Category: Blog

HOUSTON — A rare winter storm churned across the U.S. Gulf Coast on Tuesday, breaking snowfall records more than a century old in a southern region where flurries are unusual, as much of the United States remained in a dangerous deep freeze. A snowstorm warning was in effect for 31 million people – from southern Texas east through Georgia and north to the Carolinas and into Virginia – until Wednesday morning, the National Weather Service said. With the storm moving east, crews near Houston plowed highways on Tuesday while downtown streets, covered in white, were virtually deserted. Schools were closed Tuesday and Wednesday as the city, the fourth-biggest in the U.S., expected about 10 cm of snow to fall. “I’ve been in Texas my entire life and I have never seen this depth of snow,” said Ishan Bhaidani, 29, who owns a fintech consulting company in Houston. “It typically gets more icy, but this type of fine snow, this is a first.” Authorities in Houston investigated two deaths that may be weather-related, including that of a homeless man who was found near an apartment complex, the Harris County Sheriff said on X. Snow was also falling in New Orleans, where nearly 25 cm had accumulated by late afternoon, according to the National Weather Service. Richard Bann, an NWS meteorologist, said that the service was trying to confirm whether Tuesday’s snowfall broke a New Orleans record set in 1895. The last time New Orleans received any measurable snowfall was 2009, according to the NWS. “Stay home and stay off the roads,” said a bundled-up New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell, as winds whipped snow in her face, in a video message to residents on X. Breaking a 144-year-old record, more than 15 cm of snow fell in Mobile, Alabama, by late afternoon, according to the NWS. The storm is expected to crawl through Mississippi, Georgia and Florida early this week. The storm snarled air travel with flights delayed or canceled on Tuesday. More than 1,000 flights departing or bound for Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport were canceled, according to Flightaware.com. Temperatures dipped into single digits Fahrenheit, well below freezing, across the region. Forecasters and local leaders urged residents to protect themselves from frostbite and to take steps to keep their water pipes from rupturing. Across the South, the snow, combined with an inch of ice accumulation and wind gusts of up to 64 … “Rare snowstorm blankets Houston and New Orleans” →

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Tuesday talked up a joint venture investing up to $500 billion for infrastructure tied to artificial intelligence by a new partnership formed by OpenAI, Oracle and SoftBank.  The new entity, Stargate, will start building data centers and the electricity generation needed for the further development of the fast-evolving AI in Texas, according to the White House. The initial investment is expected to be $100 billion and could reach five times that sum.  “It’s big money and high quality people,” said Trump, adding that it’s “a resounding declaration of confidence in America’s potential” under his new administration.  Joining Trump fresh off his inauguration at the White House were Masayoshi Son of SoftBank, Sam Altman of OpenAI and Larry Ellison of Oracle. All three credited Trump for helping to make the project possible, even though building has started and the project goes back to 2024.  “This will be the most important project of this era,” said Altman, CEO of OpenAI.  Ellison noted that the data centers are already under construction with 10 being built so far. The chairman of Oracle suggested that the project was also tied to digital health records and would make it easier to treat diseases such as cancer by possibly developing a customized vaccine.  “This is the beginning of golden age,” said Son, referencing Trump’s statement that the U.S. would be in a “golden age” with him back in the White House.  Son, a billionaire based in Japan, committed in December to invest $100 billion in U.S. projects over the next four years. He previously committed to $50 billion in new investments ahead of Trump’s first term, which included a large stake in the troubled office-sharing company WeWork.  While Trump has seized on similar announcements to show that his presidency is boosting the economy, there were already expectations of a massive buildout in data centers and electricity plants needed for the development of AI, which holds the promise of increasing productivity by automating work but also the risk of displacing jobs if poorly implemented.  The initial plans for Stargate go back to the Biden administration. Tech news outlet The Information first reported on the project in March 2024. OpenAI has long relied on Microsoft data centers to build its AI systems, but it has increasingly signaled an interest in building its own data centers.  OpenAI wrote in a letter to the Biden administration’s … “Trump highlights partnership investing $500B in AI” →

On his first day on the job, Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with his staff and spelled out his foreign policy priorities. He also met with allies from the Indo-Pacific region who seek to counter Chinese military and economic ambitions. VOA’s Veronica Balderas Iglesias reports, with Kim Lewis contributing. …

