Author: Selleco

Firefighters began to get the upper hand on a destructive wildfire in a Southern California farming region Saturday, taking advantage of lighter winds as authorities let some evacuated residents return home.  The Maria Fire erupted Thursday near Santa Paula, about 70 miles (110 km) northwest of downtown Los Angeles, and it has since charred 9,400 acres (3,800 hectares) of dry brush and chaparral, officials said.  Firefighters have scrambled to protect tens of millions of dollars’ worth of citrus and avocado crops in harm’s way, as well as oil industry infrastructure.  The blaze, which was 20% contained Saturday, is the most pressing emergency facing California firefighters, with several other blazes in the state largely contained.  More than 10,000 people were under evacuation orders at the height of the blaze.  Evacuation orders lifted But authorities allowed people in two residential areas to return home Saturday and they had plans to further lift evacuation orders, said Ventura County Fire Captain Brian McGrath.  “We’re taking advantage of the good weather we have right now,” McGrath said by phone.  The fire has destroyed three structures but has not caused any injuries, he said.  Southern California Edison has told state authorities that 13 minutes before the fire started, it began to re-energize a circuit near where flames first erupted, said a spokesman for the utility, Ron Gales.  Southern California Edison had shut off power in the area because of concerns that an electrical mishap could spark a wildfire. The utility and fire officials have said the cause of the blaze is still under investigation.  Dry winds, but they’re weak On Friday evening, moist breezes from the Pacific Ocean aided …

The song “Baby Shark” blared over loudspeakers and a wave of red washed across this politically blue capital Saturday as Nationals fans rejoiced at a parade marking Washington’s first World Series victory since 1924.  “They say good things come to those who wait. Ninety-five years is a pretty long wait,” Nationals owner Ted Lerner told the cheering crowd. “But I’ll tell you, this is worth the wait.”  As buses carrying the players and team officials wended their way along the parade route, pitcher Max Scherzer at one point hoisted the World Series trophy to the cheers of the crowd.  At a rally just blocks from the Capitol, Scherzer said that early in the season his teammates battled hard to “stay in the fight.” And then, after backup outfielder Gerardo Parra joined the team, he said, they started dancing and having fun. And they started hitting. “Never in this town have you seen a team compete with so much heart and so much fight,” he said.  And then the Nats danced.  With the Capitol in the background, the Washington Nationals celebrate the team’s World Series baseball championship over the Houston Astros, with their fans in Washington, Nov. 2, 2019. ‘I trusted these guys’ Team officials, Nationals manager Dave Martinez and several players thanked the fans for their support through the best of times and staying with them even after a dismal 19-31 start to the season. “I created the circle of trust and I trusted these guys,” Martinez said.  The camaraderie among the …

Thousands of Lebanese flocked together Saturday in Tripoli to keep a protest movement alive in a city dubbed “the bride of the revolution.”  Despite its reputation for conservatism, impoverished Tripoli has emerged as a festive nerve center of anti-graft demonstrations across Lebanon since Oct. 17.    The movement has lost momentum in Beirut since the government resigned this week, but in the Sunni-majority city of Tripoli late Saturday, it was still going strong.    In the main square, protesters waved Lebanese flags and held aloft mobile phones as lights, before bellowing out the national anthem in unison, an AFP reporter said.  ‘Everyone’ urged to go “Everyone means everyone,” one poster read, reiterating a common slogan calling for all political leaders from across the sectarian spectrum to step down.    Many people had journeyed from other parts of the country to join in.    Ragheed Chehayeb, 38, said he had driven in from the central town of Aley.    “I came to Tripoli to stand by their side because they’re the only ones continuing the revolution,” he said.    Leila Fadl, 50, said she had traveled from the Shiite town of Nabatiyeh south of Beirut to show her support.    “We feel the demands are the same, the suffering is the same,” she said.    More than half of Tripoli residents live at or below the poverty line, and 26 percent suffer from extreme poverty, a U.N. study found in 2015.  Future uncertain   On Tuesday, embattled Prime Minister Saad Hariri announced his cabinet would step down.  …

