Author: Tage

Editor’s note: Here is a look at immigration-related news around the U.S. this week. Questions? Tips? Comments? Email the VOA immigration team: ImmigrationUnit@voanews.com. Trump administration moves quickly with mass deportation plans Since taking office, U.S. President Donald Trump has declared illegal immigration a national emergency. The Trump administration ramped up its mass deportation efforts, expanding the use of expedited removal and using Guantanamo Bay as a detention site for certain migrants. The moves have raised concerns among immigration advocates, who argue that the policies lack transparency and could violate due process rights. VOA’s immigration reporter, Aline Barros, reports. US fires 20 immigration judges from backlogged courts The administration of President Donald Trump has fired 20 immigration judges without explanation, a union official said Saturday amid sweeping moves to shrink the size of the federal government. On Friday, 13 judges who had yet to be sworn in and five assistant chief immigration judges were dismissed without notice, said Matthew Biggs, president of the International Federation of Professional & Technical Engineers, which represents federal workers. Two other judges were fired under similar circumstances last week. The Associated Press reports. With doors closed to US, asylum-seekers turn to a new life in Mexico When Angelica Delgado took a one-way flight to Mexico as she fled Cuba in December, she was set on seeking asylum in the United States. But after President Donald Trump effectively slammed the door on asylum-seekers crossing the U.S. border when he took office last month, the 23-year-old recalibrated her plans. She decided she would seek protection in Mexico. The Associated Press reports. US deports 119 migrants from several nations to Panama Panama has received the first U.S. flight carrying deportees from other nations as the administration of President Donald Trump takes Panama up on its offer to act as a stopover for expelled migrants, the Central American nation’s president said Thursday. “Yesterday, a flight from the United States Air Force arrived with 119 people from diverse nationalities of the world,” President Jose Raul Mulino said Thursday in his weekly news briefing. He said migrants from China, Uzbekistan, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and other countries were on board. The Associated Press reports. Chicago nonprofit helps undocumented migrants afraid to leave home Amid nationwide immigration raids, a community organization in Chicago is helping undocumented migrants who say they are afraid to leave their homes for fear of being detained. Veronica Villafane narrates this … “VOA immigration weekly recap, Feb. 9-15  “ →

The U.S. fully endorsed Israel’s war aims in Gaza on Sunday, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio saying that Hamas “must be eradicated” and “cannot continue as a military or government force.”  Rubio met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem at the start of a regional tour as the first phase of a tenuous Israel-Hamas ceasefire expires in two weeks, with the second segment yet to be negotiated.  Rubio, on his first trip to the Middle East as the new top U.S. diplomat, told Netanyahu that “as long as [Hamas] stands as a force that can govern or as a force that can administer or as a force that can threaten by use of violence, peace becomes impossible.”  Rubio is likely to face continued opposition from Arab nations about U.S. President Donald Trump’s plan to move Palestinians out of Gaza into neighboring countries and then for Israel to hand over the narrow territory along the shores of the Mediterranean Sea to the U.S. to own and redevelop.    While U.S. allies and adversaries alike have assailed Trump’s Gaza plan, Netanyahu has welcomed it, saying that he and Trump have a “common strategy” for Gaza’s future.  Echoing Trump, the Israeli leader said “the gates of hell would be open” if Hamas does not release dozens of remaining hostages abducted in its Oct. 7, 2023, attack that triggered the war.   Hamas, a U.S.-designated terrorist group, freed three hostages Saturday in exchange for nearly 400 Palestinians who had been jailed in Israel. But the militants continue to hold dozens of hostages they captured in the terror attack that killed 1,200 people.   Israel’s counteroffensive during 15 months of fighting in Gaza has killed more than 48,000 Palestinians, according to the territory’s health ministry, which does not distinguish between combatants and civilians.  Israel, without proving evidence, says it has killed over 17,000 militants.   Rubio and Netanyahu met as the first phase of the ceasefire nears its end. In the second phase, the tentative plan calls for Hamas to release dozens of remaining hostages in exchange for more Palestinian prisoners, drafting of a permanent truce and the withdrawal of Israeli forces. But the detailed terms of the deal have yet to be negotiated.  The tough U.S. stance aligning with Netanyahu’s position could complicate efforts to continue talks with Hamas, which, despite suffering heavy losses in the war, remains intact and in … “US: Hamas ‘must be eradicated’     “ →