ABUJA, NIGERIA — Conservatives across Africa applauded U.S. President Donald Trump’s executive orders Monday regarding gender and diversity, while gay rights activists and the LGBTQ community on the continent are expressing deep concern. On his first day as the 47th U.S. president, Donald Trump signed a flurry of executive orders, including some that reversed policies of his predecessor, Joe Biden. These included orders revoking some protections for transgender people and defining the sexes strictly as male and female. Trump’s actions sparked a mix of reactions throughout Africa. Some, like Bishop John Praise Daniel, vice president of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, welcomed Trump’s moves. “I’m very excited,” he said “I think Donald Trump has just done what is right, because how can some young persons wake up and say, ‘I don’t feel like being a girl, I want to be a boy,’ and their sexes will be changed. We don’t need that confusion. Bringing back righteousness, order and sanity to society.” But while many in Africa’s conservative societies are in support, LGBTQ activists strongly opposed the decision, calling it a setback after years of progress and advocacy. Frank Ejiogu, founder of Creme de la Creme, a Nigerian LGBTQ advocacy group, warned of serious consequences. “We know this will have ripple effects that might catalyze violence against LGBTQ community members in the Global South, which will boil down to discrimination, assault, and a lot of [restrictive] policies that governments will start enacting,” he said. Ejiogu said LGBTQ activists already are planning how to resist such measures. “We’re strategizing on how to stand firm on what we believe in and for the community,” he said. “[Trump] can only be there for four years. The only thing we promise ourselves all over the globe and in the Global South is to making sure that we fight back against the policies against LGBTQ communities all around the world.” Members of the LGBTQ community already face harsh penalties in many African countries. In Nigeria, same-sex relationships are punishable by up to 14 years in prison. Uganda’s constitutional court upheld a life sentence for homosexuality offenders last year, while Mali’s junta criminalized homosexuality with imprisonment in December. …

Taipei, Taiwan — China has urged the United States to focus on managing bilateral relationships through cooperation instead of confrontation as U.S. President Donald Trump kicks off his second term in office.  “China is willing to work with the new U.S. government to maintain communication, strengthen cooperation, properly manage differences, and push China-U.S. relations to make greater progress from a new starting point,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said during the regular press conference on Tuesday in Beijing.  Analysts say Beijing hopes to reduce misunderstandings between both sides through engagement and exchanges in the early stage of the second Trump presidency.  “The Chinese government hopes China and the U.S. could understand each other’s needs through communication,” said Shen Dingli, a Shanghai-based international relations scholar.  “Beijing believes China and the U.S. can still reach a consensus and avoid many misunderstandings that have arisen during the first Trump presidency” if both sides prioritize efforts to stabilize bilateral relations, he told VOA by phone.  Ahead of Trump’s inauguration on Monday, China and Trump’s team conducted several top-level exchanges, including a call between the new U.S. president and Chinese President Xi Jinping last Friday.  Trump said he and Xi would “solve many problems together” while the Chinese president said the key to handling bilateral relations was to “respect each other’s core interests and major concerns and to find a proper solution to the problem.” On Sunday, China’s Vice President Han Zheng, who was in Washington, D.C., to attend Trump’s inauguration ceremony, met with his American counterpart JD Vance, and a group of American business leaders, including Tesla founder Elon Musk. He said China and the U.S. could “contribute to each other’s progress, bring benefits to the two countries, and make important contributions to world peace and development” as long as they “uphold the principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation.” Additionally, Han urged U.S. businesses to “play an active role as a bridge and make greater contribution to the development of China-U.S. relations” by continuing to “invest and take root in China.”  Experts say Beijing wants to seize the opportunity to improve bilateral relations with Washington through these initial engagements with the Trump administration.  Beijing “would not only prefer to avoid increased sanctions but also the potential for greater limitations on tech exports to China,” said Timothy Rich, a political scientist at Western Kentucky University.  While the Chinese government has expressed willingness … “China seeks more cooperation with US as Trump takes office” →

