Sunday, September 26th, 2021 

The first evacuees from Afghanistan arrive in Massachusetts. (WBZ-AM) 

The Taliban calls for international commercial flights at the Kabul International Airport to resume after the airport was closed for evacuations. (UrduPoint) 

Five Palestinians are killed in Biddu, Jerusalem, and two more are killed in Burqin during overnight military raids by Israeli soldiers. Two soldiers are also injured during one of the raids. According to Israeli officials, the Palestinians were members of a Hamas cell who were planning large-scale kidnappings and murders across the country. (Al Jazeera)  

Sudan claims that it has repelled an advance by Ethiopian troops into Umm Barakit District, al-Fashaga. However, Ethiopia denies any movement of its forces on the Ethiopia–Sudan border. (BBC) 

UK Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng announces the oil industry will be exempted from the Competition Act 1998 so that companies can coordinate and deliver petroleum products easier in light of fuel shortages brought on by panic buying. (BBC) 

Peruvian prime minister Guido Bellido warns companies which drill for gas in the country to either pay higher taxes or face nationalization. (Reuters) 

An earthquake of magnitude 5.7 strikes Occidental Mindoro, Philippines. (Al Jazeera) 

The Serbian government accuses Kosovo of “provocations” after it mobilized its special police units to the border, and places the Serbian Army on a heightened state of alert. The police units were mobilized after hundreds of Kosovo Serbs staged daily protests and blockaded roads connected to the two border crossings between the two countries after the Kosovar government passed a law requiring that Serbia-registered vehicles wear temporary license plates when entering the country. (Al Jazeera) 

Yahoo! News reports that members of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), including then-Director Mike Pompeo, planned in 2017 to kidnap or potentially assassinate WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange for leaking documents describing hacking tools used by the CIA. (Rolling Stone) 

Palestinian Legislative Council member Khalida Jarrar is released from Israeli prison after close to two years in detention. She was charged for her affiliation with the left-wing political party Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, which is considered an illegal organization in Israel. (Al Jazeera) 

The Taliban’s religious police orders barbers in Afghanistan’s Helmand Province and Kabul to stop trimming beards. (BBC) 

Germans head to the polls to elect the new Bundestag, as well as a new Chancellor to succeed Angela Merkel, who is stepping down after 16 years in power. (Al Jazeera) 

Projections show the centre-left Social Democratic Party of Germany narrowly beating Merkel’s party the Christian Democratic Union of Germany in the popular vote by 1.7 percentage points, with the latter on course for its worst showing since the end of World War II. Both parties claim the mandate for the Chancellorship. (Politico.eu) 

The Greens and Free Democratic Party made enough gains to formed the government with the Social Democratic Party. (NPR) 

British racing driver Lewis Hamilton becomes the first driver to win 100 races in Formula One after winning the 2021 Russian Grand Prix for Mercedes. (AFP via Philippine Daily Inquirer) 

In American football, Baltimore Ravens kicker Justin Tucker kicks a 66-yard field goal during the team’s 19-17 victory against the Detroit Lions, making it the longest field goal in National Football League history. (The Baltimore Sun) 

The End Monday 

Space reportedly dwindling at Idaho funeral homes amid virus surge  As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to worsen in Idaho, some funeral home directors say they’re running out of space to store bodies, CNN and The Washington Post report. Per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Idaho has the third lowest vaccination rate in the country — it’s 41.3 percent mark trails only West Virginia and neighboring Wyoming. The CDC has also found that COVID-19 has killed an average of 20 people per day in Idaho over the past week, and 90 percent of the intensive care unit beds in the state are occupied, more than half of them being used by COVID-19 patients. CNN 

