UN peacekeeper killed in attack by armed men in Central African Republic
DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — A United Nations peacekeeper was killed during an attack by armed men in Central African Republic, the UN said on Tuesday as the Security Council expressed concerns over growing attacks against peacekeepers in the country.
A Zambian peacekeeper was killed Friday when suspected Sudanese armed groups attacked a U.N. peacekeeping patrol team close to the country's northern border with Sudan in the village of Am-Sissia 1, according to a statement from the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.
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Winnipeg Free Press
an hour ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Alvin Bragg, Manhattan prosecutor who took on Trump, wins Democratic primary in bid for second term
NEW YORK (AP) — Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, the prosecutor who oversaw the historic hush-money case against President Donald Trump, won Tuesday's Democratic primary as he seeks reelection. Bragg defeated Patrick Timmins — a litigator, law professor and former Bronx assistant district attorney — to advance to November's general election. About 70% of registered Manhattan voters are Democrats. The first-term incumbent will face Republican Maud Maron, who was a public defender for decades and previously ran for Congress and NYC's City Council as a Democrat. Bragg has long been one of the nation's most prominent prosecutors, spotlighted in TV's 'Law & Order' and other shows. The DA directs about 600 attorneys in one of the biggest local prosecutors' offices in the U.S. He raised the office's profile still further by bringing the hush-money case. His predecessor, fellow Democrat Cyrus R. Vance Jr., spent years investigating various Trump dealings but didn't procure an indictment. Bragg decided to focus on how and why porn actor Stormy Daniels was paid $130,000 to clam up about her claims of a 2006 sexual encounter with the married Trump. The payment was made, through the then-candidate's personal attorney, weeks before the 2016 presidential election. Trump's company records logged the money as a legal expense. Trump denied any wrongdoing and any sexual involvement with Daniels. But a jury last year found him guilty of 33 felony counts of falsifying business records, the first-ever felony conviction of a former — and now again — U.S. commander in chief. Trump is appealing the verdict. The Republican president has long derided the case as a political 'witch hunt,' and he has kept lambasting Bragg by social media as recently as March. Bragg, 51, was a civil rights lawyer, federal prosecutor and top deputy to New York's attorney general before becoming DA. Raised in Harlem and educated at Harvard, he's the first Black person to hold the post. His tenure had a rocky start. Days after taking office in 2022, he issued a memo telling staffers not to prosecute some types of cases, nor seek bail or prison time in some others. After criticism from the police commissioner and others, Bragg apologized for creating 'confusion' and said his office wasn't easing up on serious cases. The matter continued to animate his critics. Trump repeatedly branded Bragg 'soft on crime,' and Timmins said on his campaign site homepage that the memo 'has brought about increased crime and a perception of chaos in the subway and on our streets.' Timmins — who has raised about $154,000 to Bragg's $2.2 million since January 2022 — also pledged to do more to staunch subway crime, keep cases from getting dismissed for failure to meet legal deadlines, and prioritize hate crimes, among other things. Bragg's campaign emphasized his efforts to fight gun violence, help sexual assault survivors, prosecute hate crimes and go after bad landlords and exploitative bosses, among other priorities. His office, meanwhile, has been enmeshed in a string of high-profile cases in recent months. The office is using a post-9/11 terrorism law to prosecute UnitedHealthcare CEO killing suspect Luigi Mangione, lost a homicide trial against Marine veteran and Republican cause célèbre Daniel Penny in a case that stirred debate about subway safety and self-defense, and retried former movie mogul Harvey Weinstein on sex crimes charges. Mangione, Penny and Weinstein all pleaded not guilty. Bragg unexpectedly inherited the Vance-era Weinstein case after an appeals court ordered a new trial. In a jumbled outcome, jurors this month convicted Weinstein on one top charge, acquitted him of another and didn't reach a verdict on a third, lower-level charge — which Bragg aims to bring to trial a third time.
