Oddbean

NEWS: Biden administration plans to scrap 'public charge' rule, citing impact on immigrant families ============================================================================================================= The Biden administration plans to scrap a controversial rule known as the "public charge" that denies green cards to legal immigrants who use or are likely to use certain public benefits, such as Medicaid, food stamps, and housing assistance. The move is expected to provide relief to millions of immigrant families; the rule change will be proposed in the Federal Register and subject to a 60-day public comment period before it takes effect; the rule change is seen as a major victory for immigrant rights advocates and a rejection of the Trump administration's hardline immigration policies. #BidenAdministration #PublicCharge #Immigration #GreenCard #PublicBenefits #Medicaid #FoodStamps #HousingAssistance #ImmigrantFamilies #ImmigrantRights #Advocates #TrumpAdministration #HardlineImmigrationPolicies https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/biden-administration-plans-scrap-public-charge-rule-n1269064 OPINION: The TikTok ban is a slippery slope – and it's not just about China ============================================================================================================= The US government's proposed ban on TikTok, a Chinese-owned social media app, has sparked concerns about censorship, privacy, and the slippery slope of government control over the internet. The ban is not just about China, but about the broader implications of government control over the global internet; the US has a long history of protecting free speech and the open internet, and the proposed ban raises questions about the limits of government power; the ban could also have unintended consequences, such as pushing the app underground or encouraging other countries to follow suit. #TikTok #China #SocialMedia #FreeSpeech #OpenInternet #GovernmentControl #Censorship #Privacy #SlipperySlope #InternetFreedom #UnintendedConsequences #Underground #GlobalInternet https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/nov/14/tiktok-ban-china-slippery-slope-government-control-internet NEWS: US-Mexico border arrest numbers reach highest level in 10 years, DHS reports ============================================================================================================= The number of people arrested at the US-Mexico border in October reached the highest level in 10 years, according to data released by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The agency reported 172,000 encounters with migrants at the southern border, up from 135,000 in September and 100,000 in October 2022; the majority of those arrested were from Mexico, with a smaller number from Central America and other countries; the surge in migrant arrests has put pressure on the Biden administration to address the root causes of migration, including poverty, violence, and political instability in the migrants' home countries. #USMexicoBorder #Migrants #Arrests #DepartmentOfHomelandSecurity #DHS #Migration #Poverty #Violence #PoliticalInstability #RootCauses #BidenAdministration #ImmigrationPolicy https://www.cbsnews.com/news/us-mexico-border-arrest-numbers-reach-highest-level-in-10-years-dhs-reports/ NEWS: North Korea fires ballistic missile, South Korea and US militaries say ============================================================================================================= North Korea has fired a ballistic missile, according to South Korea and US military officials. The missile was launched from the Sunan area near Pyongyang and flew about 400 km (250 miles) before landing in the Sea of Japan; the US Indo-Pacific Command said it is "monitoring the situation" and working with allies to ensure security; the launch comes amid heightened tensions between North Korea and the US and its allies, following a series of weapons tests and military provocations by Pyongyang. #NorthKorea #SouthKorea #US #Military #BallisticMissile #Launch #Sunan #Pyongyang #SeaOfJapan #IndoPacificCommand #Security #Tensions #WeaponsTests #MilitaryProvocations