Israeli security forces kill at least 4 Palestinians in arrest operation Israeli security forces killed at least four Palestinians in shootouts on Sunday, the Israeli military said. The clashes occurred during a large-scale arrest operation in the West Bank where Israel is attempting to crack down on Hamas. An Israeli officer and soldier reportedly suffered serious injuries during the exchange and were airlifted for medical treatment. Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said the targeted Hamas fighters “were about to execute terror attacks in the very immediate future.” In response, Hamas, praised those killed as “heroic martyrs” and said their deaths were the result of the “continuing coordination” between the Palestinian Authority, the group’s internationally-recognized political rival, and the Israeli government. The Palestinian Authority condemned Israel’s actions, however. AL JAZEERA 

Taliban calls for international flights to resume from Kabul The Taliban on Sunday requested that airlines resume international flights from Kabul’s Hamid Karzai International Airport. The group promised to cooperate with the companies and said that issues at the airport, which has seen limited traffic in the wake of the chaotic evacuation process last month, have been resolved. Technical teams from Qatar and Turkey have assisted with the reopening, and a small number of aid and passenger flights have operated from the Afghan capital over the last few weeks. REUTERS 

Xi congratulates new leader of Taiwan’s main opposition party Chinese President Xi Jinping on Sunday sent a congratulatory letter to Eric Chu, the former mayor of New Taipei City who was elected as the new leader of Taiwan’s main opposition party, Kuomintang, on Saturday. Chu has pledged to renew talks with Beijing, which claims Taiwan as Chinese territory and has been increasing military and political pressure on the island despite the fact that most Taiwanese people, including President Tsai Ing-wen, are not in favor of Chinese sovereignty. In the letter, Xi said the situation in the Taiwan Strait is “complex and grim,” adding that “all the sons and daughters of the Chinese nation must work together with one heart and go forward together.” Chu responded by saying he hopes to “seek common ground and … strengthen exchanges and cooperation so as to allow the continued peaceful development of cross-strait relations.”  REUTERS 

New vent opens on Spanish island volcano Another vent has opened up on Cumbre Vieja, the volcano on the Spanish island of La Palma that has been erupting for a week, scientists say. Huge bursts of lava could be seen shooting into the air. The development comes as the intensity of the eruption continues to increase, exposing more islanders to danger. Nearly 7,000 people have been forced to evacuate their homes because of lava flows, and the island’s airport shut down on Saturday because of the ash cloud formed by the eruptions. Aside from the lava flow, those who live on the island could be susceptible to earthquakes, toxic gases, and acid rain. CBS NEWS 

Saturday, September 25th, 2021 

In an article for Science, a team of researchers based at Bournemouth University conclude that a series of human footprints preserved at White Sands National Park in the U.S. state of New Mexico date back between 21,000 and 23,000 years ago during the Last Glacial Maximum, suggesting that humans lived in the Americas 5,000 years earlier than previously thought. The team also determined that most of the footprints came from children and teenagers. (NPR) 

Fossilized footprints suggest humans reached Americas earlier than previously thought Researchers say in a new report that fossilized footprints found in a dry lakebed in New Mexico indicate that early humans were present in North America about 23,000 years ago, thousands of years earlier than many experts previously thought. The first of these footprints were discovered in White Sands National Park in 2009. Many archaeologists have long argued that humans first came to the Americas at the end of the Ice Age, based on the oldest known tools, which date to about 13,000 years ago. The analysis of the footprints suggests that there were humans in the area during the Ice Age. “This is probably the biggest discovery about the peopling of America in a hundred years,” said Ciprian Ardelean, an archaeologist at Autonomous University of Zacatecas in Mexico, who was not involved in the work. USGS 

China declares cryptocurrency transactions illegal On Friday, Chinese government agencies declared all cryptocurrency transactions illegal and banned crypto mining across the country. The People’s Bank of China said that the Chinese government would “clamp down on virtual currency speculation, and related financial activities and misbehaviour in order to safeguard people’s properties and maintain economic, financial and social order.” It was an example of China “intensifying its crackdown on cryptocurrencies,” CNN wrote, which came after Chinese Vice Premier Liu He previously vowed the government would “clamp down on Bitcoin mining and trading activity.” Bitcoin took a hit after Friday’s announcement, dropping “as much as 7 percent,” The New York Times reports. Vijay Ayyar of the digital currency exchange Luno told CNBC that “Chinese regulators have always been extreme in their views and these comments are not new,” but noted that these latest developments came amid a “slightly nervous environment for crypto.” REUTERS 