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Much of the United States faced another round of biting winter weather on Sunday, with torrential rains causing intense flooding in Kentucky and resulting in at least two deaths. The northern Plains faced life-threatening cold, and tornado watches were issued for parts of Georgia and Florida. In Kentucky, a 73-year-old man was found dead in floodwaters in Clay County, WKYT-TV reported. Clay County Emergency Management Deputy Director Revelle Berry confirmed the fatality but did not provide additional details. Severe storms also swept through parts of Florida and Georgia, where tornado watches were in effect early Sunday, the National Weather Service said. Elsewhere, bone-chilling cold is expected for the Northern Plains with low temperatures into the minus 30s F near the Canadian border. Dangerously cold wind chill temperatures in the Dakotas and Minnesota of minus 40 Celsius (minus 40 Fahrenheit) to minus 45.6 C (minus 50 F) are expected.  Heavy snowfall amounts were expected in parts of New England and northern New York. In some areas, wind gusts could reach about 97 kph (60 mph) and create “hazardous whiteout conditions,” the NWS said. Kentucky faces severe flooding The Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife said there was an investigation into a death and a rescue operation was under way in Hart County, WNKY-TV reported. The station reported a youth died and a second victim was missing in flooding Saturday evening. The Fish and Wildlife department and the Hart County Sheriff’s Office did not immediately respond to a request for more information from The Associated Press. Water submerged cars and buildings in Kentucky and mudslides blocked roads in Virginia. Both of the states were under flood warnings, along with Tennessee and Arkansas. The National Weather Service warned residents to stay off the roads. Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear preemptively declared a state of emergency in Kentucky, where flash flooding was expected into Sunday. Flash flooding hit some roads in Bowling Green and parts of western Kentucky could face up to 20.3 centimeters (8 inches) of rain. “We want to specifically put assets in places that flood and have flooded in the past,” Beshear said on social media. Beshear later used social media to update residents on areas in danger of flooding, including Jackson County, and said Kentucky State Police officers were performing wellness checks while shelters were opening in Pike County and Jenny Wiley State Resort Park in Prestonsburg. Beshear said … “Flooding in US Southeast leaves 2 dead while snow, ice and wind cause winter misery elsewhere” →

PRETORIA, SOUTH AFRICA — Some white South Africans showed support for President Donald Trump on Saturday and gathered at the U.S. Embassy in Pretoria to claim they are victims of racism by their own government. Hundreds of protesters held placards that read “Thank God for President Trump” and displayed other messages criticizing what they see as racist laws instituted by the South African government that discriminate against the white minority. Many were from the Afrikaner community that Trump focused on in an executive order a week ago that cut aid and assistance to the Black-led South African government. In the order, Trump said South Africa’s Afrikaners, who are descendants of mainly Dutch colonial settlers, were being targeted by a new law that allows the government to expropriate private land.  The South African government has denied its new law is tied to race and says Trump’s claims over the country and the law have been full of misinformation and distortions.  Trump said land was being expropriated from Afrikaners — which the order referred to as “racially disfavored landowners” — when no land has been taken under the law. Trump also announced a plan to offer Afrikaners refugee status in the U.S. They are only one part of South Africa’s white minority.  In a speech to Parliament this week, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said the forced removal of any people from their land will never be allowed in South Africa again after millions of Blacks were dispossessed of property under the apartheid system of white minority rule and hundreds of years of colonialism before that.  “The people of this country know the pain of forced removals,” Ramaphosa said. He said the land law does not allow any arbitrary taking of land and only refers to land that can be redistributed for the public good.  The Trump administration’s criticism and punishment of South Africa has elevated a long-standing dilemma in the country over moves to address the wrongs of centuries of white minority rule that oppressed the Black majority.  According to the government, the land law aims to fairly address the inequality that the majority of farmland in South Africa is owned by whites, even though they make up just 7% of the country’s population.  White protesters on Saturday held banners referencing the expropriation law but also other affirmative action policies put in place by the government since the end of apartheid in … “White South Africans gather in support of Trump and his claims that they are victims of racism” →

It’s a chicken-and-egg problem: Restaurants are struggling with record-high U.S. egg prices, but their omelets, scrambles and huevos rancheros may be part of the problem. Breakfast is booming at U.S. eateries. First Watch, a restaurant chain that serves breakfast, brunch and lunch, nearly quadrupled its locations over the past decade to 570. Eggs Up Grill has 90 restaurants in nine southern states, up from 26 in 2018. Florida-based Another Broken Egg Café celebrated its 100th restaurant last year. Fast-food chains are also adding more breakfast items. Starbucks, which launched egg bites in 2017, now has a breakfast menu with 12 separate items containing eggs. Wendy’s reintroduced breakfast in 2020 and offers 10 items with eggs. Reviews website Yelp said 6,421 breakfast and brunch businesses opened in the United States last year, 23% more than in 2019. In normal times, producers could meet the demand for all those eggs. But an ongoing bird flu outbreak, which so far has forced farms to slaughter nearly 159 million chickens, turkeys and other birds — including nearly 47 million since the start of December — is making supplies scarcer and pushing up prices. In January, the average price of eggs in the U.S. hit a record $4.95 per dozen. The percentage of eggs that go to U.S. restaurants versus other places, like grocery stores or food manufacturers, is not publicly available. U.S. Foods, a restaurant supplier, and Cal-Maine Foods, the largest U.S. producer of shell eggs, did not respond to The Associated Press’ requests for comment. But demand from restaurants is almost certainly growing. Foot traffic at U.S. restaurants has grown the most since 2019 for morning meals, 2019, according to market research firm Circana. Pre-lunchtime hours accounted for 21% of total restaurant visits in 2024. Breakfast sandwiches are the most popular order during morning visits, Circana said, and 70% of the breakfast sandwiches on U.S. menus include eggs. Eggs Up Grill CEO Ricky Richardson said breakfast restaurants took off after the COVID pandemic because people longed for comfort and connection. As inflation made food more expensive, customers saw breakfast and lunch as more affordable options for eating out, he said. The growth in restaurant demand reverses a pattern that emerged during the pandemic, when consumers tried to stock up on eggs for home use but restaurants needed fewer of them because many of them had to close for a time, according to Brian … “Breakfast is booming at US restaurants. Is it also contributing to high egg prices?” →

