Democrat senator takes action to reverse Biden admin move ‘endangering our food supply’
Democratic Montana Sen. Jon Tester is joining forces with Republican Sen. Mike Rounds of South Dakota to introduce legislation blocking the Biden administration from allowing beef imports that he says could contain a disease impacting U.S. food supplies. Tester and Rounds announced late Tuesday that they would introduce a Congressional Review Act resolution that would overturn the Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) decision to lift a long-standing ban on beef imports from Paraguay. The USDA is expected to implement the decision as soon as Thursday over opposition from Tester, Rounds and U.S. livestock industry groups which have pointed to the South American nation’s history of cattle disease. “The Biden Administration has this one backwards — resuming beef imports from a country with a recent history of foot and mouth disease is bad news for both Montana consumers and producers,” Tester said in a statement Tuesday. “Montana ranchers work hard to produce the best quality beef in the world, and it’s clear that the USDA doesn’t have the data to show that Paraguay meets the same animal health standards,” the Montana senator continued. “I’m willing to take this fight to the Senate floor because it’s clear that bureaucrats in Washington are endangering our food supply while giving a raw deal to American ranchers and consumers.” BIDEN RIPPED FOR LATEST ‘LAND GRAB’ BLOCKING KEY ENERGY, AGRICULTURE DEVELOPMENT Rounds added that Americans should be able to “confidently feed their families beef that has met the rigorous standards” required in America. In November, the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) finalized regulations to allow Paraguayan beef imports and issued a series of conditions importers must meet to ensure livestock diseases aren’t present in shipped products. Paraguay’s livestock industry has a history of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), which spreads quickly among livestock and could severely threaten the U.S. economy. LOCAL RESIDENTS EXPLODE AT BIDEN OFFICIALS OVER PLAN TO RELEASE GRIZZLY BEARS NEAR THEIR COMMUNITIES According to a readout of a September meeting between the Paraguayan government and the White House Office of the United States Trade Representative, the two sides discussed the process to authorize the import of raw beef products and Paraguayan officials expressed their desire to resume raw beef product trade “as soon as possible.” In addition, Paraguayan cattle industry associations and government agencies including the Embassy of Paraguay to the United States submitted comments in May in response to the proposed version of the regulations finalized last month. The comments similarly urged the USDA to immediately allow beef imports. GOP REP INTRODUCES RESOLUTION CONDEMNING UN FOR CALLING ON AMERICANS TO STOP EATING MEAT “The exportation of Paraguayan beef to the United States will benefit both Paraguayan and American business and consumers with increased choices for premium beef products,” the Embassy of Paraguay wrote in its filing. “The Government of Paraguay is committed to working closely with U.S. authorities to ensure that all food safety and quality regulations are met, and we are confident that Paraguayan beef will be a big success in the U.S. market.” However, the same federal rulemaking process garnered substantial negative feedback from the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), regional affiliates of the group, the United States Cattlemen’s Association and the American Farm Bureau Federation, which all argued the action could lead to a FMD outbreak in the U.S. — which has been free of the disease since 1929 — causing massive economic damage. “USDA based their decision to allow beef imports from Paraguay on a deeply flawed risk assessment that uses old data from site visits that were conducted more than nine years ago,” Kent Bacus, the executive director of government affairs for the NCBA, the largest industry group representing U.S. cattle producers, said last month. “Paraguay has a history of FMD outbreaks, and it is unclear if their inspection system can provide an equivalent level of safety for animal health to prevent a possible FMD outbreak on U.S. soil,” he continued. “Paraguay heavily relies on private sector funding for most of its FMD mitigation measures, and USDA did not consider the risk associated with Paraguay’s economic downturn over the last several years.”