Mali asks for private military help from Russia’s Wagner Group to fight extremist terrorism in the country, according to a news outlet citing Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov. (Reuters) 

Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov says that the international recognition of the Taliban government “at present juncture is not on the table”. The comments come after Taliban-appointed foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi appointed Suhail Shaheen as the representative of the Taliban to the United Nations. (Reuters) 

Four men who kidnapped a businessman and his son in Herat are shot dead by Taliban police during a gunfight. The bodies of the kidnappers have been hanged in public, in an apparent warning to others to not commit crimes. (BBC) 

A Taliban soldier is killed and seven more are injured in Jalalabad when their convoy hits a roadside bomb planted by ISIL-K. (Hindustan Times) 

A suicide car bombing near the presidential palace in Mogadishu kills eight people and injures seven others. Al-Shabaab claims responsibility for the attack, saying that they targeted a convoy of cars traveling to the palace. (Reuters) 

Chris Cuomo accused of sexual harassment by his former boss Chris Cuomo, the CNN host and brother of former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D), has been accused of sexual harassment by his former boss at ABC News. Shelley Ross, a journalist who has served as producer at ABC and CBS, in a New York Times essay published Friday alleged that Cuomo “sexually harassed me at a going-away party for an ABC colleague” in 2005. Ross, who was formerly Cuomo’s executive producer at ABC’s Primetime Live, writes that he “walked toward me and greeted me with a strong bear hug while lowering one hand to firmly grab and squeeze the cheek of my buttock,” and he allegedly told her, “I can do this now that you’re no longer my boss.” Ross says Cuomo emailed her to apologize an hour later, and the essay includes a copy of that email. THE NEW YORK TIMES 

Panic buying of fuel is reported at petrol stations in the United Kingdom amid a shortage of lorry drivers. A fuel purchase limit of £30 per customer is introduced at many locations due to “unprecedented” demand. (The Guardian) 

An Amtrak passenger train derails near Joplin, Montana, U.S., killing at least three people and injuring at least 50 others. (CBS News)  

The Netherlands begins to require a COVID-19 pass for people over the age of 13 years old as a precondition to enter hospitality venues and arts and cultural events, which replaces most social distancing and mask requirements. (NL Times) 

State Secretary for Economic Affairs and Climate Policy Mona Keijzer is dismissed from the Cabinet by Prime Minister Mark Rutte after publicly criticising the cabinet position on COVID-19 measures. (Politico) 

South Korea reports a record for the second consecutive day of 3,273 new cases of COVID-19, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 298,402. (The Asahi Shimbun) 

Kim Yo-jong, sister of Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un, says that North Korea is open to holding another summit in South Korea if mutual respect between the two countries can be assured. (The Korea Times) 

Icelanders head to the polls to elect the members of the Althing, the oldest surviving parliament in the world. (The New York Times) 

Early election results show that the three-party coalition led by Prime Minister Katrín Jakobsdóttir of the Left-Green Movement is expected to retain their majority. (AFP via NDTV) 

Biden hosts Quad leaders for first in-person meeting President Biden on Friday hosted Australian Prime Scott Morrison, Indiana Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga at the White House for the so-called Quad’s first in-person summit. The four Indo-Pacific countries have sought to strengthen ties because of their shared concerns about China, though none of the four leaders mentioned Beijing explicitly in their opening remarks, instead focusing on their cooperation on climate change, critical infrastructure, and the coronavirus pandemic. Biden, though, said the four nations jointly believe in a “free and open Indo-Pacific,” which was likely a reference to combating Chinese military expansion in the South China Sea. Morrison said the Quad hopes “sovereign rights of all nations are respected” in the region and “disputes are settled peacefully in accordance with international law.” The Washington Post writes his meaning “was unmistakable.” THE GUARDIAN 