A New Jersey man whose wife was killed in a horrific hippopotamus attack last year during a safari in Africa is suing the U.S. company that arranged the trip, alleging it failed to ensure their safety and did not adequately screen and supervise the tour guides. Craig and Lisa Manders were on a guided walk in Zambia in June when a hippo charged out of the water, grabbed Lisa Manders by its mouth and crushed her head and body with its bite, according to the lawsuit filed against African Portfolio, a safari tour company based in Greenwich, Connecticut. The company denies the lawsuit’s allegations. The lawsuit, filed Feb. 5 in Stamford, Connecticut, alleges that as a horrified Craig Manders watched the attack, the tour guides — including at least one armed with a rifle — walked away without helping the couple. Lisa Manders, 70, suffered catastrophic injuries and died shortly after, the lawsuit says. “We’re doing this because this should never have happened,” said Paul Slager, an attorney who is representing Craig Manders with his law partner, Nicole Coates. “There are basic safety standards that businesses are expected to follow, and that includes people in the safari tour industry. And those were not followed, and the consequences here were absolutely devastating.” Slager said the lawsuit seeks monetary damages that have not yet been determined, as well as accountability for Lisa Manders’ death and keeping others safe in the future. He said Craig Manders was not giving interviews. The Manderses, of Cranford, New Jersey, were on a special anniversary trip and it was their first time in Africa, Slager said. Lisa Manders had worked in the financial industry for over 40 years and loved cooking, traveling and visiting New York City, where she was born in Queens in 1953, according to her obituary. The couple had three children and a granddaughter. The company’s lawyer, Rodney Gould, said it was not negligent or reckless in connection with Lisa Manders’ death. He said African Portfolio only arranged the couple’s lodging and the owners of the lodging, Chiawa Safaris in Zambia, provided the tour guides. “It’s a horrible tragedy when somebody goes on one of these trips and is injured or killed. It’s awful,” Gould said. “I think it’s important to understand what African Portfolio’s role in this is. It’s a tour operator. It arranges trips. It puts together the pieces.” He added, “My … “US man sues travel company after hippo kills wife on Zambia trip” →

MUNICH — The United States, Japan and South Korea renewed their “resolute” pledge to seek the “complete denuclearization” of North Korea, according to a joint statement from the three allies released Saturday. The statement came after new U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio held his first meetings with South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul and Japan’s top diplomat Takeshi Iwaya on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference on Saturday. “The Secretary and Foreign Ministers reaffirmed their resolute commitment to the complete denuclearization of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) in accordance with the United Nations Security Council Resolutions (UNSCRs),” it said. “They expressed their serious concerns over and the need to address together the DPRK’s nuclear and missile programs, malicious cyber activities including cryptocurrency thefts, and increasing military cooperation with Russia,” it added. The three sent a “strong warning” that they “will not tolerate any provocations or threats to their homelands,” and vowed to maintain and strengthen international sanctions against Pyongyang. They also said they were committed to “the immediate resolution of the issues of abductees, detainees, and unrepatriated prisoners of war as well as the issue of separated families.” Largely cut off from the world diplomatically and economically, and under a bevy of sanctions, North Korea with its ongoing nuclear weapons program has been a major thorn in the side of the United States for years. President Donald Trump, who had a rare series of meetings with Kim Jong Un during his first term in office, has said he will reach out again to the North Korean leader, calling Kim a “smart guy.” Despite Trump’s diplomatic overtures, North Korea said in January that its nuclear program would continue “indefinitely.” Pyongyang also said earlier this month it would not tolerate any “provocation” by the United States after Rubio called it a “rogue state” in a radio interview. It has also slammed a visit by a U.S. nuclear submarine to a naval base in South Korea this month as a “hostile military act.” A summit between Trump and Kim in Hanoi collapsed in 2019 over talks on sanctions relief and what Pyongyang would be willing to give up in return.  …

SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA — The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has fired 20 immigration judges without explanation, a union official said Saturday amid sweeping moves to shrink the size of the federal government.  On Friday, 13 judges who had yet to be sworn in and five assistant chief immigration judges were dismissed without notice, said Matthew Biggs, president of the International Federation of Professional & Technical Engineers, which represents federal workers. Two other judges were fired under similar circumstances in the last week.  It was unclear if they would be replaced. The U.S. Justice Department’s Executive Office for Immigration Review, which runs the courts and oversees its roughly 700 judges, did not immediately respond to a request for comment Saturday.  Immigration courts are backlogged with more than 3.7 million cases, according to Syracuse University’s Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse. Applicants can wait years for their asylum case to be decided. There is support across the political spectrum for more judges and support staff, though the first Trump administration also pressured some judges to decide cases more quickly.  The Trump administration earlier replaced five top court officials, including Mary Cheng, the agency’s acting director. Sirce Owen, the current leader and previously an appellate immigration judge, has issued a slew of new instructions, many reversing policies of the Biden administration.  Last month, the Justice Department halted financial support for nongovernmental organizations to provide information and guidance to people facing deportation but restored funding after a coalition of nonprofit groups filed a federal lawsuit.  The firings touch on two top Trump priorities: mass deportations and shrinking the size of the federal government. On Thursday, it ordered agencies to lay off nearly all probationary employees who had not yet gained civil service protection, potentially affecting hundreds of thousands of workers. Probationary workers generally have less than a year on the job.  …

LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY — Much of the Eastern U.S. endured a renewed round of harsh, soggy weather Saturday, with snowstorms predicted in the Northeast and heavy winds bringing the threat of tornadoes to the Mississippi Valley. The states of Kentucky, Tennessee, West Virginia and Arkansas were under flood warnings, and people were warned by the National Weather Service to stay off the roads. Parts of western Kentucky could face up to 20.3 centimeters of rain. Governor Andy Beshear preemptively declared a state of emergency in Kentucky, where flash flooding was expected into Sunday. “We want to specifically put assets in places that flood and have flooded in the past,” Beshear said on social media. Photos posted by authorities and users on social media showed cars and buildings underwater in Warren County, Kentucky, and in Buchanan County, Virginia, where the sheriff’s office said multiple roads were blocked by mudslides. The Simpson County Office of Emergency Management in Kentucky said authorities performed several rescues from stalled-out vehicles in floodwaters. “Stay home if you can,” the office said on Facebook. Flash flooding was possible in the Mississippi, Tennessee and Ohio valleys, the weather service said. In Tennessee, flash flood warnings were issued for much of the middle of the state through the evening. The National Weather Service called the expected rain a “major, potentially historic, flash flood event.” Meanwhile heavy snow was expected to blanket much of New England and then transition to sleet, making travel nearly impossible. The heaviest accumulations — possibly 30.5 centimeters or more — were expected in upstate New York and portions of northern New England. “Ice accumulations up to a quarter inch (half a centimeter) are forecast for some areas, making driving conditions dangerous. Heavy icing in some locations may result in downed trees and power outages,” the weather service warned. Snow and arctic temperatures swept much of the Midwest and Upper Plains, covering roads in eastern Nebraska, northern Iowa and much of Wisconsin. Winter weather advisories were issued for parts of those states and Michigan, with up to 10.6 centimeters of snow predicted throughout Iowa, southern Wisconsin and most of Michigan by Sunday evening. Frigid polar vortex Meteorologists said the U.S. was about to get its 10th and coldest polar vortex stretching event this season, with the northern Rockies and northern Plains first in line. Weather forces in the Arctic are combining to push the chilly air that usually … “US East faces flooding as snow forecast for Northeast, cold in Midwest” →

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) will lay off thousands of probationary workers in the middle of tax season, according to two sources familiar with the agency’s plans, and the cuts could happen as soon as next week. The Trump administration intensified sweeping efforts to shrink the size of the federal workforce. It is doing it by ordering agencies to lay off nearly all probationary employees who had not yet gained civil service protection. It’s unclear how many IRS workers will be affected. Previously, the administration announced a plan to offer buyouts to almost all federal employees through a “deferred resignation program” to quickly reduce the government workforce. The program deadline was Feb. 6, and administration officials said employees who accept will be able to stop working while still collecting a paycheck until Sept. 30. However, IRS employees involved in the 2025 tax season were told they will not be allowed to accept a buyout offer from the Trump administration until after the taxpayer filing deadline, according to a letter sent recently to IRS employees. It is unclear how many workers will be impacted by the layoff announcement plan. Representatives from the U.S. Treasury and IRS did not respond to Associated Press requests for comment. Jan. 27 was the official start date of the 2025 tax season, and the IRS expects more than 140 million tax returns to be filed by the April 15 deadline. The Biden administration invested heavily in the IRS through an $80 billion infusion of funds in Democrats’ Inflation Reduction Act, which included plans to hire tens of thousands of new employees to help with customer service and enforcement as well as new technology to update the tax collection agency. Republicans have been successful at clawing back that money, and billionaire Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency have called for the U.S. to “delete entire agencies” from the federal government as part of his plan to radically cut spending and restructure its priorities. Elected officials are trying to fight against DOGE plans. Attorneys general from 14 states challenged the authority of DOGE to access sensitive government data and exercise “virtually unchecked power” in a lawsuit filed Thursday. The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Washington, says the actions taken by Musk at the helm of DOGE can only be taken by a nominated and Senate-confirmed official. It cites constitutional provisions that delineate the … “IRS to lay off thousands of probationary workers in tax season” →

BANGUI, CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC — Human rights advocates and politicians in Central African Republic claim soldiers who disappeared after being detained last month were kidnapped by mercenaries backed by Russia. The Kremlin has in recent years deepened ties with the gold- and diamond-rich country’s military and government. Celestin Bakoyo and Elie Ngouengue — two soldiers who led a Wagner Group-aligned militia fighting rebels in the country’s southeast — were reportedly detained on January 24 at a police station in the country’s capital. Ernest Mizedio, a politician from the region, told The Associated Press that the two soldiers were among a group arrested earlier by Russian mercenaries tasked with training militia members and incorporating them into the army. “We searched without success for where they took them,” he said, noting that supporters had inquired with both law enforcement and Russian security contractors about their whereabouts. “They said they had nothing to offer us and knew nothing of their situation.” Mizedio, a member of one of Central African Republic’s opposition parties, said there had been marches and protests decrying the arrests in the country’s southeast. Neither Wagner nor the military responded to AP’s requests for comment on the disappearance. However, a police officer, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said mercenaries were gradually vying for position and replacing officers on the ground in conflict zones. Before going missing, the two had come to the capital to open new bank accounts to access their earnings after being integrated into the army. The backlash against their disappearance comes as Russia expands its military and economic presence throughout Africa, using mercenaries to quell rebellion and fight extremists. Joseph Bindoumi, president of Central African Republic’s League for Human Rights, denounced the disappearances, called them kidnappings and said even if the soldiers were accused of crimes, their whereabouts should be known. “We have the right to know if standard procedures are being followed. We have the right to see people to ensure their well-being and to ensure their parents, advocates and lawyers can visit them,” he said. Central African Republic was one of the first places the mercenaries became active. Amid years of conflict between government forces and predominantly Muslim rebels, citizens and officials credited the Russian mercenaries with fighting back armed groups who tried to overtake Bangui in 2021. Yet they’ve been dogged by reports of recklessly disregarding human rights and civilian welfare. A 2023 investigation from … “Central African Republic soldiers kidnapped by mercenaries, advocates allege” →