Finding a fix: Nigerian women lead drive to upcycle plastics
Lagos, Nigeria — For years, Maryam Lawani was really pained when it rained. She lived in the Oshodi Isolo area of Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial capital, where canals often overflow messily into the streets during downpours. Additionally, she was always struck by the huge amount of plastic waste on the streets after the rains receded and how this in turn affected mobility or even made the roads deteriorate. After even a little rain in Lagos, the streets get muddy and potholes brimming by the side with broken plastics, gin sachets, pure water nylons, used diapers and other items. “I felt a strong need to prevent climate crises as a response to a personal pain point,” she told Al Jazeera. So she began to research the recurring problem and then discovered that plastic pollution was a global issue. According to the United Nations, on average, the world produces 430 million tonnes of plastic every year; wrappers for chocolate bars, packets and plastic utensils. And there are consequences; every day, the equivalent of over 2,000 garbage trucks full of plastic are dumped into water bodies. As a result, plastic pollution is set to triple by 2060 if no action is taken. UN reports also say that Nigeria generates about 2.5 million metric tonnes of plastic waste annually. Of that, over 130,000 tonnes of plastic make their way into water bodies, putting the country among the top 20 contributors to marine debris globally. And while Nigeria has several dumping sites for waste, those in the environmental sector like Olumide Idowu, executive director for International Climate Change Initiative, say there is no exact data on their number or capacity to handle large volumes of waste sufficiently. So waste has visibly caused blocked drainages and pollution, even as climate shocks like floods hit parts of sub-Saharan Africa. This is most obvious in Lagos, the country’s most populated city, with an estimated 24 million people. [embedded content] Challenges Compared to other developing countries like Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda and Tanzania, which have banned single-use plastics or are gradually eliminating them, Nigeria hasn’t done much to combat plastic pollution, experts say. In 2020, the Ministry of Environment launched the Nigeria Circular Economy Policy to help transition the country to a circular economy and promote sustainable waste management. But Idowu says proper waste collection and recycling facilities are still needed for Nigeria to tackle plastic pollution effectively. “Nigeria may also need to strengthen existing regulations or introduce new ones to address plastic pollution,” he says, adding that the country’s large population could also be a challenge in enforcing them. ”[But] economic constraints and lack of alternative packaging options may hinder the transition away from single-use plastics.” “As more individuals, businesses, and the government recognize the value of upcycling, it is likely that the sector will grow and contribute to a more sustainable and circular economy in Nigeria,” Idowu says. Climate Lead’s Oladosu says there is a need to involve as many people as possible in the movement for a cleaner, greener Nigeria. “We need to make people understand that climate change is real, and it will affect everyone regardless of where they live, Ajegunle or Lekki,” she said. “We can all feel the heat of the sun, the impact of flooding, etc. There are different angles to mitigating climate change and recycling is just one. Another is responsible consumption. There is a need for everyone to be climate and environmentally conscious.” The recycling mission During her research, Lawani discovered she could recycle plastics to help clean up the neighbourhood mess. So in 2015, she founded Greenhill Recycling which now recovers an average of 100-200 tonnes of waste monthly, she says. Her business also provides a means of supplemental income for people around her, by paying them around 100-150 naira ($0.1265) for every kilogramme of trash collected. “We encourage and sensitise people not to thrash waste but to bag them neatly in their homes,” she told Al Jazeera. “We pick up from their doorstep, their homes and not in dump sites.” “Waste is a currency to address other issues around poverty, unemployment and the environment. People are able to exchange waste for profitable things like school fees, clothes and even food,” Lawani added. Like Lawani’s Greenhill Recycling, several other women-led upcycling and recycling companies have sprung up in Africa’s largest economy, in addition