Restrictive border policy Title 42 ends this week but leaves imprint on future of asylum

The first day that asylum seekers could make appointments through their smartphones to request protection at U.S. ports of entry, a 22-year-old mother and her three children in Tijuana rushed to try to secure their own place in the digital line.

More than three months later, she and thousands of other asylum seekers waiting in Mexico are still trying.

San Diego Union Tribune

Mayorkas pushes back on criticism, says Biden administration is prepared for lifting of Title 42

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas is pushing back on criticism the Biden administration has received over its plans to lift Title 42, saying officials are prepared for the move later this week. 

The Hill

Border patrol agents expect surge of border crossings as Title 42 is set to expire

U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said Friday that authorities faced “extremely challenging” circumstances along the border with Mexico days before pandemic-related asylum restrictions end.

ABC 7

The Real-Life Consequences Of Biden Restarting Family Detention

The policy began under the Obama administration in 2014, in response to an increase in Central American families seeking asylum at the border. The practice only expanded under former President Donald Trump, who cracked down on immigration with a series of harsh policies. Women and children were held in prison-like facilities for an indefinite period of time in an attempt to deter families from seeking asylum at the southern border of the U.S.

President Joe Biden ended family detention shortly after taking office, but The New York Times reported in March that the administration was considering reinstating the practice as Title 42 ― the Trump-era policy that has allowed border authorities to swiftly expel migrants under the pretext of the coronavirus pandemic — is set to expire next week.

Huffpost

Being Cisgender: What It Means, Where the Word Comes From, and the Privilege That Comes With It

There are so many ways to express your sexuality, and that’s something to truly celebrate. But it can get confusing and we should all strive to have a clear understanding of the various identities and what they mean. 

“Cisgender” is a term that is often interchanged with “straight,” but they’re not a one-to-one exchange (more on that later). You may also hear “cishet” instead of cisgender, as well as “comphet” used in the same conversation. We’re here to save you some research and shed some light on all of these terms.

Teen Vogue

Texas mall shooting: Gunman kills eight people in Allen shopping centre

A gunman shot and killed eight people, including children, at a shopping mall north of Dallas on Saturday.

BBC

US congresswoman introduces bill to restrict aid to Israel

The measure, backed by 17 Democrats, would ban US assistance to Israel from contributing to detention of Palestinian children.

Al Jazeera

Texas Republicans Want to Take Over Elections in This Democratic Stronghold

Texas Republicans are seeking to take control of elections in the Houston area, a growing Democratic stronghold that is making statewide races more competitive and could eventually turn the state into a presidential battleground.

Bloomberg

Black voters backing Biden, but not with 2020 enthusiasm

Biden’s approval rating among Black adults has fluctuated over his two years in office. As with most demographic groups, the latest Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll finds his 58% current approval rating among Black adults sitting well below where he began. Roughly 9 in 10 Black adults approved of Biden over his first months in office.

While only about half of Democrats overall say they want Biden to run again in 2024, 81% say they would definitely or probably support him if he were the nominee. The groundswell isn’t as stark among Black adults: 41% say they want him to run and only 55% say they are likely to support him in the general election.

AP News

Battle for Feinstein seat splits top Democrats

California’s Senate primary has put some of the most powerful figures in the Democratic Party on opposing sides in what is becoming one of the most closely monitored and unpredictable races of the 2024 cycle. 

Progressive Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.) got a big boost this week after Rep. James Clyburn (D-S.C.), a prominent establishment Democrat on Capitol Hill, threw his support behind her, crossing an ideological divide. That came after a leading voice on the left, Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), also offered her support, merging top figures from the Congressional Black and Progressive Caucuses.

At the same time, another progressive, Rep. Katie Porter (D-Calif.), had already locked down Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), one of the most coveted endorsements in the Senate, while Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) offered her name brand legacy to Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.).

The battle lines being drawn within the party’s top names underscores the significance of the race for retiring Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s (D-Calif.) seat — as well as the differing views on who’s best poised to fill it.

The Hill

‘I am a substantial roadblock’: a Nebraska state senator’s filibuster for trans rights

Originally, Cavanaugh wanted to force her colleagues’ hands. Would they rather get on with their jobs, passing the huge number of bills – usually more than 200 in one session – required to keep a healthy state moving forward? Or were her colleagues so dead set on passing LB 574 that they would fight over every other bill rather than drop it? So far, they have chosen the latter. But Cavanaugh has stuck to her crusade because she feels she has no other choice.