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump’s administration has removed Admiral Linda Fagan — the first woman to lead a U.S. military service — as the head of the Coast Guard. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which oversees the Coast Guard, did not immediately respond to a request on Tuesday for comment on Fagan’s dismissal. Fox News cited a senior official saying reasons included her failure to address border security threats, excessive focus on diversity, equity and inclusion, and an “erosion of trust” over the Coast Guard’s investigation into sexual assault cases. Trump and other Republicans have long railed against government programs aimed at fostering diversity, and border security is a key priority for the president, who declared a national emergency at the U.S. frontier with Mexico on Monday, the first day of his new term. “She served a long and illustrious career, and I thank her for her service to our nation,” acting DHS secretary Benjamine Huffman said in a message to the Coast Guard, which is one of the five U.S. military branches. Fagan had led the Coast Guard since 2022, and previously held posts including vice commandant of the service. She “served on all seven continents, from the snows of Ross Island, Antarctica to the heart of Africa, from Tokyo to Geneva, and in many ports along the way,” according to an archived version of her biography, which is no longer available on the Coast Guard website.   …

In the Southwest United States, bird migrations are shifting as global temperatures warm. Gustavo Martіnez Contreras takes us to the Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge in the state of New Mexico. …

Fire authorities in southern California positioned crews and equipment ready to respond Tuesday to new wildfires as forecasters warned of dangerous fire conditions featuring dry air and strong winds. The National Weather Service said the particular window of concern was through late morning Tuesday, with the possibility of wind gusts reaching 160 kilometers per hour in areas to the north and northwest of downtown Los Angeles. “Everyone needs to be on high alert,” Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said Monday. California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire) spokesperson Brice Bennett said in a statement Monday that his agency — with help from federal, local and tribal firefighting agencies — have more than 2,500 people and has prepositioned equipment for quick deployment to combat any new outbreaks. At least 27 people have died in a series of wildfires across the Los Angeles area during the past two weeks as Santa Ana winds mixed with dry conditions on the ground to quickly spread blazes. The two largest fires are still burning, including the Palisades Fire near the coast on the western side of Los Angeles and the Eaton Fire in the foothills to the north of the city. The Palisades Fire was 61% contained and has burned about 96 square kilometers, according to Cal Fire. The Eaton Fire was 87% contained after burning 57 square kilometers. Together, the fires have destroyed 14,000 structures since Jan. 7. California Governor Gavin Newsom issued an executive order Monday designed to protect Southern California residents from landslides and flooding. The order suspends some rules and regulations and speeds up the removal of debris that, if not removed promptly, could result in landslides, mudslides and flash floods. “This order helps keep our emergency response focused on protecting communities, not permits and paperwork,” Newsom said. Some information for this report was provided by The Associated Press   …

It’s been a long day in Washington, filled with tradition and some out-of-the-ordinary events as the United States swears in its 47th president. VOA’s Senior Washington Correspondent Carolyn Presutti brings us the sights and sounds from Inauguration Day 2025. …

U.S. President Donald Trump issued a series of executive actions after taking office Monday, including moving to withdrawal from international health and climate bodies and directing a suspension of U.S. foreign aid. A set of orders focused on immigration, such as declaring an emergency on the U.S.-Mexico border, ending asylum and halting birthright citizenship for some children born in the United States. Trump also ordered vetting and screening “to the maximum degree possible” all those who want to enter the United States, and for the government to identify countries that may have screening procedures deficient enough to warrant blocking their nationals from entering the United States. In his first term in office, Trump pursued an “America First” form of foreign policy, and an order he signed Monday directs new Secretary of State Marco Rubio to focus State Department efforts on that mission. “From this day forward, the foreign policy of the United States shall champion core American interests and always put America and American citizens first,” the order said. Trump ordered the United States to withdraw from the 2015 Paris climate accord, a repeat of a move he also made in his first term. Trump said the U.S. has a successful record of “advancing both economic and environmental objectives” that should be a model to other countries. Nearly 200 countries signed the agreement aimed at limiting global warming with each country providing its own plan for limiting greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change. In another repeat from his first time in office, Trump ordered the United States to withdraw from the World Health Organization due to complaints that the agency mismanaged the COVID-19 pandemic and gets too much funding from the U.S. Calling U.S. foreign aid “not aligned with American interests,” Trump issued an order to pause foreign development assistance for 90 days and for the programs to undergo reviews. Funding for many programs has already been appropriated by Congress, so it was not clear how much aid would be initially affected by the order. Trump also reversed an order signed by former President Joe Biden last week that had removed Cuba from the list of state sponsors of terror. Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel responded to Trump’s move Monday by calling it “an act of arrogance and disregard for the truth.” On trade, Trump issued an order calling for a review of a number of trade agreements, including … “Trump orders include withdrawing from WHO, halting US foreign aid” →