to the well-known Wecyclers social enterprise. In coastal Lagos, RESWAYE (Recycling Scheme for Women and Youth Empowerment) works in communities with women and young girls who are trained to go into schools and estates to retrieve plastics. Their collections go to a sorting hub and from there to upscalers. Doyinsola Ogunye, founder of RESWAYE told Al Jazeera that it has reached 4000 women in 41 coastal communities in Lagos, while also giving personal hygiene kits to them and providing scholarships for children. There is also the nonprofit Foundation for A Better Nigeria (FABE) founded by Temitope Okunnu in 2006 to create awareness about climate change in schools. It operates across three states. “We visit primary, secondary schools and universities to sensitise young children about climate issues,” she said. “Behavioural change is still a big issue in this part of the country which is why we are focused on young children.” Through an initiative called EcoSchoolsNg, it teaches students skills such as sustainable waste management – by recycling, upcycling or composting – and sustainable gardening. FABE says it promotes plastic upscaling because according to Okunnu, “plastic is money but only a few people know this”, she told Al Jazeera. The increasing awareness about recycling plastic into usable products can also be great for keeping youth engaged, says Adenike Titilope Oladosu, founder of ILead Climate, a climate justice advocacy. A police officer stands next to boxes of expired AstraZeneca coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccines at the Gosa dump site in Abuja, Nigeria, December 22, 2021 [Afolabi Sotunde/Reuters] The need for more work Despite the work of these women and numerous non-profits to educate Nigerians on the adverse effects of climate
Tunisian opposition leader Chaima Issa gets suspended jail term
Military court hands Issa one-year suspended sentence for insulting the president, inciting soldiers to disobey orders. A prominent Tunisian opposition activist has been handed a one-year suspended prison sentence for insulting the president, her lawyer says. Chaima Issa was convicted by a military court on Wednesday of inciting soldiers to disobey orders and insulting President Kais Saied, Islem Hamza said. Issa denies wrongdoing. The charges relate to comments Issa made accusing Saied of trying to create “tyranny”, saying parliamentary elections in 2022 were useless and calling on the army not to be involved. Issa’s sentence is widely seen by Tunisia’s opposition as a step to silence Saied’s critics. The president, who was democratically elected in October 2019, launched a power grab in July 2021, ousting the former parliament and prime minister and giving himself sweeping emergency powers. He has since pushed through a new constitution to weaken parliament and cracked down on his political opponents. Issa herself was among 20 political leaders detained in February on suspicion of “plotting against state security”. She was released in July pending her trial. Rights groups have urged authorities to free the other political detainees, including former parliament speaker and leader of the Ennahdha party Rached Ghannouchi. Saied has rejected such calls, describing the detainees as “terrorists” and “traitors” and warning that judges who release them would be abetting their crimes. Issa, a member of the National Salvation Front coalition, said after a court hearing on Tuesday that Saied’s opponents were being treated like “criminals”. “We are not criminals,” she said. “We are not plotters. We are not traitors. We are politicians, opponents of the coup of July 25, 2021.” ‘Opinion trials must end’ Rights activists slammed Issa’s conviction and the fact that she was tried under a military court. “She should have never been prosecuted for expressing her opinions nor tried by a military court,” Salsabil Chellali of Human Rights Watch said on X, formerly Twitter. En #Tunisie, la militante Chaima Issa vient d’être condamnée à un an de prison avec sursis par un tribunal militaire pour avoir critiqué le président Kais Saied. Elle n’aurait jamais dû être poursuivie pour avoir exprimé ses opinions, ni jugée par un tribunal militaire @hrw_fr https://t.co/Yc8lJ8zzS5 — Salsabil Chellali (@SaChellali) December 13, 2023 Samir Dilou, a senior official in the National Salvation Front and a lawyer for Issa, said: “The military court does not have the authority to try opponents. Opinion trials must end.” “A country in which there was a revolution against injustice would not have the right to put opponents on trial for their ideas and opinions,” Dilou said. Adblock test (Why?)
