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New York Times
3 days ago
- General
- New York Times
Denying Visas to Chinese Students Will Backfire on America
One night in 1978, President Jimmy Carter got a phone call at 3 a.m. from a top adviser who was visiting China. 'Deng Xiaoping insisted I call you now, to see if you would permit 5,000 Chinese students to come to American universities,' said the official, Frank Press. 'Tell him to send 100,000,' Mr. Carter replied. By Christmas time that year, the first group of 52 Chinese students had arrived in the United States, just ahead of the formal establishment of U.S.-China diplomatic relations on New Year's Day. A month later, Mr. Deng, then China's top leader, made a historic visit to America during which he watched John Denver sing 'Take Me Home, Country Roads' and was photographed wearing a cowboy hat. It's almost hard to believe how little contact there had been between the United States and modern China before that. The Sinologist John K. Fairbank wrote in 1971: 'Since 1950 Washington has officially sent more men to the moon than it has to China.' The visits by Mr. Deng, and more important, by those first Chinese students, began a new chapter that would fundamentally change China — and the world. The United States gained access to a vast market and talent pool, while China found a model and a partner for transforming its economy. Now that chapter has closed, after the Trump administration announced that it would begin 'aggressively' revoking the visas of Chinese students on Wednesday. For the millions of Chinese who have studied in the United States, myself included, it is a sobering and disheartening development. It marks a turning point that America, long a beacon of openness and opportunity, would start shutting its doors to Chinese who aspire for a good education and a future in a society that values freedom and human dignity. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Newsweek
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Newsweek
Why Are Flags at Half-Staff Today? Memorial Day Rules Explained
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. American flags will be lowered across the country to fly at half-staff to reflect the solemnity of Memorial Day on Monday morning. The flags will be lowered at sunrise and will remain flying in that position until they are raised again at noon. Officials at federal buildings across the land will lower—and then raise—the flags at different points of the day to symbolize various meanings behind the event, which honors the nation's fallen service members. Following the death of former President Jimmy Carter, American flags fly at half-staff at daybreak with the U.S. Capitol in the background on December 30, 2024, in Washington. Following the death of former President Jimmy Carter, American flags fly at half-staff at daybreak with the U.S. Capitol in the background on December 30, 2024, in Washington. It Matters Memorial Day is a federal holiday held in honor of the U.S. military members who died serving their country. The country's flags are always lowered to indicate a period of national mourning, such as during the death of a president or to honor fallen law enforcement officers, such as during the Peace Officers Memorial Day that was held earlier this month. What To Know This year, Memorial Day falls on May 26. The U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs has published a document setting out the rules for when it is appropriate to fly the American flag at half-staff. "On Memorial Day, the flag should be flown at half-staff from sunrise until noon only, then raised briskly to the top of the staff until sunset, in honor of the nation's battle heroes," the department says. The origins of Memorial Day date to 1868, although it was then known as Decoration Day, and observance gradually spread throughout the states. Since 1971, Memorial Day has been observed nationally on the last Monday in May. In 2000, Congress passed the National Moment of Remembrance Act, which encourages the nation to observe a moment of silence at 3 p.m. local time to honor and remember those killed in the line of duty. What People Are Saying The U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs: "An easy way to remember when to fly the United States flag at half-staff is to consider when the whole nation is in mourning. These periods of mourning are proclaimed either by the president of the United States, for national remembrance, or the governor of a state or territory, for local remembrance, in the event of a death of a member or former member of the federal, state or territorial government or judiciary. The heads of departments and agencies of the federal government may also order that the flag be flown at half-staff on buildings, grounds and naval vessels under their jurisdiction [...] "In the early days of our country, no regulations existed for flying the flag at half-staff and, as a result, there were many conflicting policies. But on March 1, 1954, President Dwight Eisenhower issued a proclamation on the proper times." What Happens Next American flags across the country will be lowered then raised as appropriate on Memorial Day. Other traditions held to mark the occasion will also be taking place, such as the 3 p.m. moment of remembrance, as well as various parades, religious services, speeches by public officials and the laying of a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery.