Biden won’t use executive privilege to hide Trump records from Jan. 6 probe President Biden will not invoke executive privilege to shield former President Donald Trump’s records from the Jan. 6 select committee, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said Friday. “The president has already concluded that it would not be appropriate to assert executive privilege,” Psaki said. Trump reportedly has yet to ask Biden to protect any records, notes Politico. The White House has been leaning toward releasing to Congress information regarding the whereabouts of Trump and his aides on Jan. 6, The Washington Post reports. The ex-president has said he will cite “executive privilege” to block any requests, “seeking protection from a legal theory that has allowed past presidents and their aides to avoid or delay congressional oversight for decades,” writes Politico. Once the documents are delivered, Trump has “30 days to approve or deny the release.” If he objects, Biden still has final say on the matter, per Politico. REUTERS 

PG&E hit with manslaughter charges over deadly California wildfire Power company Pacific Gas and Electric has been hit with manslaughter charges in connection with a “completely preventable” California wildfire that left four people dead last year. Shasta County District Attorney Stephanie Bridgett on Friday announced 31 charges against PG&E after determining the company was “criminally liable” for the 2020 Zogg fire that killed four people and destroyed about 200 homes. In March, officials determined that the fire was sparked by a pine tree coming into contact with PG&E electrical lines. The company has been blamed for a number of fires and in 2019 filed for bankruptcy protection. “PG&E has a history of repeatedly causing wildfires that is not getting better — it’s getting worse,” Bridgett said in a press briefing. “Those who lost loved ones need justice. BLOOMBERG 

Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley will run for re-election in 2022 Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) announced Friday morning that he will, in fact, run for an eighth term next year. Grassley, who just turned 88 and has been in the Senate since 1981, has been coy about his 2022 plans for more than a year. “His decision is a victory for national Republicans who have made it clear they wanted Grassley — who has repeatedly been re-elected by double-digit margins — to run again,” the Des Moines Register reports, noting that a recent Register poll found him beating leading Democratic challenger Abby Finkenauer by 18 percentage points, 55 percent to 37 percent. Several other incumbent Senate Republicans are not seeking re-election, complicating the GOP’s hopes of retaking the Senate.  THE WEEK 

U.S. soldier reports assault at base housing Afghan evacuees The FBI confirmed Friday that it has launched an investigation into a United States service member’s allegation that she was assaulted “by a small group of male evacuees” being housed at Fort Bliss in New Mexico. Details about the alleged assault and the extent of the woman’s possible injuries were not released, and it’s unclear if anyone has been arrested. The Army’s statement on the matter did not clarify whether the evacuees were Afghan, though Lt. Col. Allie M. Payne said the alleged victim was working as part of Operation Allies Welcome, which the Department of Homeland Security describes as an “effort to resettle Afghan refugees.” NBC NEWS 

Spanish volcano activity intensifies Officials on the Spanish Island of La Palma, which is part of the Canary Islands archipelago, ordered more evacuations on Friday in response to intensifying activity from the Cumbre Vieja volcano. More than 6,000 people have evacuated as lava engulfed several communities. About 593 acres, with a 9.8-mile perimeter, have been affected by the flow, and 390 buildings have been destroyed, BBC reports. There are also concerns that when the lava reaches the sea, it could create dangerous plumes of gas that could cause eye, lung, and skin irritations. Meanwhile, the eruptions, which have occurred for six straight days, have created a large ash cloud, which has forced flight cancellations and is now drifting toward the Spanish mainland. BBC 

Michael K. Williams’ death ruled accidental drug overdose Michael K. Williams, the actor best known for his performances as Omar Little on The Wire and Chalky White on Boardwalk Empire, died this month from an accidental drug overdose, New York City’s medical examiner has determined. The city medical examiner announced Friday that the actor’s cause of death was “acute intoxication by the combined effects of fentanyl, p-fluorofentanyl, heroin and cocaine,” The New York Times reports. His death was ruled accidental. Williams was found dead in his New York apartment on Sept. 6. He was 54. DEADLINE 