Pakistan court indicts jailed ex-PM Imran Khan in state secrets case
Guilty verdict could bring up to 10 years in prison in a case that reduces Khan’s chances of being released in time to campaign before elections next year. Jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan has pleaded not guilty to charges of leaking state secrets under an indictment that deals a new blow to his chances of contesting Pakistan’s general election in February. The charges are related to a classified cable called a cypher sent to Islamabad by Pakistan’s ambassador in Washington last year that Khan is accused of making public. “The charges were read out loudly in the courtroom,” government prosecutor Shah Khawar said on Wednesday, adding that Khan and his co-accused, former Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, both denied the charges. Khan’s lawyer Gohar Khan contested the indictment, saying it would be valid only if signed by the accused. The former prime minister has previously said the contents of the cable appeared in the media from other sources. A guilty verdict under the Official Secrets Act could bring up to 10 years in prison, lawyers said. It is the second time Khan has been indicted on the same charges after a superior court struck down an earlier indictment on technical grounds, saying the correct procedure had not been followed. A new trial, being conducted in jail on security grounds, is due to begin on Thursday in the presence of his lawyers, family and a few selected journalists. Khan, 71, has been in jail since he was convicted and sentenced to three years on corruption charges on August 5. Khan says the cable was proof of a conspiracy by the Pakistani military and US government to topple his government in 2022 after he visited Moscow just before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Washington and Pakistan’s military deny the accusations. The former international cricketer won the last general election in 2018, a victory that his opponents say was achieved with the backing of the military. Khan and the military later fell out, mainly because of differences over the appointment of the chief of the main spy agency. Khan has had dozens of legal cases filed against him, which he has denounced as an effort to banish him from politics. The corruption sentence has been suspended by a higher court, but he remains in prison in connection with other cases, including a charge of instigating violence after one of his arrests. Khan has been disqualified from contesting elections because of the conviction, but his legal team is pushing for his release on bail and an overturning of the ban. The new indictment reduces his chances of being released from jail to campaign for his party before the elections on February 8. Military trials of Khan supporters to begin Also on Wednesday, Pakistan’s top court allowed military courts to resume the trials of more than 100 supporters of Khan on charges of attacking military installations during violent demonstrations that broke out following his arrest in May. The latest order by the Supreme Court came less than two months after five judges on the same court stopped the trial of 103 civilians who were arrested as part of a crackdown on Khan’s party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). The violence subsided only after Khan was released on orders of Pakistan’s Supreme Court. Although Khan is also accused of inciting people to violence, he is not facing military trial. Pakistan’s military has directly ruled the country for roughly half of its 76-year history and continues to exercise enormous power. Adblock test (Why?)
Who is Neelam, civil services aspirant caught in Parliament security breach case?
Know here more about Neelam, the woman behind the Parliament security breach that occurred on Wednesday afternoon.
Supreme Court agrees to decide on abortion pill access, approval process
The Supreme Court decided on Wednesday to hear a case on access to the abortion bill and its approval process, which has been defended by the Biden administration. The nation’s highest court agreed to consider appeals from the Biden administration and drug manufacturer Danco defending several moves by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration intended to make it easier to access and use the mifepristone pill in the wake of the overturning of Roe v. Wade last year. This is a breaking news story. Check back for updates.
Hunter Biden will not sit for deposition by GOP, says father not ‘financially’ involved in his business
