The venerable CBS News Radio flagship broadcast World News Roundup turns 85 on Monday, and the network is celebrating with special programming. CBS News Radio anchors Steve Kathan and Jennifer Keiper will present the broadcasts, which also include Weekend Roundup and World News Roundup Late Edition.
Samsung isn’t usually reticent about unveiling out-there TV concepts at CES, and the brand’s Micro LED, Neo QLED, and QD-OLED ranges should all get a look in.
1. The Trump Administration
Since January 2017, the Trump Administration has worked relentlessly to turn back our nation’s civil and human rights progress.
The first action was an executive order to discriminate against Muslim immigrants and to restrict refugee admissions. Then in March, the White House withdrew a Justice Department motion for a preliminary injunction against North Carolina’s anti-transgender HB 2 law, and the President began threatening to pull federal funding from cities that protect immigrant communities.
In April, the Department of Education rolled back rules that protect students in online degree programs from being taken advantage of by predatory for-profit schools. Then Secretary DeVos and the Department of Health and Human Services voted to repeal a rule updating the regulations that govern the Title X family planning program, denying access to vital health care for women across the country.
On June 21, the administration resumed mass roundups of migrant families by sending immigration and customs enforcement officers into towns across America to carry out raids that resulted in the forcible separation of children from their parents. And in September, the Department of Labor proposed a new rule that would dramatically reduce overtime protections for millions of working Americans.
Under new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Director Mick Mulvaney, the agency has rolled back important payday lending regulations and weakened the joint employer standard in National Labor Relations Act cases. On December 12, the Federal Communications Commission under Chairman Ajit Pai voted to gut Lifeline, the service that brings affordable phone and internet services within reach for people of color, low-income people, seniors, and people with disabilities, with particularly devastating consequences for tribal areas.
And in November, the White House and congressional Republicans unveiled tax principles that would cut trillions of dollars in taxes for millionaires and big corporations at the expense of low-income communities and families. In addition, the Administration has backed away from efforts to address gun violence by limiting police departments’ ability to use body-worn cameras and other tools that help stop the epidemic of mass shootings. The list goes on. The Leadership Conference opposes these actions, and we will continue to fight for comprehensive, effective solutions.
3. The Human Rights Campaign
The Human Rights Campaign is America’s largest civil rights organization advancing equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people. It envisions a world in which LGBTQ+ people are fully embraced as full members of society at home, at work and in every community.
In the landmark case of One, Inc. v. Olesen, the United States Supreme Court rules that homosexuals have First Amendment rights to express their love in public. This marks the first time that the US Supreme Court has ruled on gay and lesbian freedom of speech. The Human Rights Campaign organizes a demonstration at Independence Hall in Philadelphia to call for the passage of protective civil rights legislation. The demonstration will continue annually for five years.
Tammy Baldwin becomes the first openly LGBT person to win a major-party congressional nomination when she wins a primary in New York. The victory sparks a national outpouring of support for LGBTQ candidates and policies.
As the international human rights movement grows in the 1970s, several organizations establish themselves as watchdogs with particular and explicit attention to policy concerns. One such group, Human Rights Watch (HRW), was founded in 1978 with the intention of pressing the United States to integrate itself into the international human rights system.
HRW was soon joined by other groups with similar goals. During the 1980s, HRW and its sister organization Human Rights Foundation (HRF) worked closely together on many issues. In particular, they monitored the United States’ role in Central America and urged the US to abide by its international human rights commitments.
By the 1990s, HRW had expanded its focus to include the entire planet and its inhabitants. Its monitoring of global issues and the development of normative principles and supporting initiatives helped shape the international human rights landscape for decades.
The Human Rights Campaign is proud to have played a part in the many advances that we’ve seen under the Biden-Harris administration. But we also know that there’s still much more work to do, including ending discriminatory federal policies, increasing LGBTQ+ representation in the ranks of government agencies and passing legislation that will help ensure that the protections that we’ve gained remain permanent.
4. The U.S.-Mexico Border
The United States-Mexico border, a primary responsibility of DHS, has become a flashpoint. President Trump and Democrats have battled over funding for a wall, leading to government shutdowns and presidential emergency declarations. In addition, the number of unauthorized migrants seeking entry into the country is rising and straining local communities.
In Udaariyaan Written Update to address the situation, Joe Biden launched Border 2025, a program that seeks to strengthen security along the border and reduce the number of undocumented migrants entering the country. The program includes collaboration between U.S. and Mexican officials, including federal law enforcement and border tribes. This is the first time that Mexico has partnered with the United States in this way.
But the border is a complex issue. Historically, most entrants were adults seeking work in the United States, but in recent years, those who cross the border have been mostly minors and families fleeing from Northern Triangle countries of El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras. These migrants are attempting to escape gang recruitment, corruption, inept police and criminal justice systems, and poverty.
Despite the problems, there have been some breakthroughs. For example, the DHS-led Border Technology Research Center, located in San Diego, has developed a number of high-tech tools that can be used to assist agents and improve patrols. These include thermal imaging cameras, unmanned aerial vehicles and other sensor systems.
The thorniest issue remains how to deal with a large number of asylum seekers, who continue to surge in numbers at the border. A recent court decision halted the Biden Administration’s winddown of the Remain in Mexico (RMX) program, and tens of thousands of people are still waiting to see whether they can challenge their decisions or obtain protection in the United States.
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