Newly released documents show a Trump campaign official told the FBI that during the 2016 presidential race, the campaign’s chairman, Paul Manafort, pushed the idea that Ukraine, not Russia, was behind the hack of the Democratic National Committee’s servers.    That unsubstantiated theory was advanced by President Donald Trump even after he took office, and it would later help trigger the impeachment inquiry now consuming the White House.    Notes from an FBI interview were released Saturday after a lawsuit by BuzzFeed News that led to public access to hundreds of pages of documents from special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation.    Information related to Ukraine has taken on renewed interest after calls for impeachment based on efforts by Trump and his administration to pressure Ukraine to investigate Democrat Joe Biden. Trump, when speaking with Ukraine’s new president in July, asked about the server in the same phone call in which he pushed for an investigation into Biden.    Manafort speculated about Ukraine’s responsibility as the campaign sought to capitalize on DNC email disclosures and as associates discussed how they could get hold of the material themselves, deputy campaign chairman Rick Gates told investigators, according to the notes.    Gates said Manafort’s assertion that Ukraine might have done it echoed the position of Konstantin Kilimnik, a Manafort business associate who had also speculated that the hack could have been carried out by Russian operatives in Ukraine. U.S. authorities have assessed that Kilimnik, who was also charged in Mueller’s investigation, has ties …

A federal judge in Portland, Oregon, on Saturday put on hold a Trump administration rule requiring immigrants to prove they will have health insurance or can pay for medical care before they can get visas.    U.S. District Judge Michael Simon granted a preliminary injunction that prevents the rule from going into effect Sunday. It’s not clear when he will rule on the merits of the case.    Seven U.S. citizens and a nonprofit organization filed the federal lawsuit Wednesday, contending the rule would block nearly two-thirds of all prospective legal immigrants.    The lawsuit also said the rule would greatly reduce or eliminate the number of immigrants who enter the United States with family-sponsored visas.    “We’re very grateful that the court recognized the need to block the health care ban immediately,” says Justice Action Center senior litigator Esther Sung, who argued at Saturday’s hearing on behalf of the plaintiffs. “The ban would separate families and cut two-thirds of green-card-based immigration starting tonight, were the ban not stopped.”  Who would be affected   The proclamation signed by President Donald Trump in early October applies to people seeking immigrant visas from abroad, not those in the U.S. already. It does not affect lawful permanent residents. It does not apply to asylum-seekers, refugees or children.    The proclamation says immigrants will be barred from entering the country unless they are to be covered by health insurance within 30 days of entering or have enough financial resources to pay for any medical …

Frank-Walter Steinmeier, federal president of Germany, was in Boston at the end of October to conclude a yearlong diplomatic initiative Germany launched to strengthen ties with the United States. In remarks delivered at the re-opening of Goethe-Institut Boston on October 31, Steinmeier stressed the longstanding bond between the two countries and urged the two sides to focus less on “what separates us” and more on “what unites us.” The Goethe-Institut, named after Germany’s most famous poet (and one-time diplomat) Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, is a German government-supported cultural institution active worldwide. It has offices and a presence in 10 cities in the United States. “I have come here as Federal President to raise our sights away from the day-to-day emphasis on tweets and tirades and beyond the indignation that is often both predictable and ineffective,” Steinmeier said, in what seemed to be references to U.S. President Donald Trump’s usage of Twitter to communicate his thoughts and feelings. “I want to expand our horizons so that we can look back on our shared history and at things that will hopefully connect us in the future, things for which we need one another,” Steinmeier continued. FILE – U.S. President John F. Kennedy, left, waves to a crowd of more than 300,000 gathered to hear him declare “Ich bin ein Berliner,” “I am a Berliner,” in front of Schoeneberg City Hall, West Berlin, June 26, 1963. Germany’s troubled history The German federal president emphasized in his speech that “the great question of our …

A controversial fraud case against Russia’s leading theater and movie director, Kirill Serebrennikov, was relaunched Friday by prosecutors in Moscow after a string of small legal wins this year upset their case. The 50-year-old Serebrennikov and three co-defendants are accused of embezzling up to $2 million in public money from a theater project, an accusation they deny and describe as absurd. The director, who last month received a major arts award from the French government, has been involved in anti-government protests, has warned about the growing influence of the Orthodox Church on Russian society and politics, and he protested arts censorship in Russia. He denies any wrongdoing, and his supporters, including actors Cate Blanchett and Nina Hoss, say the charges are politically motivated and fit a pattern of authorities retaliating against dissenting artists. The relaunch of the prosecution came as another Moscow court Friday approved the Justice Ministry’s branding of opposition politician Alexei Navalny’s Anti-Corruption Foundation as “a foreign agent.” Observers see this as a prelude to a possible closing of Navalny’s foundation, which has embarrassed Kremlin figures with investigative reports highlighting their extraordinary wealth and extensive property ownership. FILE – Opposition leader Alexei Navalny, standing, is seen at the office of his Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK) in Moscow, March 18, 2018. Another legal victory As the preliminary hearing unfolded, attorneys for Serebrennikov and his fellow defendants scored another small legal win Friday when the judge, Olesya Mendeleeva, declined a request by prosecutors for a travel ban on all the defendants. …

