In the news today: Biden has become notably quiet during his last months in office; migrants are forming a new caravan in Mexico; and why people are protesting over a deadly roof collapse in Serbia. Also, an unknown work by Chopin is discovered in the New York library.
Correction: A story that Morning Wire linked to Friday about Australia’s plan to ban children from social media contained incorrect information. This story originally said the eSafety Commissioner proposed adopting the role of “authenticator” of people’s ages. The commissioner’s office says it never proposed such a role.
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President Joe Biden arrives at Galeao International Airport in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Nov. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
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Biden has become notably quiet after the 2024 election and Democrats’ loss
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At a delicate moment in the U.S. — and for the world — President Joe Biden’s silence may be leaving a vacuum. But his public reticence has also underscored a new reality: America and the rest of the world is already moving on. Read more. |
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Biden’s allies say the president is privately processing the election defeat. But his aides say his insistence on following electoral traditions, by ensuring an orderly transition and inviting Donald Trump to the White House, is especially important because Trump flouted them four years ago when he actively tried to overturn the results of the election he lost.
Notably this week, Biden left it to allies Emmanuel Macron of France and Justin Trudeau of Canada to offer public explanations of his critical decision to loosen restrictions on Ukraine’s use of longer-range American weapons in its war with Russia. Biden, for whom Ukraine has been a major focal point of his presidency, had long been concerned about escalation should the U.S. relax restrictions, and was cognizant of how Moscow might respond if he seemed to be thumping his chest at President Vladimir Putin.
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Edward Frantz, a historian at the University of Indianapolis, has said that while Biden’s silence is understandable, there’s good reason for Biden to be more active in shaping the narrative during his final months in office. “The last time a president left office so irrelevant or rejected by the populace was Jimmy Carter,” he said, referring to the last one-term Democrat in the White House. “History has allowed for the great rehabilitation of Carter, in part, because of all he did in his post-presidency. At 82, I’m not sure Biden has the luxury of time.”
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About 1,500 migrants form a new caravan in Mexico. Here’s what it means
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The migrants are mainly from Central and South America, and are hoping to walk or catch rides to the U.S. border. They started out walking from the city of Tapachula, near the border with Guatemala, where thousands of migrants are stranded because they do not have permission to cross further into Mexico. Read more.
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Since migrants usually cannot find work to support themselves in Tapachula, most of the foreigners trapped there are desperate to leave. Some migrants say they are hoping to reach the United States before Donald Trump’s inauguration in January, saying they think it might be more difficult after that.
Migrant caravans began forming in 2018, and they became a final, desperate hope for poorer migrants who do not have the money to pay smugglers. If migrants try to cross Mexico alone or in small groups, they are often either detained by authorities and sent back to southern Mexico, or worse, deported back to their home countries. In that sense, there is safety in numbers.
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There is no safety in numbers, however, against threats, extortion or abduction by drug cartels in Mexico. The cartels charge migrants or their smugglers for permission to cross their territories along the border. In addition, the gangs often kidnap migrants, hold them in terrible conditions or torture them until they call relatives to send money for their release. The biggest obstacle, though, is the searing heat, dehydration and distance.
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Why people are protesting over a deadly roof collapse in Serbia
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The deadly collapse of a concrete roof at a rail station in Serbia has raised tensions across the Balkan county, fueling widespread anger toward the government and protests after the failure claimed 15 lives in the northern city of Novi Sad. Read more. |
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The station, a major hub, was recently renovated as part of a Serbian-Chinese partnership. Critics allege that corruption, poor oversight and inadequate construction work contributed to the Nov. 1 tragedy. The collapse became a flashpoint for broader dissatisfaction with Serbia’s authoritarian rule, reflecting growing public demands for transparency while the country undertakes large infrastructure projects, mostly with Chinese state companies.
By building roads, railways and other infrastructure, Serbia seeks to enhance its transportation links with neighboring states, while China seeks to strengthen its economic footprint in Europe. Chinese state banks frequently provide loans to fund those projects. The loans may come with strings attached, such as the mandatory involvement of Chinese companies and their workers.
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In the first days after the tragedy, Serbians protested mostly in silence, holding vigils for the victims. But as time passed, grief gave way to anger. Most recently, protesters blocked a courthouse in Novi Sad, demanding that judicial authorities “do their jobs.” Riot police pushed them away, which led to scuffles and a two-day standoff this week. Chants such as “corruption kills” also marked the protests that demanded the dissolution of the entire government over the tragedy.
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