SIERRA MADRE, CALIFORNIA — Much of the Eastern United States braced for a renewed round of harsh, soggy weather Saturday, with thunderstorms and melting snow combining to pound the Ohio and Tennessee valleys. The lower Mississippi valley was facing the threat of strong tornadoes.  Kentucky, Tennessee, West Virginia and Arkansas were under flood warnings, and residents were warned by the National Weather Service to stay off roads. Parts of western Kentucky could face up to eight inches of rain.  “This may be a major, potentially historic, flash flood event,” the NWS said.  Heavy snow, meanwhile, was expected to blanket much of New England and then transition to sleet, making travel nearly impossible, the NWS said.  In northern New York, heavy mixed precipitation is expected throughout the weekend. Weather forecasters said residents should expect snow, sleet and ice accumulations of six to 13 inches and wind gusts as high as 72 kilometers per hour (45 miles per hour) late Saturday and Sunday.  “Power outages and tree damage are likely due to the ice and strong winds. Travel could be very difficult to nearly impossible, the NWS said.  California struggles with mudslides  In Southern California on Friday, a mountain community near the Eaton Fire burn scar dug out of roads submerged in sludge after the strongest storm of the year swept through the area, unleashing debris flows and muddy messes in several neighborhoods recently torched by wildfires.  Dry weather returned to the region but the risk of rock and mudslides on wildfire-scarred hillsides continued Friday since dangerous slides can strike even after rain stops, particularly in scorched areas where vegetation that helps keep soil anchored has burned away.  Water, debris and boulders rushed down the mountain in the city of Sierra Madre on Thursday night, trapping at least one car in the mud and damaging several home garages with mud and debris. Bulldozers on Friday were cleaning up the mud-covered streets in the city of 10,000 people.  Sierra Madre officials issued evacuation orders for areas affected by the Eaton Fire, warning that fire, police and public works personnel would not enter areas experiencing active mud and debris flows and anyone who remained in a home under evacuation orders would need to shelter in place until areas are deemed safe for city personnel to enter. Residents of the city also had to evacuate during the Eaton Fire, which destroyed 15 homes in the community.  … “US braces for flooding; parts of California face mudslides” →

TAIPEI, TAIWAN — There is no need for one country to control the semiconductor industry, which is complex and needs a division of labor, Taiwan’s top technology official said on Saturday after U.S. President Donald Trump criticized the island’s chip dominance. Trump repeated claims on Thursday that Taiwan had taken the industry and he wanted it back in the United States, saying he aimed to restore U.S. chip manufacturing. Wu Cheng-wen, head of Taiwan’s National Science and Technology Council, did not name Trump in a Facebook post but referred to Taiwan President Lai Ching-te’s comments on Friday that the island would be a reliable partner in the democratic supply chain of the global semiconductor industry. Wu wrote that Taiwan has in recent years often been asked how its semiconductor industry had become an internationally acclaimed benchmark. “How did we achieve this? Obviously, we did not gain this for no reason from other countries,” he said, recounting how the government developed the sector from the 1970s, including helping found TSMC, now the world’s largest contract chipmaker, in 1987. “This shows that Taiwan has invested half a century of hard work to achieve today’s success, and it certainly wasn’t something taken easily from other countries.” Each country has its own specialty for chips, from Japan making chemicals and equipment to the United States, which is “second to none” on the design and application of innovative systems, Wu said. “The semiconductor industry is highly complex and requires precise specialization and division of labor. Given that each country has its own unique industrial strengths, there is no need for a single nation to fully control or monopolize all technologies globally.” Taiwan is willing to be used as a base to assist “friendly democratic countries” in playing their appropriate roles in the semiconductor supply chain, Wu said. …

NEW YORK — The U.S. Justice Department asked a court Friday to dismiss corruption charges against New York City Mayor Eric Adams, with a top official from Washington intervening after federal prosecutors in Manhattan rebuffed his demands to drop the case and some quit in protest. Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove, the department’s second-in-command, and lawyers from the public integrity section and criminal division filed paperwork asking to end the case. They contend that it was marred by appearances of impropriety and that letting it continue would interfere with the mayor’s reelection bid. A judge must still approve the request. The filing came hours after Bove convened a call with the prosecutors in the Justice Department’s public integrity section — which handles corruption cases — and gave them an hour to pick two people to sign onto the motion to dismiss, saying those who did so could be promoted, according to a person familiar with the matter. After prosecutors got off the call with Bove, the consensus among the group was that they would all resign. But a veteran prosecutor stepped up out of concern for the jobs of the younger people in the unit, said the person, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss details of the private meeting. The three-page dismissal motion bore Bove’s signature and the names of Edward Sullivan, the public integrity section’s senior litigation counsel, and Antoinette Bacon, a supervisory official in the department’s criminal division. No one from the federal prosecutor’s office in Manhattan, which brought the Adams case, signed the document. The move came five days into a showdown between Justice Department leadership in Washington and its Manhattan office, which has long prided itself on its independence as it has taken on Wall Street malfeasance, political corruption and international terrorism. At least seven prosecutors in Manhattan and Washington quit rather than carry out Bove’s directive to halt the case, including interim Manhattan U.S. Attorney Danielle Sassoon and the acting chief of the public integrity section in Washington. The Justice Department said in its motion to Judge Dale E. Ho that it was seeking to dismiss Adams’ charges with the option of refiling them later. Ho had yet to act on the request as of Friday evening. “I imagine the judge is going to want to explore what his role is under the rules,” said Joshua Naftalis, a former Manhattan federal prosecutor … “US Justice Department asks court to dismiss charges against NYC mayor” →