Citing a rise in ethnic and racial violence in many parts of the world, the State Department is mobilizing U.S. partners to combat white supremacist and other extremist groups. Nathan Sales, the State Department’s counterterrorism coordinator, said Friday the “world saw a rise in racially or ethnically motivated terrorism” in 2018, calling the development a “disturbing trend.” “Our role is mobilizing international partners to confront the international dimensions of this threat,” Sales said at the launch of the State Department’s 2018 Country Report on Terrorism. FILE – Hezbollah security forces stand guard as their leader Sheik Hassan Nasrallah speaks via a video link on a screen in a southern suburb of Beirut, Lebanon, Sept. 10, 2019. Sponsors of terrorism The report called Iran “the world’s worst sponsor of terrorism,” saying the Iranian regime, through its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, spends nearly $1 billion a year to support terrorist groups such as the Lebanese Hezbollah. “Many European countries also saw a rise in racially, ethnically, ideologically or politically motivated terrorist activity and plotting, including against religious and other minorities,” the report said. For example, the report noted an estimated 2,000 “Islamist extremists” and 1,000 “white supremacist and leftist violent extremists” in Sweden. A 2018 assessment by the Swedish Security Services called the extremists’ presence a “new normal.” Cross-border links Echoing recent assessments by the FBI and other security officials, Sales said that white supremacists and other extremists increasingly communicate with like-minded cohorts across international borders. “We know that they are, in …

Nationals of six countries who live in the United States under a special humanitarian status will be permitted to stay longer, the U.S. government announced Friday, delaying the Trump administration’s target dates for terminating the program for certain groups. Officials pushed back the end date of Temporary Protected Status for El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, Nepal, Nicaragua and Sudan, in order to comply with court orders stemming from ongoing lawsuits, the government said in a document released Friday. U.S. Temporary Protected Status for Six Countries The lawsuits were brought by civil rights and immigrant rights groups challenging the termination of TPS for nationals of the six countries, which was originally scheduled for early next year. TPS recipients from those nations will have their status automatically extended to January 4, 2021, but with a caveat. While recipients may continue to live and work legally in the U.S. for an extended period, the document released Friday states that, should a judge rule in favor of the government sooner, TPS holders from the named countries will have 120 days from that point to adjust their immigration status or leave the country. The announcement follows Monday’s news, tweeted by El Salvador President Nayib Bukele, that a deal had been struck with Washington to extend protected status for about 250,000 Salvadorans residing in the U.S., the largest of the TPS groups. Salvadoran recipients may get an extension for an additional year, pushing the end date to 2022, according to the document and statements by Bukele. Friday’s …

Thousands of people turned out Friday in the center of the Algerian capital, Algiers, as well as other towns and cities, for the 37th consecutive weekly protest against the government, according to Arab media reports. Many protesters called for the postponement of presidential elections, set to take place December 12. The crowds appeared to be larger than usual, probably because Friday marked the 65th anniversary of the breakout of the Algerian revolution against then-colonial power France. Arab news channels showed live video of thousands of demonstrators waving Algerian flags and chanting in front of Algiers’ iconic main post office building, as dozens of government security forces ringed off the area. It was the largest anti-government demonstration in weeks, and some observers estimated that more 1 million people may have turned out nationwide.  Algerian demonstrators take to the streets in the capital Algiers to protest against the government, in Algeria, Nov. 1, 2019. Police struggled Friday to contain thousands of Algerian demonstrators protesting next month’s presidential election. The protesters are upset with plans for the vote to replace longtime leader Abdelaziz Bouteflika, who quit in April in the face of mass demonstrations against the country’s leadership. They have called for an overhaul of the political system that has been in place for decades. Amid the anti-government protests were official celebrations of the war that led to Algeria’s independence from France. An Algerian military band played taps to honor the many victims of the Algerian revolution against France, which officially broke out …