Friday,  September 24th, 2021 

Canadians accused of espionage released from China Hours after Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou was released from house arrest in Canada on Friday, China freed two Canadians accused of espionage. Michael Spavor, a founding member of an organization that facilitates international business and cultural ties with North Korea, and Michael Kovrig, a former diplomat employed by the International Crisis Group, are headed home after nearly three years. Spavor was facing 11 years in prison, while no decision had been reached in Kovrig’s case. The two men were initially detained shorty after Vancouver police arrested Meng in 2018 on a U.S. warrant — she was accused of and eventually admitted to misleading U.S. investigators about Huawei’s business dealings in Iran. Meng was released following a deal with U.S. prosecutors. China has maintained that the Spavor and Kovrig arrests were not retaliatory, though the timing of their release casts doubt on that claim. REUTERS 

Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou reaches a deferred prosecution agreement, pleading not guilty to multiple fraud charges. Meng’s extradition case was subsequently dropped and she was released after spending nearly three years under house arrest in Vancouver, Canada, reportedly travelling to Shenzhen, China. (CBC News) 

Several hours after Meng Wanzhou was released, Canadians Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig are also released after spending more than 1,000 days in detention in China and will return to Canada. (CBC News) 

China’s largest property developer Evergrande misses the payment deadline of 83.5 million USD in offshore bonds, increasing its chances of a bankruptcy. (Financial Times) 

The People’s Bank of China rules that all financial transactions and activities involving cryptocurrency are illegal in the country. (AFP via NDTV) 

Taliban co-founder says executions, amputations will resume in Afghanistan One of the founders of the Taliban, Mullah Nooruddin Turabi, told The Associated Press on Thursday that the Islamist group will bring back executions and amputations of hands it used the last time it ruled Afghanistan to punish people for violations of its harsh interpretation of Islamic law. In the past, the executions were sometimes carried out in public and denounced by world leaders. “Everyone criticized us for the punishments in the stadium, but we have never said anything about their laws and their punishments,” said Turabi, who was the chief enforcer of the Taliban’s laws before the group was toppled 20 years ago by a U.S.-led invasion. “No one will tell us what our laws should be. We will follow Islam and we will make our laws on the Quran.” THE ASSOCIATED PRESS 

The Taliban-appointed defense minister of Afghanistan Mohammad Yaqoob orders a crackdown on those members of the Taliban who commit abuses following reports by Kabul residents who complained about abusive treatment by certain Taliban members. Yaqoob says that “We direct you to keep them out of your ranks, otherwise strict action will be taken against you,” and added that the Taliban does not “want such people in our ranks.” (Reuters) 

Jitender Mann Gogi, a major Indian gangster, is shot dead inside a courtroom in Rohini, Delhi, where a case was being heard against him. The two attackers, who both posed as lawyers, are killed by police. (BBC) 

Israeli soldiers open fire using rubber bullets against Palestinians allegedly throwing rocks towards soldiers during a protest against Israeli settlements in the West Bank, killing one person and injuring eight others. (Al Jazeera) 

Rwandan president Paul Kagame announces during a press conference in Pemba, Mozambique, that Rwandan troops will continue to be stationed in Mozambique for the reconstruction of areas affected by the extremist insurgency. Mozambican president Filipe Nyusi thanks Kagame for the country’s commitment to fight terrorism in the region. (Al Jazeera) 

A French serviceman, Maxime Blasco, is killed in a shootout with jihadists in a forest near Mali’s border with Burkina Faso. The gunman who shot Blasco was also killed during the clash, according to the Ministry of Armed Forces. (France 24) 

The Cumbre Vieja volcano enters a more explosive and extreme phase, forcing the evacuation of three more neighborhoods. Currently, 390 buildings and 14 kilometres (8.7 mi) of roads have been destroyed by lava flows. (El Mundo) 