PANAMA CITY, PANAMA — Panama has received the first U.S. flight carrying deportees from other nations as the Trump administration takes Panama up on its offer to act as a stopover for expelled migrants, the Central American nation’s president said Thursday.  “Yesterday a flight from the United States Air Force arrived with 119 people from diverse nationalities of the world,” President Jose Raul Mulino said Thursday in his weekly press briefing. He said there were migrants from China, Uzbekistan, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and other countries, aboard.  The president said it was the first of three planned flights that were expected to total about 360 people. “It’s not something massive,” he said.  The migrants were expected to be moved to a shelter in Panama’s Darien region before being returned to their countries, Mulino said.  Asked later Thursday why Panama was acting as a stopover for these deportations, Deputy Foreign Minister Carlos Ruiz Hernandez said that it was something the U.S. government had requested. He also said the U.S. government was paying for the repatriations through U.N. immigration agencies.  The migrants who arrived Wednesday had been detained after crossing the U.S. border and did not have criminal records, he said.  Last week, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Mulino in Panama. While U.S. President Donald Trump’s demands to retake control of the Panama Canal dominated the visit, Mulino also discussed Panama’s efforts to slow migration through the Darien Gap and he offered Panama as a bridge to send U.S. deportees back to their countries.  Rubio secured agreements on the trip with Guatemala and El Salvador as well, to accept migrants from other nations in what was seen as the laying groundwork for expanding U.S. capacity to speedily deport migrants.  Migration through the Darien Gap connecting Panama and Colombia was down about 90% in January compared to the same month a year earlier.  Since Mulino entered office last year, Panama has made dozens of deportation flights, most funded by the U.S. government.  Ruiz said Thursday that Panama “has been completely willing to participate and cooperate in this request they have made of us.”  …

After days of heavy rain, the strongest storm of the year brought dangerous debris flows and rock- and mudslides across Southern California on Friday, including in several areas that last month were ablaze with devastating fires. Some areas in the region received as much as 12 centimeters of rain this week, the National Weather Service said. “There are plenty of reports of debris flow,” meteorologist Scott Kleebauer of the weather service said Friday. The scorched earth left behind by the fires is now particularly vulnerable to the water-fueled rock- and mudslides, as the vegetation that once anchored the soil was burned away. While this week’s rain is beginning to ease, that does not mean the slides will stop. The drenched soil can continue to move even after the rain subsides. Parts of the iconic Pacific Coast Highway were shut down Thursday because of flooding and mudslides. In Pacific Palisades, a highway intersection was under a meter of sludge. Photographs posted on social media showed parked cars in Pacific Palisades covered in mud up to their windows. Bulldozers have been assigned to the area to clean up the muck. In one harrowing experience Thursday, a member of the Los Angeles Fire Department was driving along the Pacific Coast Highway when a debris flow swept his vehicle into the ocean. Erik Scott, a spokesperson for the fire department, said the driver was able to get out of his vehicle and reportedly suffered only minor injuries. In Sierra Madre, a city of 10,000 that was the site of last month’s Eaton Fire, a boulder-strewn mudslide damaged several homes. “It happened very quickly but it was very loud, and you could even hear the ground or feel the ground shaking,” Bull Duvall, who has lived in Sierra Madre for 28 years, told The Associated Press. City officials issued an evacuation order warning residents that emergency responders would not enter locations with active mud and debris flows. The National Weather Service confirmed Friday that a weak tornado hit a mobile home community Thursday in Oxnard, California. There were no reports of deaths or injuries at Country Club Mobile Estates, but property damage included ripped roofs and downed power lines. The rain was badly needed in the region, much of which is still suffering from drought. In nearby Nevada, Las Vegas was glad to see rain Thursday, after enduring more than 200 days without precipitation. A … “Southern California slammed with debris flows, mudslides” →

