USA

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden announced Thursday that he and Democrats in Congress have reached a “historic” framework for his sweeping domestic policy package. But he still needs to lock down votes from key colleagues for what’s now a dramatically scaled-back bill.

UNITED NATIONS, Oct 28 (NNN-AGENCIES) – UN Undersecretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Martin Griffiths, said yesterday, more aid is needed for Syrians, as winter approaches.

Daily life in Syria is becoming less and less affordable. Over 90 percent of the population now live below the poverty line. Many people are forced to make very difficult choices to make ends meet, and thus, face greater risks of exploitation, he told the Security Council.

MIAMI (AP) — Venezuela’s government quietly offered last year to release imprisoned Americans in exchange for the U.S. letting go a key financier of President Nicolás Maduro, according sources with knowledge of the proposal and message exchanges seen by The Associated Press.

The offer was discussed at a previously reported meeting in Mexico City in September 2020 between a top Maduro aide and Richard Grenell, a close ally of former President Donald Trump, one of the people involved in organizing the meeting said.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden promised to show the world that democracies can work to meet the challenges of the 21st century. As he prepares to push that message at a pair of global summits, his case could hinge on what’s happening in Washington, where he is rushing to finalize a major domestic legislative package.

WASHINGTON (AP) — ExxonMobil’s chief executive said Thursday that his company “does not spread disinformation regarding climate change″ as he and other oil company chiefs countered congressional allegations the industry concealed evidence about the dangers of it.

In prepared testimony at a landmark House hearing, CEO Darren Woods said ExxonMobil “has long acknowledged the reality and risks of climate change, and it has devoted significant resources to addressing those risks.″

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. immigration authorities will limit arrests at schools, hospitals and other “protected” areas under guidelines issued Wednesday by the Department of Homeland Security, part of a broader effort to roll back the approach to enforcement under President Donald Trump.

Agents and officers are being directed to avoid making arrests or carrying out searches at a range of sensitive locations “to the fullest extent possible,” according to a memo from DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas outlining the policy.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey was the face of the city through some of its darkest days — the death of George Floyd under an officer’s knee last year and rioting that marred the ensuing protests, including the burning of a police precinct after Frey ordered officers to abandon it.

WASHINGTON (AP) — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told colleagues Wednesday that Democrats are in “pretty good shape” on President Joe Biden’s sweeping domestic plan, but fresh problems emerged as a pivotal Democrat panned a new billionaires’ tax to help pay for the $1.75 trillion package.

Biden and Democrats are racing to wrap up talks before the president departs this week for overseas global summits, in part to show foreign leaders the U.S. is getting things done under his still-new administration.

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The outgoing U.N. envoy for Myanmar says “civil war” has spread throughout the country and the international community should consider measures aimed at replacing the military junta’s leaders with people who are more constructive and want to find a peaceful solution to the army’s ouster of the elected government.

Christine Schraner Burgener, whose 3 1/2-year term ends Sunday, said in an interview with The Associated Press that the measures could be sanctions imposed by individual countries or by the U.N. Security Council, “but it’s up to them.”

BOSTON (AP) — A nor’easter that battered the U.S. coast with hurricane-force wind gusts left 425,000 people without power in Massachusetts and forced the closure of bridges, ferries and schools in the region on Wednesday.

The Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency reported the widespread power outages Wednesday morning as areas along the coast experienced wind gusts of 80-90 miles per hour (130-145 kilometers per hour). About 90,000 people lost power in Rhode Island, according to National Grid.