New Caledonia Riots, Asylum Changes, and scary babies.

Adam Rogers
May 17, 2024

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Big Stories

At least four people have died in New Caledonia (NC) in riots over voting reform.

Clashes erupted in NC — a French territory in the Pacific — after a new law allowing French residents to vote in provincial elections was passed. Three Kanak people and a police officer were killed in the violence.
Some see the new law as diluting the voting power of Kanak, the indigenous population. Pro-independence movements have existed for decades, and the Kanak people have long felt marginalized.
Adding fuel to the fire are significant economic disparities between the Kanak population and the French residents. NC boasts valuable nickel resources, yet one in five residents lives below the poverty line.
The French government has offered dialogue with both pro- and anti-independence groups, hoping to de-escalate the situation. They've also hinted at a potential suspension of the new voting law.

The Supreme Court ruled 7-2 to uphold the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's (CFPB) funding mechanism.

The case to knock down the CFPB’s funding was originally brought in 2023 by payday lenders hoping to overturn a rule that restricts them from repeatedly attempting to withdraw repayments from a customer's account if the first two tries fail due to insufficient funds.
The CFPB was formed after the 2008 financial crisis and fights predatory lending by banks and other financial firms. It does this by regulating key areas like mortgages and car loans.
The Supreme Court's decision ensures the CFPB can continue protecting consumers from financial exploitation and holding lenders accountable. The CFPB has played a role in returning nearly $9 billion to consumers who have been wronged by financial institutions.
Currently, it is one of the driving forces behind efforts to save Americans billions on credit card fees and “junk” charges.

The Biden administration is starting a fast-tracked asylum process for people who recently crossed the U.S.-Mexico border.

Homeland Security (DHS) and the Justice Department (DOJ) are creating a special process for asylum seekers that will speed up decisions to 180 days. The current process can take much longer. It could allow officials to more quickly reject and deport some people who can’t prove sufficient fear of persecution in their home country.
The new approach will primarily focus on single adults heading toward designated major cities such as Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, New York, or Los Angeles. It isn’t clear how many asylum seekers will be immediately impacted.
The new asylum process is one of several actions by the administration to address concerns about immigration, which also includes speeding up the rejection of migrants considered public safety or national security risks.
For months border crossings and numbers have declined. There were 129,000 illegal border crossings last month — down from a record 220,000 in December.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott pardoned Army Sergeant Daniel Perry who was convicted of killing a Black Lives Matter protester in 2020. Perry was found guilty of murder for shooting Garrett Foster during an Austin protest. Abbott requested a quick review from the parole board, which recommended pardoning Perry due to Texas's strong self-defense laws. (More)

Starting this Christmas (December 25th, 2024), Netflix will be streaming the two major NFL games of the day. Netflix will also show at least one Christmas Day NFL game for the next two years (2025 and 2026). (More)

The U.S. military finished constructing a temporary floating pier that will enable aid to be delivered to Gaza. Hundreds of tons of aid supplies have arrived in Cyprus for screening before being shipped to the pier for delivery. (More)

Francis Ford Coppola's science fiction film "Megalopolis" premiered at the Cannes Film Festival and received a 10-minute standing ovation. Coppola’s last film in the competition at Cannes was Apocalypse Now - 45 years ago. He won the Palme d’Or for it. (More)

The Hubble Space Telescope is nearing the end of its lifespan as it slowly falls towards Earth. A private astronaut has offered to fund a mission to service Hubble and extend its life, but NASA is cautious about the risks. Experts worry that a mishap during the mission could damage the telescope or endanger the astronauts. (More)

Why do babies in medieval paintings look terrifying?

…and cicadas under a microscope are also terrifying.

Americans believe real estate is the best long-term investment.

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