Hunter Biden arrived on Capitol Hill Wednesday, not to comply with his subpoena and be deposed at the House Oversight Committee, but to hold a press conference and again offer to testify publicly. He maintained that his father, President Biden “was not financially involved” in his business, and saying there is “no evidence because it did not happen.” Hunter Biden offer to testify publicly is a de facto rejection of the GOP demand that he appear Wednesday for the closed-door deposition he was subpoenaed for. That deposition was scheduled to take place Wednesday at 9:30 a.m. Instead, he delivered a public statement on Capitol Hill Wednesday, blasting “MAGA” Republicans who have “invaded” his privacy, “attacked” his family, and “ridiculed my struggle with addiction.” “They belittled my recovery, and they have tried to dehumanize me, all to embarrass my father, who has devoted his entire life to public service,” the president’s son said. “For six years I have been a target of the unrelenting Trump attack team. ‘Where’s Hunter?’ Well, here’s my answer. I am here.” Hunter Biden added that “my father was not financially involved in my business,” saying he was not involved in his dealings with Ukrainian natural gas firm Burisma Holdings, or his Chinese investments and others in the U.S. “No evidence to support that my father was financially involved in my business because it did not happen,” Hunter Biden said. The White House and President Biden have maintained that the president was “never in business” with his son. Biden has also said he never spoke to his son about his business dealings, but evidence–like email records and testimony from Hunter Biden’s former business partners–presented by House Republicans in their investigations seem to contradict those statements. The president’s son went on to blast House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, and House Ways & Means Committee Chair Jason Smith, R-Mo., who are co-leading the House impeachment inquiry against President Biden. Hunter Biden said the chairmen had manipulated evidence and misstated personal information. “Republicans have lied over and over about every aspect about my personal and professional life,” Hunter Biden said. “So much so, that the false facts are believed by too many people.” He added: “They have taken the light of my dad’s love for and presented it as darkness. They have no shame.” Hunter Biden said House Republicans have “engaged in unprecedented political interference.” “Yet here I am, Mr. Chairmen—taking up your offer…I’ve chosen,” he said. “I am here to testify at a public hearing today to answer any of the committee’s legitimate questions.” He added: “Republicans do not want an open process where Americans can see their tactics, expose their baseless inquiry, or hear what I have to say.” “What are they afraid of? I’m here. I’m ready,” Hunter Biden said. The president’s son then left Capitol Hill. Comer and Jordan last week threatened to hold Biden in contempt of Congress if he defied the subpoena and failed to appear for his deposition. Comer and Jordan had vowed to release the full transcript of Hunter’s deposition if he did participate. They also vowed to then schedule a public hearing for the president’s son to testify in a setting for the American people to hear from him directly. Hunter’s failure to appear comes as House Republicans seek to vote on a resolution that would formalize the impeachment inquiry against the president. This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
Georgia plaintiffs criticize proposed voting district maps as ‘mockery’ of federal law
The people who sued to overturn Georgia’s congressional and state legislative districts on Tuesday attacked plans that Republican state lawmakers claim cure illegal dilution of Black votes while preserving GOP power, calling them a “mockery” of federal law and a “total failure of compliance.” The three sets of plaintiffs in the case filed briefs with the federal judge who ruled in their favor in October, urging him to reject Georgia’s proposed maps and draw new voting districts himself in time for 2024’s legislative and congressional elections. U.S. District Judge Steve Jones has scheduled a Dec. 20 hearing on whether he should accept the plans. The state is supposed to file its defense of the plans next week. GEORGIA’S REDRAWN CONGRESSIONAL MAP NEARS PASSAGE AS SPECIAL REDISTRICTING SESSION APPROACHES LIKELY END Republican legislative leaders repeatedly said during a special legislative session that ended last week that their goal was to comply with Jones’ directive. He told lawmakers they had to draw an additional Black-majority congressional district, two additional Black-majority state Senate districts and five additional Black-majority state House districts. But the plaintiffs on Tuesday, echoing arguments made by Democrats during the session, said the Republican maps don’t do enough to remedy problems in the particular districts that Jones found to be illegal under Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, which prohibits dilution of Black votes. “The inescapable conclusion is that the proposed plans do not come close to following the court’s order,” wrote lawyers for one of two sets of plaintiffs challenging state legislative districts. “Putting eyes on the 2023 proposed plans confirms the total failure of compliance.” GEORGIA REPUBLICANS PUSH FORWARD WITH REDISTRICTING PLANS BY ADVANCING NEW LEGISLATIVE MAPS The plaintiffs also argue the plans illegally dismantle other districts that let Black and other minority voters elect their chosen candidates. Most importantly, Republicans wiped out a current district in suburban Atlanta represented by Democratic U.S. Rep. Lucy McBath at the same time they were drawing a new Black-majority