Argentina and Brazil jointly announce that they will be producing COVID-19 vaccines after being selected by the Pan American Health Organization. Two manufacturing plants will be built, one in each country, to produce both Moderna and Pfizer vaccines. (Voz de América) 

The Italian National Institute of Health recommends that pregnant women should receive a COVID-19 vaccines after the first three months of their pregnancy due to growing evidence on the safety of vaccines during pregnancies for both the fetus and mother. (The Economic Times) 

In escalating tensions, Algerian foreign ministry official Amar Belani says that Algeria “may escalate its dispute” with Morocco, adding that the “adoption of additional measures cannot be ruled out”. Both countries suspended diplomatic relations in August 2020 and have had strained relations due to Algeria’s support for the Polisario Front in Western Sahara and alleged Moroccan support for the MAK, a Berber separatist group in Algeria. (Reuters) 

U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas says that the Haitian migrants have been cleared from the International Bridge in Del Rio, Texas. Around 2,000 of the migrants were deported to Haiti. (NBC News) 

Military junta leader and de facto president Mahamat Déby appoints 93 new members to the junta, which serves as Chad’s interim parliament ahead of a proposed election. Déby says that the new parliament comprises parties previously represented in the dissolved parliament, as well as members of the armed forces. (AFP via TRT World) 

 House Jan. 6 panel subpoenas Trump aides The House select committee investigating the deadly Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol by a mob of former President Donald Trump’s supporters issued its first subpoenas Thursday to former senior Trump administration officials. The committee demanded documents and depositions from former Chief of Staff Mark Meadows and one-time Trump strategist Steve Bannon, as well as former senior White House aide Dan Scavino, and Kash Patel, who was chief of staff for the acting defense secretary at the time of the riot. The panel said it was seeking information about Trump’s actions before, during, and after his supporters forced their way into the Capitol hoping to prevent lawmakers from certifying Trump’s election loss to President Biden. ABC NEWS 

Ex-Louisiana state trooper charged in flashlight beating of Black motorist Jacob Brown, a former Louisiana State Police trooper, was charged Thursday with violating the civil rights of Aaron Larry Bowman, a Black man he hit 18 times with a tactical flashlight. If convicted, Brown, 31, faces up to 10 years in prison. This is the first criminal case to come out of federal investigations into the assault of multiple Black motorists by members of Troop F, a police unit made up primarily of white officers. Brown previously was charged with using unreasonable force during the arrests of Bowman and two other Black motorists; he was arrested in December and resigned three months later. The Associated Press obtained records showing that over five years Brown was part of 23 use-of-force incidents, with 19 involving Black people. NBC NEWS 

Trump criticizes Bush over fundraiser for ‘warmongering’ Liz Cheney Former President Donald Trump continued his feud with former President George Bush after news broke that Bush was sponsoring an Oct. 18 Dallas fundraiser for the re-election campaign of Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.), a frequent Trump critic. Trump is backing a Republican challenging Cheney in the GOP primary next year. Trump lashed out at both Bush and the “warmongering and very low polling” Cheney. “Bush is the one who got us into the quicksand of the Middle East,” Trump said in a statement. Previously, Trump criticized Bush for saying on the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks that domestic extremists and Islamist terrorists posed similar threats to the United States. Bush and Cheney are among numerous high-profile Republicans who have criticized Trump for falsely claiming that voter fraud cost him the 2020 election. USA TODAY 

Thursday, September 23rd, 2021 

The European Commission announces plans to require the USB-C connection to become the standard port for wired charging of all smartphones, tablets, cameras, headphones, portable speakers and handheld video game consoles. (The Hill) 

Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid downplays the presence of ISIL in Afghanistan, as analysts say that ISIL is using the same urban warfare tactics previously used by the Taliban to fight the Western-backed Afghan government’s forces. After the attack against Kabul airport last month, the Taliban has vowed to capture the leader of ISIL in Afghanistan. (Reuters) 