“It targets a vulnerable minority population in such a vicious manner as to deny them access to lifesaving healthcare,” said Cavanaugh. “They are targeting children. I don’t view it as an option to do anything other than fight against it. That’s my job as an elected official,” she says.

The Guardian

A Disaster the Size of Multiple Katrinas Is Building Off Washington’s Coast

The Coast Guard is the first line of defense against a massive tsunami. Will it also be an early victim?

Politico

This tribe was barred from cultural burning for decades — then a fire hit their community

When a wildfire swept through in July, the dense vegetation stoked flames that destroyed Vasquez’s home and transformed the land into a scarred moonscape. With that, she became one of many Indigenous residents to watch her ancestral territory burn in recent years, despite knowing the outcome could have been different.

“If we were able to impart that wisdom and knowledge to European settlers, to the agencies, to not stop our burning, we would be in a way different place,” Vasquez said.

LA Times

The Lost Darcelle XV Interview: The World’s Oldest Drag Queen Tells Her Story One Last Time

After passing away at the age of 92 in March, Darcelle XV left behind a history-making legacy of drag and activism. Read a previously unpublished interview with Portland’s unofficial matriarch below.

them

Terms to know: Gender identity, sexual orientation and more

The 2023 Texas legislative session introduced dozens of bills that threaten the LGBTQIA+ community, including many seeking to outlaw or curtail care for trans youth in Texas.

Last year, Gov. Greg Abbott ordered the state child welfare agency to investigate families whose children have received gender-affirming health care. Additionally, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton issued a written opinion defining gender-affirming care as child abuse under state laws.

Below are some of the terms we use in our coverage that might not be widely known. LGBTQIA+ people use many words to identify themselves, and it’s important to respect individuals’ preferred terminology.

Austin American Statesman

George Santos mocked for demanding a “DIVORCE” between LGB & TQ+

Rep. George Santos (R-NY) – the only out LGBTQ+ Republican in Congress – is now calling for a “DIVORCE” in the LGBTQ+ community to divide “LGB” people and “TQIA+” people.“It’s time we all understand that the LGB people have different social issues than the TQIA++++++ people do,” Santos wrote. “So I’m calling for a DIVORCE of the LGB from the TQIA+.”

Santos – who supports anti-transgender legislation, has shared anti-LGBTQ+ propaganda online, and has mocked trans women for their appearance – claimed that it would actually be good for trans people if this “DIVORCE” occurred.

“By lumping everyone together, you actually do a disservice to the trans community by diluting their struggles with the struggles of others,” he wrote.

LGBTQ Nation

Oregon May Soon Require Insurers to Cover All Trans Healthcare

The bill would also require all health plans in the state to cover abortion procedures.

them

Sudan updates: Warring factions to hold direct talks

Representatives from the warring Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary were in the Saudi port city of Jeddah on Saturday, with the two expected to start direct talks on securing an actual cease-fire.

The US and Saudi Arabian governments confirmed the presence of the representatives and said that the two sides would take part in “pre-negotiation talks” — the first direct discussions since fighting broke out on April 15.

Deutsche Welle

Revealed: Labour won back swathes of Brexit voters in the local elections

Analysis of ‘key ward’ figures shows the coalition of Tory support that was built by Boris Johnson has fallen apart

The Guardian

German Greens celebrate 30 years since east and west parties merged

The German Green Party celebrated the merger of the East German Bündnis 90 with the West German Greens 30 years ago on Saturday under the motto “grown together.”

DPA

Japan braces for heavy rain, aftershocks after 6.5 magnitude earthquake

Authorities in Japan warned residents Saturday to brace for aftershocks and heavy rain, one day after a 6.5-magnitude earthquake.

A magnitude 5.9 aftershock has already been recorded and more than 1,600 residents have been told to leave their homes over fears of possible landslides.

UPI

King Charles’ Coronation: How people watched a day not seen for 70 years

In 1953, millions crowded around their neighbours’ television sets to watch the Queen’s coronation. Seventy years on, the crowning of King Charles III was a very different kind of spectacle.

BBC

Revealed: modern humans needed three tries – and 12,000 years – to colonise Europe

Homo sapiens forced out Neanderthals between 54,000 and 42,000 years ago, according to controversial new research

The Guardian

Cinco de Mayo: How a Mexican holiday became a party in the USA

The May 5 holiday honors Mexico’s victory in an 1862 battle—so how did it come to rival St. Patrick’s Day as a day of revelry in the United States?

National Geographic