district in Fulton, Douglas, Cobb and Fayette counties. “The General Assembly’s attempt to minimize and zero out minority voting opportunity in a purported ‘remedy’ to the state’s Section 2 violation is precisely the sort of gamesmanship Section 2 was meant to stamp out,” wrote lawyers for plaintiffs challenging the state’s congressional map. The plaintiffs say that the state’s plans should be rejected because they shuffled around too many Black voters from outside the districts Jones had ruled were illegal, instead of providing enough opportunities to Black voters in those areas to elect new representatives. They argue the shifts may increase the statewide number of majority-Black districts, but don’t provide opportunity for the particular voters Jones has ruled are being harmed, particularly on the southern and western sides of metropolitan Atlanta. Lawyers for the people challenging the congressional district argued that McBath’s current district in Gwinnett and Fulton counties is protected under the Voting Rights Act as a minority opportunity district, even if it isn’t majority Black. They argue that a coalition of Black, Hispanic and Asian voters in McBath’s 7th District vote cohesively as a group, and that they are opposed by white voters who vote cohesively against nonwhite-preferred candidates. GEORGIA SENATE GOP PROPOSES MAP WITH 2 BLACK-MAJORITY DISTRICTS TO ADDRESS VOTE DILUTION CONCERNS The state has signaled that it plans to argue that only districts made up of one nonwhite group, like Black voters, are legally protected, saying that earlier claims of protection for a coalition district rest on indefensible legal foundations. But the plaintiffs argue that protections for minority districts are law in Georgia, writing that “so long as different minority communities cohesively support the same candidates, they can be counted together.” All of the plaintiffs pointed to plans drawn by their own experts that they said would be less disruptive and produce fairer results for Black voters. If Jones rejects the state plans, he could accept those proposed plans, or appoint a special master to draw plans. “The General Assembly’s purported remedy makes a mockery of that process, the court’s ruling and the Voting Rights Act, and reflects the state’s continued refusal to afford minority voters equal opportunity to participate in electoral politics,” wrote those challenging congressional districts.
Parliament passes bill to repeal 76 outdated, obsolete laws
In December last year, the government introduced the Repealing and Amending Bill to cull 65 old laws. But the bill could not come up for discussion in subsequent sessions. The government later moved amendment to add 11 more laws to the list, bringing the total to 76 laws.
Hunter Biden may be held in contempt of Congress if he doesn’t show up for interview
President Biden’s son could be held in contempt of Congress if he doesn’t show up for a closed-door interview today. Hunter Biden is in Washington, but it is unclear if he will appear for the closed-door deposition the Republican committee leaders have been pushing for. COMER, JORDAN THREATEN TO HOLD HUNTER BIDEN IN CONTEMPT OF CONGRESS AFTER HE REJECTS SUBPOENA FOR DEPOSITION Last week, House Oversight and Judiciary Committees chairmen James Comer, R-Ky., and Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, threatened to hold the younger Biden in contempt if he did not show up for the deposition. Hunter Biden’s attorney Abbe Lowell and the committee leaders traded paper blows with each other as Hunter’s legal defense pushed for a public hearing. Last month, Lowell said Hunter wanted to testify publicly as opposed to the closed-door interview, but the GOP chairmen that same week said Hunter Biden must appear for a deposition first. A week later, Lowell sent a letter to Comer, saying the president’s son would only appear before the committee in public testimony. “Mr. Biden has offered to appear at a hearing on the December 13, 2023, date you have reserved, or another date this month, to answer any question pertinent and relevant to the subject matter,” Lowell wrote. “He is making this choice because the Committee has demonstrated time and time again it uses closed-door sessions to manipulate, even distort, the facts and misinform the American public — a hearing would ensure transparency and truth in these proceedings,” Lowell said. “We look forward to working out the schedule.” Comer and Jordan also pledged to release the full transcript after the closed-door deposition if it occurs. Comer and Jordan also pledged to release the full transcript after the closed-door deposition. “On November 8, 2023, we issued subpoenas to your client, Robert Hunter Biden, for a deposition on December 13, 2023,” they wrote. “Contrary to the assertions in your letter, there is no ‘choice’ for Mr. Biden to make; the subpoenas compel him to appear for a deposition on December 13,” Comer and Jordan wrote. “If Mr. Biden does not appear for his deposition on December 13, 2023, the Committees will initiate contempt of Congress proceedings,” they wrote. Fox News Digital’s Brooke Singman contributed reporting.