Prime Minister Antonio Costa announces that all remaining COVID-19-related restrictions will be lifted on October 1, allowing nightclubs to reopen and restaurants to operate without capacity limits as more than 80% of people have been fully vaccinated. (Bloomberg) 

Russia reports 820 deaths in the past 24 hours, matching a single-day record set in late August, bringing the nationwide death toll to 201,445. (The Times of Israel) 

In a speech at the United Nations General Assembly, President Laurentino Cortizo says that Panama is expected to reach herd immunity in the coming weeks after vaccinating 4.2 million people. (Reuters) 

Namibia reports the new strain of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) in the country that has infected thousands of cattle. (Reuters) 

United States Special Envoy for Haiti Daniel Lewis Foote resigns, citing his dissatisfaction with the Biden administration’s policy of deporting illegal Haitian immigrants. (AFP via France 24) 

French foreign minister Jean-Yves Le Drian tells U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken that it will take “time and actions” in order to restore confidence and good relations between France and the United States after France condemned the security pact between the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia announced last week. (Reuters) 

Fugitive former Catalan president Carles Puigdemont is arrested at an airport in Alghero, Sardinia, by the Italian police in compliance with a search and arrest warrant issued by the Supreme Court of Spain. He is accused of sedition for his role in the 2017 Catalan independence referendum and the subsequent failed declaration of independence. (Cadena SER) 

A gunman opens fire at a Kroger supermarket in Collierville, Tennessee, United States, killing one person and injuring 12 others before killing himself. (CNN) 

The End Sunday 

Thursday, September 23rd, 2021 

Biden, Macron talk to soothe tensions over submarine deal 

Thursday, September 23rd, 2021 

Biden, Macron talk to soothe tensions over submarine deal President Biden on Wednesday talked with French President Emmanuel Macron for the first time since France objected strongly to a U.S. deal to help Australia acquire nuclear-powered submarines. The plan, part of a new security pact involving the United States, Britain, and Australia, left France feeling betrayed by its allies, because it prompted Australia to scrap a $66 billion contract with France to buy diesel-power submarines. Biden reportedly acknowledged mistakes in the way his administration handled the matter. In a joint statement, the U.S. and France said Biden and Macron “agreed that the situation would have benefitted from open consultations among allies on matters of strategic interest to France and our European partners.” France had recalled its ambassador over the incident, but said after the call it was sending him back. CNN 

Texas sends state vehicles to border to make ‘steel wall’ Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) sent hundreds of state-owned vehicles to form a “steel wall” on the border to discourage a wave of migrants, most of them Haitian, trying to cross the border from Mexico to seek asylum. Abbott told Fox News that the miles-long barrier of Texas Department of Public Safety vehicles was among the “unprecedented steps” Texas was taking to prevent people from “walking into the state of Texas.” About 15,000 migrants have crossed the Rio Grande to a makeshift camp under an international bridge near Del Rio, Texas. Several thousand have been flown back to Haiti. White House officials met Wednesday with nine members of the Congressional Black Caucus who called for halting deportations of the migrants to the Caribbean nation, which is overwhelmed as it responds to an earthquake and the assassination of its president. In Miami, Haitian Americans have protested in the street, waving signs reading, “Stop the racism at the border!” THE WASHINGTON POST 

Lawmakers say police-reform talks have collapsed Congressional negotiations on a bipartisan compromise on a national policing overhaul officially collapsed on Wednesday. Sen. Corey Booker (D-N.J.), the lead Democratic negotiator, said the talks ended with no breakthrough in sight. “We weren’t making any more meaningful progress on establishing really substantive reform for Americans’ policing,” Booker said at a news conference. Lead Republican negotiator Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) blamed Democrats for the failure, saying they let their “misguided idea of perfect be the enemy of good, impactful legislation.” The two sides started talks in April as public support rose for addressing systemic racism in law enforcement. One of the sticking points was possible changes to criminal and civil penalties to make it easier to punish police officers for abuses. THE NEW YORK TIMES 

