US Domestic News Roundup: New York City to open emergency centers to house migrants bused by Texas; Biden to aim at 'bully' DeSantis in Florida, as 2024 looms and more


Devdiscourse News Desk | Updated: 23-09-2022 18:44 IST | Created: 23-09-2022 18:28 IST
US Domestic News Roundup: New York City to open emergency centers to house migrants bused by Texas; Biden to aim at 'bully' DeSantis in Florida, as 2024 looms and more
US President Joe Biden (Photo Credit: Twitter) Image Credit: ANI

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

New York City to open emergency centers to house migrants bused by Texas

New York City will open two emergency centers to house migrants arriving on buses sent by the Republican governor of Texas in a political dispute over border security, Mayor Eric Adams said on Thursday. The centers will provide shelter, food and medical care while working to connect migrants with family and friends inside and outside New York City, according to the mayor's office.

Biden to aim at 'bully' DeSantis in Florida, as 2024 looms

Joe Biden will for the first time as president hold a political rally in a state where he lost in 2020, when he treks to Florida on Tuesday to stage a showdown with potential 2024 rival, fierce critic and possible Trump successor Ron DeSantis.

Biden is expected to offer his most sharply targeted attack yet on DeSantis, a pugnacious governor who has used the power of his office to rise to national prominence by shunning COVID-19 lockdowns, mocking Biden's age and abilities, penalizing Disney World for opposing a new state law limiting discussion of LGBTQ issues in schools, and recently flying Venezuelan immigrants from Texas to Martha's Vineyard.

Over 4 million Americans administered updated COVID boosters, says CDC

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported on Thursday that 4.4 million people had received updated COVID-19 booster shots, a few weeks into the government's new vaccination campaign. The United States began its rollout of the Omicron-tailored shots from Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna earlier this month.

Biden to announce $1.5 billion to fight U.S. opioid crisis

U.S. President Joe Biden will announce on Friday nearly $1.5 billion to fund access to medications for opioid overdoses, sanctions against traffickers, and increased funding for law enforcement, the White House said. The Biden administration is keen to show it is taking action on a worsening nationwide opioid crisis, which according to U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data fueled more than 107,000 drug overdose deaths in 2021, a nearly 15% increase from the previous year.

Judge blocks Indiana abortion ban during Planned Parenthood challenge

An Indiana judge on Thursday blocked the state from enforcing its new law banning most abortions while Planned Parenthood and other healthcare providers challenge it in court.

Circuit Court Judge Kelsey Hanlon ruled that Planned Parenthood and the other providers had shown a "reasonable likelihood" that the law's "significant restriction of personal autonomy" violates the Indiana constitution.

U.S. House Republicans unveil agenda ahead of Nov. 8 elections

Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives rolled out an agenda on Friday aimed at tackling a range of priorities from inflation and crime to election accountability, which they hope will give them the upper hand against Democrats in the Nov. 8 midterm elections. The agenda called the "Commitment to America," claims to show voters how Republicans would address problems they blame on President Joe Biden and the Democrats, should they succeed in winning the House majority.

Alex Jones lashes out at critics at trial over Sandy Hook hoax claims

Conspiracy theorist Alex Jones ignited a courtroom shouting match on Thursday, railing against critics as he testified in a trial to determine how much he owes families of victims who died in the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School mass shooting, which he falsely claimed was a hoax. Tensions boiled over after roughly four hours of testimony in the Waterbury, Connecticut courtroom, not far from Newtown, the town where the massacre took place. Jones fulminated against "liberals" and refused to apologize to a packed gallery of victims' families.

With U.S. midterm elections approaching, Democrats score a bipartisan wins on public safety bills

The U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday passed a series of bipartisan policing and public safety bills, as Democrats worked to burnish their crime-fighting credentials before the Nov. 8 midterm elections. The "Invest to Protect Act" aims to beef up federal funding for community policing activities in smaller jurisdictions, which often lack the money for officer body cameras and "de-escalation" training aimed at avoiding death or injury during law enforcement activities.

Apple will sponsor Super Bowl halftime show starting in February

The National Football League has reached a multiyear deal with Apple Music to sponsor the Super Bowl Halftime Show, beginning with the American football championship game in February 2023, the league said on Thursday. The Super Bowl is usually the most watched television event of the year in the United States, and the halftime show has become a showcase, featuring such notable artists as The Weeknd, Jennifer Lopez, Shakira, Beyoncé, Justin Timberlake, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Bruno Mars, Prince and Madonna.

U.S. House Democrats release framework for bill to restrict members trading stocks

U.S. House Democrats on Thursday released a framework for legislation that would restrict lawmakers and other senior government officials, including the Supreme Court, from trading in stocks. The bill would also restrict lawmakers' spouses and dependent children from trading stock and holding certain other investments, as well as require public officials to divest from such holdings or place them in a blind trust, according to the framework.

(With inputs from agencies.)

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