New York to consider reparations for descendants of enslaved people
New York will undertake an ambitious effort to address the state’s history of slavery and racism, establishing the United States’ third statewide task force to examine whether reparations can be made to confront the legacy of racial injustice. Gov. Kathy Hochul on Tuesday signed a bill that empowers a commission to study not only the history of slavery, which was outlawed in New York in 1827, but also its subsequent effects on housing discrimination, biased policing, income inequality and mass incarceration of African Americans. New York joins California and Illinois at the forefront of reparations efforts.
Tributes for a trailblazer as O’Connor is honored in Washington
Justice Sandra Day O’Connor was remembered Tuesday for her trailblazing role on the Supreme Court, trading the sweeping skies of the Arizona desert as a cattle rancher’s daughter for the marble halls of the court to become the first female justice. Hundreds of people, including all nine current Supreme Court justices and retired Justice Anthony Kennedy, gathered for the service at Washington National Cathedral. The ceremony was filled with admiring tributes to the woman who carved a path for the generations of female lawyers and judges to follow and who did so with grace, wit and, as one of her three sons told those gathered, “unearthly energy.”
Red Sea attacks pose another threat to global economy
A wave of attacks against merchant ships in the Red Sea is forcing companies to send ships on longer routes. The Houthis, an armed group backed by Iran that controls much of northern Yemen, have been using drones and missiles to target ships since Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7. That has forced some shipping giants and oil companies to avoid the Suez Canal, a development that could hamper global trade and push up the cost of imported goods. About 50 vessels go through the Suez Canal a day, and recent data suggested that, as of Monday, at least 32 had been diverted.
An anti-LGBTQ law in Uganda is hurting the economy
Since Uganda’s passage of the Anti-Homosexuality Act of 2023, there have been arrests and hundreds of human rights violations involving LGBTQ+ people, according to a report by a coalition of human rights groups. More quietly, the law is exacting a grim economic toll. The hospitality industry is hurting, hoteliers say. Construction companies say Western financial backers are spooked. Textile makers say buyers in the United States, in Britain and around Europe have canceled orders, fearing that a “Made in Uganda” label on a garment is now bad for business. Uganda’s Constitutional Court held a hearing about the law on Monday, and some observers hope the court will toss it out.
FAA to investigate exhaustion among air traffic controllers
The Federal Aviation Administration is planning to form a panel to look into the potential risks posed by exhaustion among air traffic controllers, many of whom have been working round-the-clock schedules that have pushed them to the physical and emotional brink. The FAA expects to announce more details about the three-member panel on Wednesday, said a spokesperson for the agency. Michael Whitaker, the FAA administrator, said at a news conference Tuesday that “as far as fatigue goes, we’re taking this issue very seriously,” adding that the agency was trying to address the staffing shortage.
Macron compromises with Right to pass immigration overhaul
France’s Parliament late Tuesday approved an immigration overhaul that was made tougher under right-wing pressure, securing a legislative win for President Emmanuel Macron but risking a political crisis for a leader elected twice on centrist vows to keep far-right populism at bay. The bill creates one-year, temporary residency permits under some conditions for skilled workers in fields experiencing labor shortages and streamlines the asylum process, but it also tightens rules allowing foreigners to work, live or study in France.
Israelis abandon political Left over security concerns after Oct. 7
A growing number of Israelis eschewing the politics of the left — ideas that include promoting peace talks with the Palestinians, ending Israel’s occupation of the West Bank and supporting a two-state solution — since Oct. 7, when Hamas gunmen crossed into Israel in a surprise attack and killed roughly 1,200 people. If the left has lost mainstream support, Israel’s peace camp has been driven virtually underground. Activist groups say many members have abandoned the cause, and those who remain committed have struggled to find public places willing to accommodate anti-war protests.
Bahrain is only regional power participating in task force
There was a noticeable absence among the participating countries when Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin announced that the United States was organizing a new naval task force to confront the threat from Yemen’s Houthi militia marauding against global shipping in the Red Sea. No regional power agreed that its navy would participate. The only Middle Eastern country taking part is the tiny island state of Bahrain. With the U.S.’ repeated announcements of support for Israel’s war in the Gaza Strip fomenting anger among Arab populations, no country in the region seems to want to be associated with the United States in a military venture.
After 2 weeks, still no word on missing Russian dissident
After two weeks without word from Alexei Navalny, Russia’s most prominent opposition figure, his lawyers and allies, fearing the worst, are running a frantic campaign to find him. Their efforts have included requesting information from dozens of Russian prisons and taking to social media to raise awareness of Navalny’s disappearance and to call on the Russian government to reveal his whereabouts. Many Russians living abroad have gone to their country’s diplomatic missions to protest. Dmitry Peskov, spokesperson for President Vladimir Putin, told journalists Friday that the Kremlin had “neither the possibility, nor rights or desire to trace the fate of convicts,” referring to Navalny.
Mystery amid an anthrax outbreak in Africa
Five African countries are battling outbreaks of anthrax, with nearly 1,200 people affected so far and 20 deaths, according to the World Health Organization. But the official tally belies confusion about the exact nature and scale of the outbreaks, which may complicate the efforts needed to contain them. Of the 1,166 presumed anthrax cases in Kenya, Malawi, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe, only 35 have been confirmed with lab tests. That is not unusual or unreasonable, experts said, especially in regions with limited resources. In Uganda, many of the presumed cases have resulted in negative tests for anthrax, raising the possibility that a second disease is circulating.
By wire sources