LA’s Wildfires Threaten Almost 40 Prisons and Jails. Here’s How They’re Responding
As of Thursday afternoon, more than 180,000 Los Angeles residents have been ordered to evacuate as deadly fires ravage the city. Hurricane-force winds reaching up to 100 miles per hour whipped the blazes into a frenzy. According to an analysis by The Appeal, dozens of jails, prisons, and juvenile detention facilities across Los Angeles may be at risk. At least one facility is in an evacuation warning zone—Barry J. Nidorf Juvenile Hall, a San Fernando Valley detention center holding 96 children. The building complex sits slightly more than a mile from the Hurst Fire.
The Laken Riley Act Would Give States Sweeping Power Over Immigration Policy
Who runs the U.S. immigration system? If the Senate passes the Laken Riley Act this week, the answer might not be Congress or the president. The bill, already passed in the House, would hand state attorneys general, like Ken Paxton in Texas, veto power over large swaths of federal immigration policy. Under a provision of the bill which has gotten little attention, federal courts in places like Texas and Louisiana could hear lawsuits seeking to impose sweeping bans on all visas from countries such as India and China. State officials could also seek court orders forcing the government to deport a specific individual without the signoff of an ICE officer.
Sudanese Paramilitary Group Committed Genocide, U.S. Says
The United States accused a Sudanese paramilitary group and its proxies of committing genocide, singling them out in a conflict of unchecked brutality and drawing fresh attention to the scale of atrocities being perpetrated in Africa’s largest war. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken said the Rapid Support Forces, the paramilitary group fighting against Sudan’s military had committed acts of genocide, including a fearsome wave of ethnically targeted violence in the western region of Darfur.
Venezuela tumbles deeper into dictatorship with Nicolás Maduro set to extend 12-year rule
Venezuela’s tumble into authoritarianism is poised to enter an even harsher new phase this week with Nicolás Maduro set to extend his 12-year rule despite widespread suspicions that he stole last year’s presidential election. The man widely believed to have won that vote – retired diplomat Edmundo González – fled abroad to escape a draconian post-election crackdown but has vowed to return home to challenge Maduro’s planned inauguration on Friday.