Tag: removal

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Politics

Biden blocks elimination of Hong Kong residents, cites China repression

Biden blocks removal of Hong Kong residents, cites China repression

United States President Joe Biden delivers a speech in the East Room of the White House in Washington, DC on July 29, 2021.

Anna Money Maker | Getty Images

President Joe Biden signed an order on Wednesday blocking the forced deportation of many Hong Kong residents from the United States for 18 months and giving them a “temporary safe haven” from ongoing Chinese repression in the region, the White House said.

The order allows Hong Kong residents whose U.S. visas have expired and who are otherwise legally removable to remain in the United States.

Biden on Wednesday also directed the Department of Homeland Security to legally work in the United States for Hong Kong residents subject to the order.

“With politically motivated arrests and trials, media silence, and the shrinking space for elections and democratic opposition, we will continue to take steps to support the people of Hong Kong,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki said in a written statement.

The order imposing memorandum signed by Biden also states that China has undermined “the enjoyment of rights and freedoms” in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, including those protected by the so-called Basic Law and the Sino-British Joint Declaration.

Since June 2020, when China unilaterally imposed its national security law on Hong Kong, police in the semi-autonomous region have detained at least 100 opposition politicians, activists and protesters on charges under the law, the memo said.

In addition, police arrested more than 10,000 people in connection with protests against the government.

China’s action came in response to the anti-government protests that began in Hong Kong in 2019.

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“There are compelling foreign policy reasons to postpone the forced exit of Hong Kong residents currently in the United States,” the memo said.

“The United States is committed to a foreign policy that combines our democratic values ​​with our foreign policy goals that focus on defending democracy and promoting human rights around the world,” the memo reads.

“Providing a safe haven for Hong Kong residents who have been deprived of their guaranteed freedoms in Hong Kong promotes US interests in the region.”

Biden’s order applies to Hong Kong residents currently in the United States, with certain exceptions.

These exceptions include those who cannot be admitted or deported to the United States under immigration law, those convicted of one or more offenses in the United States, and those whose presence is not in the interests of the United States

Senator Ben Sasse, the Republican from Nebraska who tabled a bill last year that automatically grants asylum to Hong Kong residents in the US, said Biden’s order was “a solid step, but we need to go further.”

“We must offer full asylum to Hong Kong people who are fleeing the brutal repression of Chairman Xi,” said Sasse, referring to the general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party, Xi Jingping.

“America must stand firmly behind the victims of communism and show the world that we will always stand up for freedom around the world.”

Categories
Politics

Lawmakers, activists name for elimination from Congress

Lawmakers, activists call for removal from Congress

Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), wearing a mask that reads “Trump won,” speaks to a colleague on the opening day of the 117th Congress on the opening day of the 117th Congress at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Jan. 3. 2021.

Bill O’Leary | Reuters

Lawmakers and activists are calling for newcomer GOP Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene to be removed from the House Education Committee and from Congress.

Recently, videos and social media activity from 2018 and 2019 have resurfaced depicting Greene harassing a Parkland, Florida survivor, falsely indicating that several fatal school and mass shootings were carried out, suggesting the Pointing out support for the execution of prominent Democrats and expressing approval from afar -right conspiracy theories.

“It is absolutely appalling, and I think the focus must be on the Republican leadership of this House of Representatives if they disregard the deaths of these children,” House spokeswoman Nancy Pelosi said at a weekly news conference Thursday.

Democratic MP Jahana Hayes distributed a letter Thursday urging the Republican leadership of the House to remove Greene from her appointment on the House Committee on Education and Labor. Hayes represents Connecticut’s 5th district, including Newtown, where the 2012 deadly mass shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School took place.

California Democratic MP Jimmy Gomez announced Thursday that he would introduce a resolution to expel Greene from Congress, which would require a two-thirds majority to pass.

House Ethics Committee Chairman Ted Deutch also expressed support for Greene’s removal from Congress. Parkland belongs to the Florida district of the Democrat, where the fatal shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School took place in 2018.

The Georgia chapter of the youth-led gun safety organization March For Our Lives held a demonstration outside Greene’s office in Rome, Georgia, Friday morning. The group organized the event in response to a resurfaced video of Greene panting David Hogg, a survivor of the Parkland shootout and co-founder of March For Our Lives, in 2019.

Activists called for the immediate resignation or expulsion of the congressmen. A petition calling for Greene’s resignation by March For Our Lives received more than 100,000 signatures in 24 hours.

“We’re tired of them shaming our region,” said Omar Rodriguez, organizer of the Northwest Georgia Justice Coalition and voter in Greene’s district, at the demonstration. “Greene is not one of us.”

Gun violence prevention groups Everytown for Gun Safety, Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action also called for Greene to step down.

The Republican Jewish Coalition released a statement Friday that the group “never endorsed or supported Marjorie Taylor Greene. We are offended and appalled by her comments and actions.”

“It is way outside of the mainstream Republican Party and the RJC is working closely with the Republican leadership of the House on the next steps in this matter,” the group said.

A spokesman for Republican House Leader Kevin McCarthy said in a statement that Greene’s comments were “deeply troubling” and “Leader McCarthy plans to have a conversation with Congressman about it.”

In a Thursday interview on CNN, Hogg had a message to McCarthy: “If you say this is not your party, actually call them out and hold them accountable because Republicans always pretend they are the party of decency and respect. “

“But would the Party of Decency and Respect ask whether or not school shootings took place? Would they harass the survivors of those shootings for having different opinions than they did?” Asked Hogg.