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Monday pardoned more than 1,500 of his supporters charged with crimes in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, including people who assaulted police, using his clemency powers on his first day in office to dismantle the largest investigation and prosecution in Justice Department history. Among those set to be released from prison are defendants captured on camera committing violent attacks on law enforcement as lawmakers met to certify President Joe Biden’s 2020 election victory. Leaders of the Oath Keepers and Proud Boys extremist groups convicted of seditious conspiracy in the most serious cases brought by the Justice Department will also be freed from prison after having their sentences commuted. Trump is directing the attorney general to seek the dismissal of about 450 pending Jan. 6 cases. The pardons were expected after Trump’s yearslong campaign to rewrite the history of the Jan. 6 attack that left more than 100 police officers injured and threatened the peaceful transfer of power. Yet the scope of the clemency still comes as a massive blow to the Justice Department’s effort to hold participants accountable over what has been described as one of the darkest days in American history. Trump had suggested in the weeks leading up to his return to the White House that instead of blanket pardons he was going to look at the Jan. 6 defendants on a case-by-case basis. Vice President JD Vance had said just days ago that people responsible for the violence during the Capitol riot “obviously” should not be pardoned. Casting the rioters as “patriots” and “hostages,” Trump has claimed they were unfairly treated by the Justice Department that also charged him with federal crimes in two cases he contends were politically motivated. Trump said the pardons end “a grave national injustice that has been perpetrated upon the American people over the last four years and begins a process of national reconciliation.” An attorney for Enrique Tarrio, the former national chairman of the Proud Boys who was sentenced to 22 years in prison for seditious conspiracy, said he expects his client to be released from prison Monday night. Tarrio, who was convicted of orchestrating a failed plot to keep Donald Trump in power after the Republican lost the 2020 election, is serving the longest sentence of any of the Jan. 6 defendants. The pardons come weeks after Trump’s own Jan. 6 … “Trump issues sweeping pardon of 1,500 Jan. 6 defendants” →

President Donald Trump got right to work upon his return to the White House on Monday, announcing numerous executive actions on top-line issues like immigration and energy development and, in his inaugural address, promising to expand U.S territory – all the way, he said, to Mars. VOA’s Anita Powell reports from the White House …

WASHINGTON — Amid frigid temperatures in the nation’s capital, the peaceful transfer of power from one presidential administration to the next took place Monday. The inauguration events, starting with a church service and culminating in an oath and inaugural speech at the Capitol building, were attended by former presidents and their families, foreign dignitaries, and tech billionaires. Members of the “press pool” — a group of reporters, photographers and video journalists — were on hand to capture the day’s events for the media outlets that make up the White House Correspondents’ Association. Through the press pool, accredited journalists take turns covering the president’s daily activities to ensure 24-7 coverage of the American leader. VOA White House correspondent Misha Komadovsky was assigned to Monday morning’s inaugural events. “Today, I’ll be your eyes and ears during the first steps of Donald Trump’s inauguration,” Komadovsky emailed at around 8 a.m. local time as part of his assignments.   The pool report had noted that the inaugural events were to follow a traditional course: a morning church service and a meeting between the outgoing and incoming first families before traveling to the inauguration. The service at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Lafayette Park across from the White House has been a part of inauguration events since 1933, when Franklin D. Roosevelt attended a service before being sworn in as the 32nd president. Trump, as the 47th U.S. president, followed in his predecessors’ footsteps. He and first lady Melania Trump sat in the front row of the church, alongside his vice president, JD Vance, and second lady Usha Vance. Melania Trump wore a navy suit by New York-based designer Adam Lippes, paired with a wide-brimmed hat by American designer, Eric Javits. Dressing the first lady was an honor, Javits said, adding that his background in art has informed his ability to bring “harmony and balance to the face” with his designs. In Melania Trump’s case, he told the AP, the designing was not difficult because the first lady is “blessed with great bone structure, beauty and a wonderful sense of style.” Also attending Monday’s service — which took place the same day that the U.S. marks Martin Luther King Jr. Day — were members of the Trump family, including his children Donald Jr., Ivanka, Eric, Tiffany and Barron Trump. Individuals whom the president has nominated for key roles in his administration also filled the pews, including … “In day steeped with tradition, Donald Trump is sworn in” →