A senior Russian diplomat says Moscow and Washington are running out of time to extend the last remaining nuclear arms control treaty. Vladimir Leontyev, deputy head of the Russian Foreign Ministry’s arms control department, said Friday that “it’s clear that we won’t be able to produce a full-fledged replacement” to the New START treaty that expires in 2021. He said that Russia-U.S. talks over the past year have shown that “there are issues that require very serious examination on expert level.” Leontyev said Russia’s prospective Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile and Avangard hypersonic glide vehicle fall under the pact, but other new weapons announced by President Vladimir Putin don’t, including the Poseidon nuclear-armed underwater drone, the Burevestnik nuclear-powered cruise missile and the Kinzhal hypersonic missile.   He said the U.S. sees things differently, raising the need for new, complex talks. …

China will “improve” the way Hong Kong’s leader and other officials are appointed and replaced, a Chinese official said Friday. Shen Chunyao, the director of the Hong Kong, Macau and Basic Law Commission, also told reporters Communist Party officials decided this week that the Hong Kong legal system will be improved to “safeguard national security.” “We absolutely will not permit any behavior encouraging separatism or endangering national security and will resolutely guard against and contain the interference of foreign powers in the affairs of Hong Kong and Macao and their carrying out acts of separatism, subversion, infiltration and sabotage,” Shen said. Shen’s statement comes after five months of anti-government protests over China’s meddling with the freedoms guaranteed to the city when it returned from British to Chinese rule in 1997. The demonstrations started after a proposed extradition bill that could have led to Hong Kong citizens facing torture and unfair trials in mainland Chinese courts.   The extradition legislation was eventually withdrawn but authorities have rejected calls for Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam to resign and for an independent inquiry into the handling of the protests by the police. Since then, protesters have broadened their demands to include greater democracy.   …

Police struggled Friday to contain thousands of Algerian demonstrators surging through the streets of the capital to protest plans for next month’s presidential election and celebrate the 65th anniversary of the start of Algeria’s war for independence from France. Waving Algerian and banned Berber flags, demonstrators urged each other to remain peaceful as police tried to push them off sidewalks or clear them out of a central square. It was the 37th such gathering since their pro-democracy movement began in February and changed Algeria’s political landscape . Thousands of people came from other towns to join the protest in Algiers, some demonstrating peacefully in the streets overnight. In their homes, many residents banged on pots and pans to show support. The visitors then rested with friends or family, or in their cars, and reconvened Friday morning to march through the capital. The protesters’ anger focuses on the Dec. 12 presidential election, to replace longtime leader Abdelaziz Bouteflika after he was pushed out in April. The pro-democracy protesters fear the vote will be manipulated by the country’s long-despised power structure.   They want an eventual election and brand-new leadership, but don’t want a vote organized by existing authorities, seen as corrupt and out of touch. “Dump the generals in the garbage!” shouted some demonstrators, referring notably to powerful army chief Gen. Ahmed Gaid Salah. Gaid Salah helped push out the previous president, but demonstrators increasingly see him as part of the system they want to change.   The war anniversary drew …

Iraq’s Shiite religious establishment on Friday condemned attacks on peaceful protesters after a month of massive anti-government demonstrations in which security forces have killed at least 250 people. Thousands of protesters continued to clash with security forces on two bridges leading from Baghdad’s Tahrir Square to the heavily fortified Green Zone where the government is headquartered. At least 50 people were injured by tear gas and rubber bullets, according to security and medical officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to reporters. Ahmed al-Safi, delivering a Friday sermon on behalf of the country’s top clerics, said that they condemn “attacks on peaceful protesters and all forms of unjustified violence,” and that those responsible should be held accountable.   He also said authorities should not allow “any person or group or biased entity, or any regional or international party” to impose its view on the Iraqi people. The sermon was delivered in the Shiite holy city of Karbala, where masked men suspected of being linked to the security forces opened fire on protesters earlier this week, killing at least 18. The protests are fueled by anger at widespread corruption, high unemployment and poor public services. The protesters have called for the resignation of the government and sweeping changes to the political system established after the 2003 U.S.-led invasion. Iraq has held regular elections since then, but they have been dominated by sectarian political parties, many of which are close to Iran. The protests have …