Greene’s office did not respond to CNBC’s requests for comment. The Congresswoman released a defiant statement on Friday in response to mounting criticism and tried to draw attention to next year’s midterm elections.

Rep. Cori Bush, a Missouri Democrat, said Friday she was moving her office from Greene after the Georgia Congresswoman “cursed” her.

Regarding the deadly January 6 uprising in the Capitol by supporters of former President Donald Trump, Bush noted that she had “called for the expulsion of members who instigated the uprising from day one.” Greene supported efforts to overturn Joe Biden’s presidential win and was one of 147 Republican lawmakers who voted against the election results after the Capitol attack.

A news crew from NBC subsidiary WRCB was reportedly removed from an event at City Hall on Wednesday and threatened with arrest after trying to ask Greene a question.

Ahead of her November 2020 election, Greene fueled the QAnon conspiracy theory, whose supporters believe a cabal of satanic, pedophile Democrats and other institutional figures control the government and intend to undermine former President Trump.

Prominent QAnon supporters were among the pro-Trump extremists who stormed the Capitol during the uprising that killed five people.

The new lawmaker began her Congressional candidacy in the 6th district of Georgia and then decided to run in the 14th district when incumbent Tom Graves announced that he would not seek re-election. Her Democratic opponent was eliminated and Greene won her seat in the Northern Georgia district by almost 50 percentage points.

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Business

Loyal to Trump for Years, Manufacturing Group Now Requires His Removing

Loyal to Trump for Years, Manufacturing Group Now Calls for His Removal

Manufacturers parted ways with Mr. Trump on immigration policy and especially trade, and opposed the tariffs that Mr. Trump had introduced from 2018. That year, however, the gap widened significantly.

In the spring, Mr. Trump appointed Mr. Timmons to an industry group to advise the administration on safely reopening the economy in the pandemic. But in April, Mr Timmons discharged himself on Facebook and in an interview about protesters pushing for a quick reopening when many manufacturers struggled to secure personal protective equipment for their workers.

Mr Trump encouraged the protests and called for government activity restrictions to be lifted, but at the time Mr Timmons declined to criticize him publicly. “I won’t go into that,” he said. “I will use my platform to say what I think is right and what I think is good for my manufacturing workers.”

The club congratulated Mr Biden after the election was called in his favor. Almost two weeks later, it issued a statement calling on federal officials to identify Mr Biden as elected president and initiate the formal transfer of power. On Jan. 4, the group condemned efforts by Trump and Republicans in Congress to question the certification of the Biden victory. Each of these publications was followed by extensive discussions between members of the management team.

The release on Wednesday did not include the same debate. Mr Timmons said the attacks on the Capitol were against the association’s core values. When rioters stormed the Capitol, the association’s employees called for a zoom, compiled the statement and published it that afternoon.

“Vice President Pence, who has been evacuated from the Capitol, should seriously consider working with the Cabinet to take advantage of the 25th Democratic Amendment,” it said. “This is not the vision of America that manufacturers believe in and work so hard to defend.”

Many members of the Executive Committee either did not comment or did not say whether they supported the association’s statement when asked. The committee includes representatives from some of America’s best-known companies, including Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson, Toyota, Dow Inc., Caterpillar, Goodyear Tire, and Emerson Electric. Some of the companies published their own statements about the invasion but did not publicly say whether they supported the trade group’s statement.

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World News

Chipmaker SMIC inventory falls as co-CEO plans to resign, it faces MSCI elimination

Chipmaker SMIC stock falls as co-CEO plans to resign, it faces MSCI removal

A close-up of a CPU socket and motherboard lying on the table.

Narumon Bowonkitwanchai | Moment | Getty Images

China was on the way to becoming more independent in semiconductors. This move has accelerated in recent years as tensions with the US increased. SMIC is key to China’s ambitions.

However, Washington has tried to make it harder for Chinese industry to catch up. The US reportedly imposed sanctions on SMIC in September that made it difficult for it to acquire the American technology it needed. That month, SMIC was blacklisted as suspected Chinese military companies in the US.

Hong Kong-listed SMIC shares fell 4% at around 2:59 p.m. local time. The company’s Shanghai-listed shares fell around 5.5%.

Categories
Business

United Airways turns to CO2 elimination expertise to offset emissions

United Airlines turns to CO2 removal technology to offset emissions

United Airlines Boeing 767-400 ER Extended Range with aircraft powered by 2 CF6-80 engines landing at Amsterdam Schiphol International Airport AMS EHAM in the Netherlands, the capital of the Netherlands.

Economou | NurPhoto | Getty Images

United Airlines is turning to technology to capture carbon dioxide from the air and store it underground to fully offset carbon emissions by 2050. This is a change from the compensation programs that the aviation industry and others have traditionally relied on to reduce their footprint.

The Chicago-based airline announced Thursday that it is making a multi-million dollar investment in a carbon capture joint venture between subsidiary Occidental Petroleum and private equity firm Rusheen Capital Management. The company is developing a carbon capture facility in the Permian Basin in Texas.

While the coronavirus pandemic has decimated air travel around the world, airlines typically cause around 2% of global carbon emissions. Carriers have used biofuels and carbon offsets bought in exchange for forest conservation and other projects.

“It may feel good in the short term, but the math just doesn’t nearly add up,” said Scott Kirby, United’s CEO, speaking to reporters on Wednesday about carbon offsetting. “The only way to really reduce atmospheric carbon is by capturing and binding air directly.”