New York Times
24-05-2025
- Politics
- New York Times
Frank Moore, a Top Aide to Jimmy Carter, Is Dead at 89
Frank Moore, who as President Jimmy Carter's congressional liaison toiled with mixed results to sell the agenda of a self-professed outsider to veterans of Washington, died on Thursday at his home in St. Simons Island, Ga. He was 89. His son Brian confirmed the death. Mr. Carter was known for having a 'Georgia Mafia' around him during his presidency. Mr. Moore was a leading member of that group, and the two men remained close until Mr. Carter's death. According to the Georgia newspaper The Gainesville Times, Mr. Moore was the last living person to have worked for Mr. Carter for the entirety of his political career: as an aide from his days as a Georgia state senator all the way through his presidency. In Washington, the two men had what might have seemed like an ideal chance for legislative achievements. For all four years of the Carter administration, the Democrats controlled every branch of government, and from January 1977 to January 1979 they had supermajorities in the House and the Senate. Yet it was a less ideologically homogenous era for the party. The Democratic caucus in the Senate, for example, encompassed liberals like Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts, staunch anti-Communists like Henry Jackson of Washington and conservative segregationists like John C. Stennis of Mississippi. These separate factions and their wily tacticians were relatively unfamiliar to Mr. Carter and Mr. Moore, who had first met far away from the nation's capital — on a local planning panel in Georgia in the mid-1960s. In the 1970s, after Mr. Carter had been elected governor, he made Mr. Moore his chief of staff. During Mr. Carter's presidential run, Mr. Moore, a soft-voiced 40-year-old who held the title of national finance chairman, was one of a few of Mr. Carter's Georgia allies to set up his campaign office in Washington. By the standards of Mr. Carter and his allies, that made Mr. Moore a Washington expert. Mr. Carter made him the White House's liaison to Congress immediately upon taking office. Mr. Moore set about introducing himself to all 535 members of Congress and their roughly 15,000 staffers. In February 1977, The New York Times reported that he met with Mr. Carter up to four times a day, signed off on almost all the memorandums that reached the president's desk, and helped formulate most official policy. 'I think I know about everything that's going on,' Mr. Moore told The Times. 'People are willing to give me more information than I can keep up with.' He worked so tirelessly that even after he slipped on ice and broke his wrist, he declined to see a doctor for a week, The Times reported in a profile. He stopped attending his family's dinners, leaving home before his children woke up and returning after they had gone to bed. It was not enough. Members of Congress complained that Mr. Moore failed to consult them when necessary, neglected to return their calls, did not have experienced aides and could not speak credibly on behalf of the new administration. 'Each cabinet officer is operating under his own ground rules,' Benjamin S. Rosenthal, a veteran House Democrat from Queens, complained to The Times in 1977, adding, 'Moore presumably is not strong enough to turn that around.' The Times called Mr. Moore 'the most maligned man in the Carter administration.' Mr. Carter himself was gaining the reputation of a political novice and micromanager. Responding to criticism, the administration issued ambitious new domestic policy proposals: welfare overhaul, energy reform, inflation reduction, budget balancing and measures that would reverse the decline of cities. With Mr. Moore's help, Mr. Carter passed legislation cutting taxes, reorganizing the Civil Service and creating new cabinet departments for energy and education. But many other administration proposals, like urban aid and welfare reform, gained little traction. During the summer of 1979, Mr. Carter asked his entire cabinet to submit resignations. 'Speculation about possible staff changes,' The Times reported, 'has centered on Frank B. Moore, the president's congressional liaison, who has been blamed for many of his difficulties with Congress.' In the end, Mr. Carter accepted resignations from five cabinet officials, but Mr. Moore remained in his role. Mr. Carter lost to Ronald Reagan in a landslide in 1980. 