UN Security Council slams decision to reopen Cyprus suburb
The U.N. Security Council is condemning the decision by Turkey and Turkish Cypriots to reopen a residential section of an abandoned suburb on Friday and is calling for “the immediate reversal” of this unilateral action which could raise tensions on the divided Mediterranean island
washingtonpost.comDraft UN statement urges Turkish reversal of Cyprus action
A proposed U.N. Security Council statement would call on Turkey and breakaway Turkish Cypriots to reverse a decision to reopen a residential section of an abandoned suburb, a move likely to raise tensions on the divided Mediterranean island
washingtonpost.comEgypt urges UN to back call for binding deal on Ethiopia dam
Egypt’s foreign minister says he will urge the U.N. Security Council to require Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia to negotiate a binding agreement within six months on the contentious issue of the water availability from the dam that the Ethiopians are building on the Nile River’s main tributary
washingtonpost.comActing Assistant Attorney General Brian C. Rabbitt Delivers Remarks Announcing Goldman Sachs/1mdb Enforcement Actions
I am Brian Rabbitt, Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division. It includes criminal charges against the bank and a guilty plea by its Malaysian subsidiary. This resolution marks a major milestone in our efforts to fight foreign corruption involving U.S. businesses. The other — a former managing director and head of investment banking for Goldman Malaysia — awaits trial. Today’s resolution includes crediting of Goldman’s parallel resolutions with no fewer than nine other U.S. and foreign authorities — the largest number ever in a foreign corruption case.
justice.govSchumer, Warren propose forgiving $50,000 in student debt for borrowers due to pandemic
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., announced a resolution Thursday that would broadly cancel federal student loan debt due to the coronavirus crisis. The resolution calls on President Donald Trump to take executive action to forgive up to $50,000 in debt for borrowers. "We applaud Senators Warren and Schumer for drafting a plan that would provide crucial student debt relief to at least 44 million borrowers who owe more than $1.5 trillion in student loans." The Department of Education has offered some relief by pausing payments on federal student loans until the end of the year. In the meantime, even private student loan servicers are now amenable to temporary hardship accommodations, often on a case-by-case basis.
cnbc.comCivil rights group pushes back at GOP condemnation
The resolution claimed that it puts conservative groups or voices at risk of attack.The SPLC, which conducts investigations and engages in civil rights litigation, said in a statement Monday that the resolution gave comfort to hate groups and accused the RNC of being selective in its condemnation. community with dehumanizing rhetoric.The resolution was the latest clash between the SPLC and conservative groups over the Alabama-based organizations Hatewatch list, which tracks radical and extremist groups. The civil rights group, championed by many on the left, has denied that assertion, saying that groups with beliefs or practices that attack or malign an entire class of people, typically for their immutable characteristics make their list. The RNC resolution cited the presence of the anti-abortion Family Research Council (FRC) on the list, accusing the SPLC of leading to a 2012 shooting at the FRC. The RNC also approved resolutions defending the federal celebration of the Christopher Columbus holiday; condemning cancel culture and reaffirming its support for President Donald Trump.
San Antonio City Council declares racism a public health crisis
However, it includes various commitments to pursue racial equity, like reviewing policies and procedures to eliminate racial bias and working with historically marginalized communities to find solutions for health equity issues. The resolution resulted from a merger of drafts supported by District 2 Councilwoman Jada Andrews-Sullivan and District 7 Councilwoman Ana Sandoval, with input from the city's Office of Equity and the San Antonio Metropolitan Health District's Office of Health Equity. The document references various challenges people of color face, including worse health outcomes and harder economic circumstances in Bexar County. That section had been added upon District Councilwoman Rebecca Viagran's request after an Aug. 7 Community Health and Equity Committee meeting. At current, public health is slated to receive $19.3 million in the upcoming budget.
Resolution declaring racism a public health crisis to go before San Antonio City Council
SAN ANTONIO – The city council will vote on a resolution declaring racism a public health crisis in San Antonio and pledging the city’s commitment to advancing racial equity efforts. The city council’s Community Health and Equity Committee on Friday unanimously approved sending the resolution to the full city council with some changes. Andrews-Sullivan said the resolution is not about racism against just one community, but across the board. Viagran suggested including city boards and commissions in the resolution as well as a commitment to education about the issue. Whether you like it or not, it was part of what happened.”You can view the draft of the resolution the Community Health & Equity Committee considered here:This is a breaking news update.
San Antonio City Council passes ‘COVID-19 Anti-Hate Resolution’
San Antonio – The San Antonio City Council unanimously passed a resolution Thursday denouncing bigotry, antisemitism and “hateful speech” amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The resolution, which was put forward by Mayor Ron Nirenberg, states that hate crimes, discrimination, and aggression against Asians and Jews are on the rise as the groups are blamed for the disease’s outbreak and spread. Meanwhile, it says, the Jewish community has been targeted with blame and conspiracy theories regarding the disease. “We’ve seen incidents that are clearly racist in nature all around this country, and we’ve even seen some incidents here. But this is really about standing in solidarity with all the members of our community,” Mayor Ron Nirenberg told reporters following the vote.