Haitian National Police fired on protesters who attempted to keep them from removing a makeshift roadblock made of large tree branches and metal fences blocking two entrances leading into the National Palace.   “Keep your distance,” a masked officer from the national palace guard unit shouted at a group of protesters, gun in hand. “Stay back!” But the protesters refused to back down. The shooting began after they pelted the officers with rocks as they began dismantling the barricade. It is unclear if anyone was wounded or killed.   #Haiti police @pnh_officiel did fire on protesters near the National Palace after they pelted them with rocks for dismantling their barricades. Here’s the video. Reporters had to lay down on the ground, protesters shouted Jovenel must go! 📹Matiado Vilme pic.twitter.com/bPj7sao5Dl — Sandra Lemaire (@SandraDVOA) October 31, 2019  Non-stop protests Haiti has seen daily protests for weeks, with most sectors of society — including some members of the national police force — hitting the streets nationwide to demand President Jovenel Moise’s resignation. As a result, businesses have shuttered, schools remain closed and basic necessities are running out.   The mobilization was originally sparked by a fuel price hike last summer. But a corruption report implicating the president’s businesses, high inflation, double-digit unemployment and the president’s seeming inability to put order to chaos has stoked anger.   On Wednesday, the country’s medical sector added its voice to the call for his resignation.   Today it’s #Haiti’s health sector that is protesting in the …

A former top White House official who raised concerns about President Donald Trump’s efforts to push Ukraine to investigate his political rivals testified behind closed doors Thursday in the House impeachment investigation. Tim Morrison, the first White House political appointee to testify, was the National Security Council’s top adviser for Russian and European affairs until he stepped down Wednesday. A senior administration official said Morrison had “decided to pursue other opportunities.” The official, who was not authorized to discuss Morrison’s job and spoke only on the condition of anonymity, said Morrison had been considering leaving the administration for “some time.”  Morrison did not respond to reporters’ questions as he arrived on Capitol Hill. He was expected to be asked by investigators to explain the “sinking feeling” that he reportedly got when Trump demanded that Ukraine’s president investigate former Vice President Joe Biden and interfere in the 2016 election. FILE – Former national security adviser John Bolton speaks at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, Sept. 30, 2019. Morrison, a national security hawk brought on board by then-national security adviser John Bolton, has been featured prominently in previous testimony from diplomat William Taylor. It was Morrison who first alerted Taylor to concerns about Trump’s phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. In fact, Morrison’s name appeared more than a dozen times in testimony by Taylor, who told impeachment investigators that Trump was withholding military aid unless Zelenskiy went public with a promise to investigate Trump’s political rival Biden and Biden’s son Hunter. Taylor’s testimony contradicted Trump’s repeated denials that …

Nigeria accounts for the highest cancer mortality rate in Africa according to the World Health Organization. Low awareness, late detection and high cost of treatment are major factors contributing to increasing cancer mortality in the west African nation. But in October, also world cancer awareness month, several non-profits in Nigeria are taking information about the disease to the streets and sponsoring underprivileged patients for treatments. Timothy Obiezu reports from Abuja. …

Chief U.S. peace negotiator Zalmay Khalilzad is back in Afghanistan and held fresh meetings with Afghan leaders on the fate of two Western hostages held by the Taliban and efforts aimed at restarting stalled peace talks with the insurgent group, sources said. Insurgent sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, have also confirmed to VOA that “(a) prisoners’ (swap) deal is underway” with Khalilzad’s team and “is in the final stages.”  But when approached for comment, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid told VOA, “So far I have no information about this issue.” An Afghan government source confirmed to VOA Thursday the American envoy met with President Ashraf Ghani after arriving in Kabul the previous day from Pakistan. The discussions between the two, said the source, focused on American Kevin King and Australian Timothy Weeks, the two hostages being held by the Taliban for more than three years. FILE – A photo combination if images taken from video released June 21, 2017, by Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid, shows kidnapped Australian Timothy Weeks, top, and American Kevin King. U.S. officials have not confirmed or released any details of the Khalilzad-Ghani meeting, but U.S. sources have said, “Getting hostages back is always at the forefront of our policy” of seeking Afghan peace and reconciliation. King and Weeks were teaching at the American University of Afghanistan in Kabul before they were kidnapped at gunpoint near the campus in August 2016. Khalilzad also met with Ghani on Sunday in the Afghan capital prior to the brief stop …

The U.S. House of Representatives voted Thursday to open a formal impeachment inquiry against President Donald Trump. Here are some of the comments from lawmakers who supported and opposed the investigation. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who called for the inquiry to be approved: “The times have found each and every one of us in this room. This is not any cause for any glee or comfort. What is at stake in all of this is nothing less than our democracy.” Republican Congressman Jim Jordan, a Trump supporter: “Trying to put a ribbon on this sham process doesn’t make it any less of a sham. We are less than 13 months before the next election. Americans understand that this is unfair. … They instinctively know this is [an] unfair and partisan process.” Republican Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, who opposed the investigation: “This is the moment that history will write. … What do you believe the definition of due process is? What do you think the First Amendment is [guaranteeing free speech]? This House is so much better than what is transforming today. … We believe and know we can do better. I guess it’s only fitting we take this vote on Halloween.” Congressman Eliot Engel, chairman of the House Foreign Relations Committee, supporting the Trump investigation: “The facts are clear: The White House launched a shadow foreign policy that circumvented and undermined our normal diplomatic channels. A distinguished career ambassador was publicly smeared and pushed aside. Critical military aid for Ukraine …