Biden meets with Democrats seeking unity on spending bills President Biden met with divided congressional Democrats on Wednesday in an urgent push to salvage two major spending bills that form the heart of his economic and social agendas. Biden held talks with party leaders, and leaders of the party’s progressive and moderate factions, hoping to unify them behind a $3.5 trillion spending package Democrats can pass without Republican support, provided all 50 of the Democrats in the evenly divided Senate vote for it. “We are in a pivotal period of our negotiations and discussions” requiring “deeper engagement by the president,” White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said. “This is a messy, sausage-making process … He’s rolling up the sleeves.” The push is heading for a crucial deadline on Monday, when House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) plans a vote on an infrastructure bill that liberals say they won’t support unless the broader spending bill goes through, too. THE WASHINGTON POST 

New EPA climate rule to slash use of hydrofluorocarbons The Biden administration plans Thursday to finalize Environmental Protection Agency regulations cutting the use and production of chemicals known as hydrofluorocarbons in the United States by 85 percent over the next 15 years. The administration’s first new climate rule, which implements a law Congress passed last year, goes after greenhouse gases warming the planet far faster than carbon dioxide. White House officials said curbing such super-pollutants often used in refrigeration and air conditioning will address global warming while creating jobs by encouraging the manufacturing of alternative technologies. “It’s a win on climate and a win on jobs, and American competitiveness,” Gina McCarthy, the White House national climate coordinator, said Wednesday. “It’s really — frankly, folks — a very big deal.” THE WASHINGTON POST 

Teen killed in drive-by shooting at Louisville school bus stop A drive-by shooting at a Louisville, Kentucky, school bus stop left a 16-year-old boy dead and another teenager wounded on Wednesday. The surviving victim’s injuries were not life-threatening. A girl suffered minor injuries, although she was not shot. Police did not immediately release the victims’ names. Investigators asked people in the area to come forward with any security-camera footage that might help identify a suspect. “The biggest thing we’re taking away right now is that we had kids that couldn’t even wait at a bus stop this morning without getting shot, and that is horrifying and devastating,” Louisville Metro Police Maj. Shannon Lauder said. “And we’re going to throw all our resources into finding out who did this.” NBC NEWS 

Powell says Fed to start tapering stimulus soon Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said Wednesday that the central bank would be able to start tapering the $120 billion in monthly asset purchases it has been using to stimulate the economy as soon as November. “Participants generally viewed that so long as the economic recovery remains on track, a gradual tapering process that concludes around the middle of next year is likely to be appropriate,” Powell said. The comments came after a two-day policy meeting concluded with the Fed saying it would only start easing back on its stimulus if the economy makes “substantial further progress” toward the Fed’s goals of maximum employment and stable prices. Powell noted that inflation was still significantly higher than the Fed’s target rate of 2 percent. YAHOO FINANCE 

Petito case sparks calls for attention to missing women of color Intense media coverage of the death of Gabby Petito, a white woman who disappeared during a cross-country van trip with her boyfriend, has prompted calls for more attention to be focused on the cases of missing people of color, including hundreds of missing or murdered indigenous women. “It does make you feel, you know, ‘Well, what about us?’” said Kimberly Bryan, whose sister Tiffany Foster, a 35-year-old Black mother of three from Georgia, has not been seen since March 1. At least 710 Indigenous women were reported missing between 2011 and 2020 in Wyoming, the state where Petito’s body was found days after a search started. The disparity in responses is “kind of heart-wrenching,” said Lynnette Grey Bull, who is Northern Arapaho and advocate for missing indigenous women.  NPR 

Wednesday, September 22nd, 2021 

Eight hatchlings from one of the world’s rarest crocodile species are found in the Sre Pok Wildlife Sanctuary in eastern Cambodia, raising hopes for the continuing survival of the species in the wild. Conservationists found the baby Siamese crocodiles in a river earlier this month, according to a statement from Cambodia’s Environment Ministry and the World Wildlife Fund. (9 News) 

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