WASHINGTON — The Senate quickly confirmed Marco Rubio as secretary of state on Monday, voting unanimously to give President Donald Trump the first member of his new Cabinet on Inauguration Day. Rubio, a Republican senator from Florida, is among the least controversial of Trump’s nominees, and the vote was a decisive 99-0. Another pick, John Ratcliffe for CIA director, is also expected to have a swift vote. Action on others, including former combat veteran and Fox News host Pete Hegseth for defense secretary, is expected later in the week. “Marco Rubio is a very intelligent man with a remarkable understanding of American foreign policy,” Senator Chuck Grassley, the senior-most Republican, said as the chamber opened. It’s often tradition for the Senate to convene immediately after the ceremonial pomp of the inauguration to begin putting the new president’s team in place, particularly the national security officials. During Trump’s first term, the Senate swiftly confirmed his defense and homeland security secretaries on his first day in office. Former President Joe Biden’s choice for director of national intelligence was confirmed on his own Inauguration Day. With Trump’s return to the White House, and his Republican Party controlling majorities in Congress, his outsider Cabinet choices are more clearly falling into place, despite initial skepticism and opposition from both sides of the aisle. Senate Majority Leader John Thune moved quickly Monday, saying he expected voting to begin “imminently” on Trump’s nominees. Democrats have calculated it’s better for them to be seen as more willing to work with Trump rather than simply mounting a blockade to his nominees. They’re holding their opposition for some of his other picks who have less support, including Tulsi Gabbard for director of national intelligence and vaccine skeptic Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for health secretary. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said his party would “neither rubber-stamp nominees we feel are grossly unqualified, nor oppose nominees that deserve serious consideration.” Rubio, he said, is an example of “a qualified nominee we think should be confirmed quickly.” Senate committees have been holding lengthy confirmation hearings on more than a dozen of the Cabinet nominees, with more to come this week. And several panels were expected to meet late Monday to begin voting to advance the nominees to the full Senate for confirmation. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee advanced Rubio’s nomination late Monday. The Senate Armed Services Committee and Senate Intelligence Committee, respectively, advanced the … “Senate confirms Rubio as secretary of state, Trump’s first Cabinet member” →

WASHINGTON — U.S. President Joe Biden used his constitutional power Monday to preemptively pardon several individuals, including some of his relatives, just minutes before Donald Trump was sworn in as the 47th president of the United States. Without naming Trump or the incoming administration, Biden said in a statement that he believes in the rule of law but warned about the threat of partisan politics and pointed to possible retribution as the main concern behind his decision to grant the preemptive pardons. “I am optimistic that the strength of our legal institutions will ultimately prevail over politics,” Biden’s statement read. “But these are exceptional circumstances, and I cannot in good conscience do nothing.” Among those granted pardons is Trump’s former Joint Chiefs of Staff, retired General Mark Milley. Political differences between Trump and Milley that both men vented in public during Trump’s first term in office led to Trump’s supporters branding Milley as disloyal. Milley has reportedly referred to Trump as a “fascist.” Citing “ongoing threats and intimidation for faithfully discharging their duties,” Biden extended pardons to members and staff of the Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol. That includes former Republican Representative Liz Cheney. Biden also preemptively pardoned the U.S. Capitol and Washington police officers who testified before the committee. “The Select Committee fulfilled this mission with integrity and a commitment to discovering the truth,” Biden said. The statement continued, “Rather than accept accountability, those who perpetrated the January 6th attack have taken every opportunity to undermine and intimidate those who participated in the Select Committee in an attempt to rewrite history, erase the stain of January 6th for partisan gain, and seek revenge, including by threatening criminal prosecutions.” Biden also preemptively pardoned his former chief medical adviser, Dr. Anthony Fauci, who retired in December 2023. Fauci and his family have received threats from those who opposed his approach to the COVID-19 pandemic, including the issuance of mask mandates. There’s a history of U.S. presidents pardoning family members for specific criminal convictions. Biden pardoned his son Hunter Biden in December for gun and tax offenses as well as for any offenses he may have committed “from January 1, 2014, through December 1, 2024.” But on Monday, Biden also pardoned other relatives who aren’t under investigation, including his brother, James Biden; James Biden’s wife, Sara Biden; his sister, Valerie Biden Owens; Valerie Owens’ husband, … “Biden issues preemptive pardons before exiting White House” →