'They ran against Washington, then became part of Washington, and were neither psychologically nor mechanically equipped to deal with that,' Representative Rosenthal told The Times. Francis Boyd Moore was born on July 27, 1935, in Dahlonega, a Georgia mining town in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. His father, Charles, ran a small Ford dealership and hardware store. His mother, Elizabeth (Boyd) Moore, was a teacher. He studied accounting at the University of Georgia and earned a bachelor's degree there in 1960. He also met a fellow student, Nancy Wofford. They married in 1962. Before working with Mr. Carter on the Georgia planning panel, Mr. Moore tested the cereal market in Georgia as an employee of Quaker Oats. After Mr. Carter's presidency, Mr. Moore was vice president for government affairs at Waste Management, a leading garbage removal company. An avid reader of World War II history, he was also involved in the planning of war memorials in the United States and abroad. In addition to his son Brian, Mr. Moore is survived by two daughters, Elizabeth and Courtney Moore; another son, Henry; a sister, Ann Wimpy; and five grandchildren. His wife died of cancer in 2024. In 2023, Mr. Moore told The Gainesville Times that he spoke to Mr. Carter on the phone every week. In spite of their four years together in Washington, they hardly ever spoke about the White House. Their favorite topics, Mr. Moore said, were hunting, family and their recollections of characters of yore from the Georgia state legislature. But Mr. Moore did discuss his record in Washington at length in a retrospective oral history interview with the Miller Center of the University of Virginia, which focuses on presidential scholarship. Mr. Carter, in his analysis, was an 'activist president,' which meant that fighting with Congress was unavoidable. 'The way to have good congressional relations,' Mr. Moore said, 'is not to send any controversial legislation.'
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Virginia man sentenced for setting car on fire at US Capitol
WASHINGTON () — A Lorton, Va. man was sentenced Friday after he set his car ablaze at the U.S. Capitol as former President Jimmy Carter lay in state. According to court documents, the U.S. Capitol Police (USCP) began investigating a vehicle fire on the U.S. Capitol grounds at around 5 p.m. on Jan. 8. At the time, Carter was lying in state at the Capitol Rotunda, and numerous government officials were visiting. PREVIOUS COVERAGE: US Capitol Police arrest man for trying to light car on fire Adrian J. Hinton, 36, had driven his car from Virginia to Washington, D.C. earlier that day, parking near the memorial to Ulysses S. Grant. He then removed a bottle, dumped liquid on the top of his car and ignited it, setting the vehicle on fire. Hinton told responding USCP officers that the liquid was gasoline and Crisco. He was taken into custody quickly after the fire started and apologised for inconveniencing the USCP, according to court documents. He reportedly said he was not trying to set himself on fire, but only set his car ablaze to protest the recent presidential election. The fire department was able to safely extinguish the fire and other officials, including bomb technicians, rendered the scene safe. Woodbridge woman charged after driving while intoxicated with young children, police say He pleaded guilty to destruction of government property on Jan. 31, just weeks after the incident. On May 23, Hinton was sentenced to one year of supervised release, plus 125 hours of community service. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hindustan Times
23-05-2025
- Business
- Hindustan Times
Is Memorial Day a federal holiday? Know what's open and what's closed
Memorial Day began after the American Civil War, when people started placing flowers on the graves of fallen soldiers in spring. Back then, it was called Decoration Day. Over time, it became a day to honour all those who died while serving in the US military. It is now observed every year on the last Monday in May. No, the US stock market will be closed on Monday, 26 May 2025, for Memorial Day. It will be the sixth market closure of the year. The New York Stock Exchange will also close early at 1 p.m. on Friday, 23 May and reopen on Tuesday, 27 May. • 1 Jan – New Year's Day • 9 Jan – National Day of Mourning for Jimmy Carter • 20 Jan – Martin Luther King Jr. Day • 17 Feb – Washington's Birthday • 18 Apr – Good Friday • 26 May – Memorial Day • 19 June – Juneteenth National Independence Day • 4 July – Independence Day • 1 Sept – Labour Day • 27 Nov – Thanksgiving Day • 25 Dec – Christmas Day The stock market will also close early on: • 3 July – the day before Independence Day • 28 Nov – Black Friday • 24 Dec – Christmas Eve No, branches of major banks will be closed on Memorial Day, as it is a federal holiday. No, the United States Postal Service will also be closed, and no mail will be delivered on Memorial Day.
