Growing numbers of Chinese migrants are crossing the southern border
More than 24,000 Chinese citizens have been apprehended crossing into the United States from Mexico in the past year. That is more than in the preceding 10 years combined, according to government data. They typically fly into Ecuador. Then, they pay smugglers to guide their travel en route to the United States. Once there, they turn themselves in to border officials, and many seek asylum. Most succeed, in turn fueling further attempts. And those who are not end up staying anyway because China usually will not take them back. Of the 1.3 million people in the United States with final orders to be deported, about 100,000 are Chinese.
Could Haley really beat Trump? Big donors are daring to dream.
In recent weeks, a group of chief executives, hedge fund investors and corporate dealmakers from both parties have begun gravitating toward Nikki Haley, the former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. Her ascent in the polls and strong debate performances have raised hopes among Republicans hungering to end the dominance of former President Donald Trump. Her campaign said she pulled in $1 million in the first 24 hours after the last debate Nov. 9. And while fundraising numbers for the fourth quarter have not yet been released, interviews with about 20 financial and corporate executives suggest that more checks will soon arrive.
Sean Combs accused of sexual assault by a second woman
Producer and music mogul Sean Combs was accused of sexually assaulting a woman in 1991 in a lawsuit she filed Thursday, a week after he settled a suit that accused him of raping and physically abusing Cassie, an R&B singer once signed to his label. In the latest lawsuit, Joi Dickerson-Neal accused Combs of drugging her during an evening out in New York. She was eventually driven to a place Combs was staying, where he raped her and recorded the encounter on video, according to the lawsuit. Nathalie Moar, a spokesperson for Combs, said he “completely denied and rejected” the claims of misconduct.
High-Speed police chases rise near Texas border, leaving locals on edge
In recent years, police departments across the United States have been reassessing when and how to pursue fleeing suspects. But in Texas, the state police and sheriff’s offices have been notable exceptions, policing experts said, retaining broad discretion to give chase whenever their officers deem it appropriate. The number of chases across Texas has gone up sharply starting in 2021, when Gov. Greg Abbott sent thousands of state police officers to patrol the area around the border. The chases, which often erupt suddenly from traffic stops, have left dozens dead and scores injured, including bystanders, rattling border communities.
Bentley in border bridge crash was a luxury car packed with power
The car that exploded this week at a border bridge in Niagara Falls, New York, was a 2022 Bentley Flying Spur, authorities said Friday, an ultraluxury model capable of reaching a speed of 60 mph in four seconds. Police identified Kurt P. Villani as the driver and Monica Villani as the passenger. The married couple, who were both 53 and from Grand Island, were the owners of several businesses in western New York. They were headed to a concert in Toronto before the fatal crash, which remained unexplained. Investigators were exploring whether a mechanical problem had caused the car to accelerate out of control.
Andrew Cuomo faces sex abuse suit from ex-aide who says he groped her
Brittany Commisso, a former aide to Gov. Andrew Cuomo of New York who accused him of groping her in late 2020, is suing him under the state’s Adult Survivors Act for what she described as “pervasive abusive conduct,” according to court papers. In the papers, Commisso accused Cuomo of “continuous sexual harassment” and of retaliating against her after she refused his advances and reported his conduct. Commisso’s allegations against Cuomo are not new, and he has long denied them. The court papers filed by Commisso on Tuesday were used to initiate a lawsuit and are to be followed by a complaint, according to court rules.
Black Friday isn’t what it used to be
Black Friday was once a hallmark celebration of American consumerism. Lately, it has lost some of its thunder. It’s true that shoppers looking for big discounts can still line up early at Macy’s or Best Buy on the day after Thanksgiving, in hopes of snagging a bargain. But for many, the bargain has already been had. Check your inbox: Those emails offering the “Best Prices of the Year” have been coming in for days or weeks as retailers try to beat one another to your wallet. The ease of online shopping has also tamped down Black Friday crowds, but some consumers still prefer the in-person experience.
Oscar Pistorius, Olympic athlete convicted of murder, will Be released on parole
Oscar Pistorius, a once inspirational figure who gained fame as an Olympic sprinter for South Africa before he was convicted of murdering his girlfriend, will be released on parole, authorities said Friday. A parole board granted Pistorius’ petition on the basis that he had served half of his 15-year sentence for killing Reeva Steenkamp a decade ago, making him eligible for parole according to South African law. The victim’s family released a statement on behalf of Steenkamp’s mother, June, saying she was “satisfied with the conditions imposed by the parole board.” Pistorius is “happy” and “grateful” that he is set to be released, his lawyer said.
Online rumors after knife attack in Dublin led to riot
Soon after three children and a woman were wounded in a knife attack outside a Dublin school Thursday, rumors about the perpetrator’s nationality began spreading online. The Irish police force declined to comment on the background of the suspect, who was taken into custody, saying only that he is a man in his 50s. But unconfirmed reports that he was an Algerian migrant circulated among anti-immigration and far-right groups, according to researchers specializing in extremist movements online. What started as online chatter ended with rioters clashing with police. Several police officers were hurt, and 34 people were arrested, Dublin’s police commissioner told reporters Friday.
Volcano’s eruption threat is ebbing, but Iceland continues to wait
The likelihood that a volcanic eruption will engulf the fishing town of Grindavik, Iceland, is decreasing by the day, officials said Friday, even as they continued to warn that an eruption could still occur. Grindavik, with more than 3,000 people, was evacuated this month after it was determined that a 9-mile-long underground river of magma was moving beneath the town to the ocean. Residents are allowed to go home during the day but until scientists give the all-clear, people cannot permanently return, a spokesperson for Iceland’s Department of Civil Protection and Emergency Management said.
For Russia’s pop star exiles, a moral stand and a creative climb
Before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Monetochka was on her way to becoming a superstar in Russia. President Vladimir Putin’s military action derailed everything. After making a raft of anti-war statements and fleeing Russia, she was branded a foreign agent in January. The 25-year-old singer-songwriter now lives in Lithuania. She is one of many Russian music stars rebuilding their careers outside their homeland after taking a moral stand against the invasion of Ukraine. Now forced to operate at a distance from most of their fan bases and, in many cases, labeled traitors by their government, they are trying to keep their careers moving forward.
By wire sources