The New York Public Library just opened an exhibition dedicated to J.D. Salinger, the author of the classic coming-of-age novel Catcher in the Rye. For the first time, the reclusive writer’s fans will be able to see his rare letters, manuscripts, photos and other personal items. The glimpse into the writer’s creative process is attracting thousands. Anna Nelson visited the exhibit, and Anna Rice has her story. …

The U.N. General Assembly designated Oct. 31 as World Cities Day.  This year’s theme focuses on innovations and better life for future generations.  Part of that involves ranking cities on their livability.  VOA’s Arash Arabasadi looks at why Karachi, Pakistan,  ranks near the bottom. …

A rocket struck near the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad’s Green Zone on Wednesday, killing at least one Iraqi guard. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for firing into the heavily fortified area of the Iraqi capital, home to government buildings and Western embassies. The rocket fire came as tens of thousands of people massed in central Baghdad for another night of anti-government protests that began a week ago. Students take part in an anti-government protest in Basra, Iraq, Oct. 30, 2019. Officials said at least two people were killed and more than 100 wounded earlier Wednesday. Doctors said most of those hurt were hit in the head by tear gas canisters fired by security police. The Iraqi Human Rights Commission said more than 100 people have been killed and thousands have been wounded in cities across the country in the latest round of demonstrations demanding the government resign. Nearly 150 died in marches earlier this month. Students and other protesters are angry at alleged corruption, a slow economy and poor government services despite Iraq’s oil wealth. A move in parliament to approve a bill to cancel privileges and bonuses for senior politicians, including the president, prime minister and Cabinet ministers, has done little to calm the marchers. The United States, the United Nations and Amnesty International have called for restraint by both sides. …

School districts and parents revived litigation Wednesday that accuses the state of failing to provide a sound education to vulnerable children from minority communities, non-English speaking households, impoverished families and students with disabilities. Two groups of plaintiffs filed motions in state district court to ensure compliance with a district judge’s ruling that found lawmakers and state education officials were failing their constitutional obligations to ensure an adequate education. Since that ruling, the Democrat-led Legislature and first-year Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham have authorized a nearly half-billion dollar increase in annual spending on public education. They raised teacher salaries, channeled money toward at-risk students and extended academic calendars. Gail Evans, a lead attorney at the New Mexico Center on Law and Poverty that represents parents of public-school children and school districts from suburban Rio Rancho to the rural town of Cuba, said much of the new state spending has been soaked up by mandated teacher salary increases, while administrative requirements hobbled efforts to extend the school year at many schools. The center says the state did not come up with a transformative education plan to truly help vulnerable student groups — and that a court-ordered plan is needed. “We’re concerned about these ongoing half-measures,” she said. “They are clearly not in compliance with their constitutional obligation.” In a statement, Public Education Secretary Ryan Stewart said the state is rolling out major investments aimed at “closing the opportunity gap between at-risk students and their peers,” describing extended learning programs that extend the school …

A lawsuit Wednesday accused the Trump administration of preventing Americans from bringing their foreign spouses and parents to live with them in the United States by requiring those immigrants to prove they can afford health care before they get visas. Seven U.S. citizens and a nonprofit organization filed the federal lawsuit in Portland, Oregon, over the rule that’s set to take effect Sunday. It applies to people seeking immigrant visas from abroad, not those already in the country, and doesn’t affect asylum-seekers, refugees or children.    “Congress makes laws, the president executes them. This is an egregious attempt to supersede and overturn congressional will, not only in the immigration realm but in the health care realm,” said Jesse Bless, director of federal litigation at the American Immigration Lawyers Association, who helped file the case.    The Justice Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.    The rule is the Trump administration’s latest effort to limit immigrant access to public programs while trying to move the country away from a family-based immigration system and into a merit-based system.  Regulatory changes   Earlier this year, the administration made sweeping changes to regulations that would deny green cards to immigrants who use some forms of public assistance, but the courts have blocked that measure.    Under the government’s visa rule, the required insurance can be bought individually or provided by an employer and it can be short-term coverage or catastrophic.     Medicaid doesn’t count, and an immigrant can’t get a …