WASHINGTON — The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has laid off about 1,200 to 2,000 workers at the Department of Energy, including employees at a power grid office, the nuclear security administration and the loans office, three sources familiar with the matter said on Friday. Democratic lawmakers also said the layoffs include workers at national labs, hydroelectric plants and Cold War legacy nuclear sites that pose safety risks. The DOE has about 14,000 federal employees and 95,000 contractors. The layoffs of probationary workers come after three people representing billionaire Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency arrived at the agency last week. Some 325 workers have been let go from the department’s National Nuclear Security Administration, which manages the U.S. nuclear weapons fleet and works to secure radiological materials around the world, two of the sources said. But those layoffs at NNSA have been “partly rescinded” to retain essential nuclear security workers, one of the sources said. It was unclear how many of the 325 firings were rescinded. The DOE did not immediately respond to a request for comment. “It’s been chaotic for the staff,” one source at NNSA said. “We just want to focus on national security stuff, and this has distracted us from our work.” The losses at the NNSA occur at a time when nuclear power plants have been at risk in Russia’s war on Ukraine, including Zaporizhzhia, the largest in Europe. The NNSA is still working to secure radiological materials in the region, one source said. ‘Not … in the public interest’ A copy of a letter seen by Reuters and sent to some DOE employees says: “DOE finds that your further employment would not be in the public interest. For this reason, you are being removed from your position with DOE and the federal civil service effective today.” The department withdrew laid off workers’ access to government-issued laptops and phones just after midnight Eastern Standard Time on Friday, which left many with no way to receive the notifications and no knowledge they had been fired, one source said. Some 45 workers were let go from the Loan Programs Office, which has hundreds of billions of dollars in loan authority for clean energy, nuclear and clean vehicle projects, one source said. Another seven laid off in the Office of General Counsel had been supporting work in clean energy demonstration projects. In addition, 18 of 148 people were … “Up to 2,000 workers laid off at US Department of Energy, sources say” →

U.S. health officials have banned Red Dye No. 3 from American foods, decades after the synthetic coloring was banned in Europe. As VOA’s Dora Mekouar reports, studies have linked the bright red color additive to cancer in male laboratory rats. …

TAIPEI — Taiwan President Lai Ching-te pledged on Friday to talk with the United States about President Donald Trump’s concerns over the chip industry and to increase U.S. investment and buy more from the country, while also spending more on defense. Trump spoke critically about Taiwan on Thursday, saying he aimed to restore U.S. manufacturing of semiconductor chips and repeating claims about Taiwan having taken away the industry he wanted back in the United States. Speaking to reporters after holding a meeting of the National Security Council at the presidential office, Lai said that the global semiconductor supply chain is an ecosystem in which the division of work among various countries is important. “We of course are aware of President Trump’s concerns,” Lai said. “Taiwan’s government will communicate and discuss with the semiconductor industry and come up with good strategies. Then we will come up with good proposals and engage in further discussions with the United States,” he added. Democratic countries including the United States should come together to build a global alliance for AI chips and a “democratic supply chain” for advanced chips, Lai said. “While admittedly we have the advantage in semiconductors, we also see it as Taiwan’s responsibility to contribute to the prosperity of the international community.” Taiwan is home to the world’s largest contract chipmaker, TSMC, a major supplier to companies including Apple and Nvidia, and a crucial part of the developing AI industry. TSMC is investing $65 billion in new factories in the U.S. state of Arizona, a project begun in 2020 under Trump’s first administration. TSMC’s Taipei-listed shares closed down 2.8% on Friday, underperforming the broader market, which ended off 1.1%. A senior Taiwan security official, speaking to reporters on condition of anonymity in order to speak more freely, said if TSMC judged it was feasible to increase its U.S. investment, Taiwan’s government would help in talks with the United States. TSMC did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The official added that communications between Taiwan and U.S. economic, security and defense officials at present was “quite good” and “strong support from the United States can be felt”. US support The United States, like most countries, has no formal diplomatic ties with Chinese-claimed Taiwan, but is the democratically governed island’s most important international backer and arms supplier. Trump cheered Taiwan last week after a joint U.S.-Japan statement following Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s … “Taiwan pledges chip talks and investment in bid to ease Trump’s concerns “ →

US President Donald Trump on Thursday made a range of energy and defense agreements with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his first visit to the White House in Trump’s second term. But the gains were offset by Trump’s threat to impose reciprocal tariffs on trading partners, something India sought to avoid. VOA’s Anita Powell reports from the White House. …

The Trump administration is moving quickly with its mass deportation plans by sending some migrants to Guantanamo Bay in Cuba and rapidly deporting others. VOA’s immigration reporter Aline Barros brings us this story. …

President Donald Trump’s immigration policy has mainly been focused on migrants trying to cross into the US at its border with Mexico, some having made the perilous trek from as far as South America. Out in the western Pacific Ocean, some Chinese are taking an equally dangerous route into the US VOA’s Yu Yao and Jiu Dao have their story, narrated by Elizabeth Lee. …

Technology company Google recently broke with its long-standing policy against developing AI weapons. VOA’s Matt Dibble has more from Silicon Valley. …

