Author: Olive Metuge

Reporting Highlights Less Scrutiny of Foreign Food: American inspections of foreign food facilities have plummeted to historic lows this year, a ProPublica data analysis shows. Trump Cuts to Blame: About two dozen current and former FDA officials blamed the drop in foreign food inspections on staffing cuts under Trump. Food Safety Undermined: Food safety experts said there’s an increased risk of outbreaks. “It’s only a matter of time before people die,” one said. These highlights were written by the reporters and editors who worked on this story. American inspections of foreign food facilities — which produce everything from crawfish to…

South Africa has skated over the latest criticism from US President Donald Trump, who has said he does not think the country should be part of the G20 any longer.Presidential spokesperson Vincent Magwenya told the BBC his country was confident it would host a very successful G20 summit when leaders from the world’s largest economies gather in Johannesburg later this month.Trump, who has repeatedly accused South Africa of discriminating against its white minority, will not be attending – sending Vice-President JD Vance instead.Every year, a different member state holds the presidency of the G20 and sets the agenda for the…

Shortly after 8 p.m. last Saturday, an assassin, wearing a white hoodie pulled over his head, exited the Hotel Alamada and walked about 50 metres to Plaza Morelos in the centre of Uruapan, a city in western Mexico branded as the avocado capital of the world.His target: Mayor Carlos Manzo, who had risen to national prominence by loudly confronting the heavily armed organized crime groups who’ve unleashed violence throughout his region in power struggles over territory. The assassin, carrying a 9-mm Beretta handgun, began weaving through crowds in the plaza, which included families with children, gathered for the Festival of Candles,…

The Supreme Court on Wednesday seemed skeptical of President Donald Trump’s authority to impose sweeping tariffs in a series of executive orders earlier this year. During more than two-and-a-half hours of oral arguments, a majority of the justices appeared to agree with the small businesses and states challenging the tariffs that they exceeded the powers given to the president under a federal law providing him the authority to regulate commerce during national emergencies created by foreign threats.   The law at the center of the case is the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. Enacted in 1977, the president can invoke it “to…

U.S. Supreme Court Rarely do issues before the Supreme Court make it to commercials during the World Series. But in the first two games between the Dodgers and the Blue Jays, there were commercials from the Province of Ontario consisting of a 1987 radio address from President Ronald Reagan strongly denouncing tariffs. On Nov. 5, the legality of President Donald Trump’s tariffs will come before the Supreme Court in two consolidated cases. In both cases, the lower federal courts held that President Trump lacked the legal authority to impose massive tariffs. In Learning Resources Inc. v. Trump, the United States…

Following a trial that integrated local taxis into the Careem app, Hala is ready to hit the streets of FujairahIf you don’t drive a car or fancy hopping onboard the Dubai Metro, chances are Careem is one of your most-used apps here in Dubai. And if you find yourself missing the handy e-hailing service whilst exploring the Northern Emirates, we have good news: Hala, Careem’s joint venture with Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), has expanded into Fujairah.With Hala now in the Northern Emirates, getting around the city is a breeze. Just two hours from Dubai, this small coastal escape…

President Donald Trump and officials in his administration say National Guard troops are needed in “War ravaged” Portland, Oregon, to protect a local Immigration and Customs Enforcement office that he described as being under siege. But a ProPublica review found a wide gap between the reality on the ground and the characterizations by the president and the Department of Homeland Security, which said ICE facilities like Portland’s were under “coordinated assault by violent groups.” We reviewed federal prosecutions and local arrests, internal protest summaries by the Portland Police Bureau, sworn testimony from local and federal officials as well as more…

Watch: Filipino families assess damage after Typhoon KalmaegiPhilippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr has declared a state of calamity after Typhoon Kalmaegi, one of the strongest typhoons this year, caused severe flooding in central Philippines, leaving at least 114 dead. The storm has flooded entire towns on Cebu, the region’s most populous island, where 71 deaths were reported. Another 127 are missing and 82 injured, according to officials.Cebu provincial authorities reported a further 28 deaths which were not included in the tally released by the national civil defence office, according to AFP.Kalmaegi left the Philippines on Thursday morning and is moving…

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration said Wednesday that it was taking the extraordinary step of reducing air traffic by 10 per cent across 40 “high-volume” U.S. markets beginning Friday morning to maintain travel safety as air traffic controllers exhibit signs of strain during the ongoing government shutdown. The cutback stands to impact thousands of flights across the country because the FAA directs more than 44,000 flights daily, including commercial passenger flights, cargo planes and private aircraft. The head of the FAA didn’t immediately identify which airports will be affected but said the restrictions would remain in place as long as…

Security around the U.S. Supreme Court building is amped up a bit this morning, almost as if somebody really important was planning to attend.  President Donald Trump toyed with the idea of showing up in the courtroom for the arguments over the legality of his tariffs in Learning Resources, Inc. v. Trump. But he retreated from that on Sunday, both in a conversation on Air Force One and in a post on his Truth Social page. “I will not be going to the Court on Wednesday in that I do not want to distract from the importance of this Decision,” Trump wrote…