2 to get the vaccine, and thousands have either refused or sought an exemption. Air Force spokeswoman Ann Stefanek said Monday that these are the first airmen to be administratively discharged for reasons involving the vaccine.

MAYFIELD, Ky. (AP) — Residents of Kentucky counties where tornadoes killed dozens of people could be without heat, water or electricity in frigid temperatures for weeks or longer, state officials warned Monday, as the toll of damage and deaths came into clearer focus in five states slammed by the swarm of twisters.

UNITED NATIONS, December 13. /TASS/: Russia objects to the adoption of a United Nations Security Council resolution linking climate change and security issues, Russia’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Vassily Nebenzia said on Monday.

"We are against creating a new area of the Council’s work, which sets generic and automatic links between climate change and international security," he said at a UN Security Council meeting.

"As we have already said, such an approach is unacceptable to us," he stressed.