Winnipeg Free Press
3 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Oregon bill providing unemployment pay for striking workers signed into law by governor
SALEM, Ore. (AP) — Democratic Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek on Tuesday signed into law a bill that provides unemployment benefits to striking workers, following neighboring Washington state in adopting measures spurred by recent walkouts by Boeing factory workers, hospital nurses and teachers in the Pacific Northwest. Oregon's measure makes it the first state to provide pay for picketing public employees — who aren't allowed to strike in most states, let alone receive benefits for it. It makes striking workers eligible to collect unemployment benefits after two weeks, with benefits capped at 10 weeks. Only three other states — New York, New Jersey and most recently Washington state — give striking workers unemployment benefits. Washington's bill, which passed in April, pays striking private sector workers for up to six weeks, starting after at least two weeks on the line. Democratic Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont on Monday vetoed a bill that would provide financial help for striking workers, after vetoing a similar measure last year. The final passage for Oregon's bill proved tumultuous. It first passed the state Senate in March and then passed the state House earlier this month. But a majority of senators did not concur with amendments added by the House, which sent the measure to a conference committee to resolve the differences between the two bills. It ultimately received final approval following a compromise on the 10-week benefits cap. The bill sparked debate among lawmakers as well as constituents, with over 1,000 letters of written testimony submitted. Supporters said it would level the playing field between workers and wealthy corporations that can wait until union strike funds run out to pressure employees under financial distress to accept deals. Opponents said it could incentivize strikes and hurt employers, particularly public employers such as school districts. Private employers pay into the state's unemployment insurance trust fund through a payroll tax, but many public employers do not, meaning they would have to reimburse the fund for any payments made to their workers. In response to those concerns, the bill requires school districts to deduct the benefits received by an employee from their future wages. Some argued it wouldn't cost public employers more than what they have already budgeted for salaries, as workers aren't paid when they are on strike. Also, those receiving unemployment benefits get at most 65% of their weekly pay, and benefit amounts are capped, according to documents presented to lawmakers by employment department officials. Oregon has seen two large strikes in recent years: Thousands of nurses and dozens of doctors at Providence's eight Oregon hospitals were on strike for six weeks earlier this year, while a 2023 walkout of Portland Public Schools teachers shuttered schools for over three weeks in the state's largest district.
Winnipeg Free Press
3 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
What's in and out of Trump's big bill as Senate races to meet Fourth of July deadline
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump says 'NO ONE GOES ON VACATION' until the big, beautiful bill is on his desk by the Fourth of July deadline. And Republicans in Congress are staying put to get it done. The Senate is gearing up for weekend work, while House Speaker Mike Johnson told lawmakers Tuesday to keep their schedules 'flexible' as they prepare for more votes. 'We are making good headway,' said Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D. He expects the Senate will 'get it across the finish line' by the end of the week, sending it back to the House for swift action. But Republicans who have majority control of the House and Senate are finding that their push to move fast and change things — namely cuts to federal government programs including Medicaid and SNAP food stamps used by millions of Americans — is easier said than done. Not all GOP lawmakers are on board, and the Senate parliamentarian has advised that several key proposals violate procedural rules. With Democrats flatly opposed, it's all leaving GOP leaders scrambling days before final votes. Here's the latest on what's in, out and still up for debate as lawmakers work to finish the massive 1,000-page plus package. What's the goal of the big bill? Tax cuts. The top priority for Republicans is preventing what they warn would be a massive tax hike, some $3.8 trillion, after December when the tax breaks they put in place during Trump's first term, in 2017, expire. The big bill seeks to make existing tax rates and brackets permanent, while also temporarily adding new ones Trump campaigned on — no taxes on tips, overtime pay or some automotive loans, along with a bigger $6,000 deduction in the Senate draft for seniors who earn no more than $75,000 a year. The wealthiest households would see a $12,000 increase, while the bill would cost the poorest people $1,600 a year, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. Middle income taxpayers would see a tax break of $500 to $1,500, CBO said. One provision for families would boost the $2,000 child tax credit to $2,200 under the Senate proposal or $2,500 in the