WASHINGTON — The Senate Judiciary Committee voted along party lines on Thursday to advance the nomination of Kash Patel, Donald Trump’s pick for FBI director, pushing past Democratic concerns that he would operate as a loyalist for the president and target perceived adversaries of the White House.  The committee voted 12-10 to send the nomination to the Republican-controlled Senate for full consideration.  It was not immediately clear when the final confirmation vote will occur, but so far even nominees once seen as having uncertain prospects — including new Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Tulsi Gabbard, the director of national intelligence — have been able to marshal sufficient support from Republicans eager to fall in line with Trump’s agenda.  Patel has raised alarm for his lack of management experience compared to other FBI directors and because of a vast catalog of incendiary past statements, which include calling investigators who scrutinized Trump “government gangsters” and describing at least some defendants charged in the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S Capitol as “political prisoners.”  At his confirmation hearing last month, Patel said Democrats were taking some of his comments out of context or misunderstanding the broader point that he was trying to make, such as when he proposed shutting down the FBI headquarters in Washington and turning it into a museum for the so-called “deep state.” And Patel denied the idea that a list in his book of government officials, who he said were part of a “deep state,” amounted to an “enemies list,” calling that a “total mischaracterization.”  Patel, who was selected by Trump in November to replace Christopher Wray as FBI director, would inherit an agency riven by turmoil amid the recent forced departures of a group of senior executives and by a highly unusual Justice Department demand for the names of all agents who participated in investigations related to Jan. 6.  A letter this week from Senator Dick Durbin, the top Democrat on the committee, cited undisclosed sources in saying that Patel was covertly involved in that process despite telling the panel at his confirmation hearing that he was unaware of any plans to fire agents. A Patel spokeswoman called the allegations “gossip” aimed at pushing what she said was a “false narrative.”  Democrats portrayed Patel as a dangerous and inexperienced loyalist who would abuse the FBI’s law enforcement powers at a time when the country is facing an escalated … “Senate panel advances nomination of Kash Patel, Trump’s pick to lead FBI” →

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate on Thursday confirmed Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as President Donald Trump’s health secretary, putting the prominent vaccine skeptic in control of $1.7 trillion in federal spending, vaccine recommendations and food safety as well as health insurance programs for roughly half the country. Republicans fell in line behind Trump despite hesitancy over Kennedy’s views on vaccines, voting 52-48 to elevate the scion of one of America’s most storied political — and Democratic — families to secretary of the Health and Human Services Department. Republican Senator Mitch McConnell, who had polio as a child, was the only “no” vote among Republicans, mirroring his stands against Trump’s picks for the Pentagon chief and director of national intelligence. All Democrats opposed Kennedy. The GOP has largely embraced Kennedy’s vision to “Make America Healthy Again” by directing the public health agencies to focus on chronic diseases such as obesity. Kennedy, 71, whose name and family tragedies have put him in the national spotlight since he was a child, has earned a formidable following with his populist and sometimes extreme views on food, chemicals and vaccines. His audience only grew during the COVID-19 pandemic, when Kennedy devoted much of his time to a nonprofit that sued vaccine makers and harnessed social media campaigns to erode trust in vaccines as well as the government agencies that promote them. With Trump’s backing, Kennedy insisted he was “uniquely positioned” to revive trust in those public health agencies, which include the Food and Drug Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the National Institutes for Health. Last week, Senator Thom Tillis, a Republican, said he hoped Kennedy “goes wild” in reining in health care costs and improving Americans’ health. But before agreeing to support Kennedy, potential holdout Senator Bill Cassidy, a Republican a doctor who leads the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, required assurances that Kennedy would not make changes to existing vaccine recommendations. During Senate hearings, Democrats tried to prod Kennedy to deny a long-discredited theory that vaccines cause autism. Some lawmakers also raised alarms about Kennedy financially benefiting from changing vaccine guidelines or weakening federal lawsuit protections against vaccine makers. Kennedy made more than $850,000 last year from an arrangement referring clients to a law firm that has sued the makers of Gardasil, a human papillomavirus vaccine that protects against cervical cancer. If confirmed as health secretary, he promised to … “Senate confirms Kennedy for top US health post after close vote” →

Seoul — As a high school junior in the Maryland suburbs of Washington, Daneel Kutsenko never gave much thought to China. Last month, though, as the U.S. government prepared to ban TikTok – citing national security concerns about its Chinese ownership – Kutsenko downloaded RedNote, another Chinese video-sharing app, which he felt gave him a new perspective on China. “It just seems like people who live their life and have fun,” Kutsenko told VOA of RedNote, which reportedly attracted hundreds of thousands of U.S. users in the leadup to the now-paused TikTok ban. Kutsenko’s move is part of a larger trend. Even as U.S. policymakers grow louder in their warnings about Chinese-owned apps, they have become a central part of American life. TikTok, owned by China’s ByteDance, boasts 170 million U.S. users. China’s AI chatbot DeepSeek surged to the top of Apple’s App Store rankings, including those in the United States, for several days after its release last month. Another major shift has come in online shopping, where Americans are flocking to digital Chinese marketplaces such as Temu and Shein in search of ultra-low prices on clothes, home goods, and other items. According to a 2024 survey by Omnisend, an e-commerce marketing company, 70% of Americans shopped on Chinese platforms during the past year, with 20% doing so at least once a week. Multifaceted threat U.S. officials warn that Chinese apps pose a broad range of threats – whether to national security, privacy, human rights, or the economy. TikTok has been the biggest target. Members of Congress attempting to ban the app cited concerns that China’s government could use TikTok as an intelligence-gathering tool or manipulate its algorithms to push narratives favorable to Beijing. Meanwhile, Chinese commerce apps face scrutiny for their rock-bottom prices, which raise concerns about ethical sourcing and potential links to forced labor, Sari Arho Havrén, an associate fellow at the Royal United Services Institute, a London-based research organization, said in an email conversation with VOA. “It raises questions of how sustainably these products are made,” Havrén, who focuses on China’s foreign policy and great power competition, said. Moreover, he said, “the pricing simply kills local manufacturers and businesses.” Many U.S. policymakers also warn Chinese apps pose greater privacy risks, since Chinese law requires companies to share data with the government on request. ‘Curiosity and defiance’ Still, a growing number of Americans appear unfazed. Many young people in … “Chinese apps face scrutiny in US but users keep scrolling “ →