House. But families at lower income levels won't see the full amount, if any. And one unresolved issue is the House's proposed $40,000 cap on state and local deductions, called SALT, that GOP senators say is too high and want limited. The bill also funds deportations, border wall and Trump's heroes garden There's also some $350 billion of new funding in the package for Trump's border and national security agenda. Trump promises the largest mass deportation operation in U.S. history, and the package proposes money to hire 10,000 new Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers, with $10,000 signing bonuses, and for 100,000 immigration detention beds with a goal of deporting some 1 million people a year. Additionally, the House bill proposes $12 billion for the Homeland Security secretary to provide grants to states that help with federal immigration enforcement and deportation actions. The Senate package also provides the attorney general with $3.5 billion to create a similar state fund — called Bridging Immigration-related Deficits Experienced Nationwide, or Biden, referring to the former president. There's also money for the development of Trump's 'Golden Dome' missile defense system over the U.S., and quality of life measures for servicemen and women. And there are extras: One provision from the Senate would provide $40 million to establish Trump's long-sought 'National Garden of American Heroes.' How to pay for it? Cuts to Medicaid, SNAP, and green energy programs To help partly offset the lost tax revenue, Republicans are seeking to cut back some long-running government programs — Medicaid, food stamps and green energy incentives — basically unraveling the accomplishments of the past two Democratic presidents: Joe Biden and Barack Obama. Republicans argue they are trying to right-size the safety net programs for the population they were initially designed to serve — mainly pregnant women and children — and root out waste, fraud and abuse. The package includes new 80 hour a month work requirements for many adults receiving Medicaid and food stamps, including older people up to age 65. Parents of children older than 10 would have to work to qualify for food aid, and those with teens would have to comply with the work requirement for Medicaid. 'It's wildly popular,' Johnson said Tuesday, noting people can work, volunteer or go to school or job training programs. 'For heaven's sake, do something constructive.' Some 80 million Americans rely on Medicaid, which expanded under Obama's Affordable Care Act, and 40 million use the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program, and most already work, according to analysts. All told, the CBO estimates at least 10.9 million more people would go without health coverage, and 3 million more would not qualify for food stamps. Deeper SNAP cuts that would shift cost-sharing to the states were called into question by the Senate parliamentarian and undergoing revisions. And more Medicaid changes are up for debate — including a Senate plan to reduce the so-called provider tax that most states impose on hospitals and other entities. Key GOP senators and a coalition of House Republicans warn that lower Medicaid provider tax cuts will hurt rural hospitals. 'We cannot support a final bill that threatens access to coverage,' said 16 House GOP lawmakers in a letter to leadership. Senators are considering the creation of a new rural hospital fund, but the plan remains a work in progress. Both the House and Senate bills propose a dramatic rollback of the Biden-era green energy tax breaks for electric vehicles and also the production and investment tax credits companies use to stand up wind, solar and other renewable energy projects. All told, the cuts to Medicaid, food stamps and green energy programs are expected to produce some $1.3 trillion in savings over the decade, CBO said. What's the final cost? Altogether, keeping the existing tax breaks and adding the new ones is expected to cost $3.8 trillion over the decade, CBO says in its analysis of the House bill. The Senate draft is slightly higher. The spending cuts tally nearly $1.3 trillion. The CBO estimates the package from the House would add $2.4 trillion to the nation's deficits over the decade. Or not, depending on how one does the math. Senate Republicans are proposing a unique strategy of not counting the existing tax breaks as a new cost, because they're already 'current policy.' They argue the Budget Committee chairman has the authority to set the baseline for its preferred approach. Under the Senate GOP view, the cost of tax provisions would be $441 billion, according to the congressional Joint Committee on Taxation. Monday Mornings The latest local business news and a lookahead to the coming week. Democrats and others argue this is 'magic math' that obscures the costs of the GOP tax breaks. The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget puts the Senate tally at $4.2 trillion over the decade. 'Current policy baseline' is a budget gimmick,' said Sen. Jeff Merkley, the top Democrat on the Budget Committee. 'This bill will add trillions upon trillions of dollars to the national debt to fund tax breaks for billionaires.' Trump, en route to Europe for a NATO meeting, told senators to lock themselves in a room if needed, and 'GET THE BILL DONE.' __ Associated Press writer Darlene Superville contributed to this report.
