International
The deadliest hurricanes in recent US history
After almost a week of having made landfall in northwest Florida as a category 4 hurricane, Helene is currently responsible for more than 200 deaths and is already the second deadliest cyclone recorded in the continental United States in the last 50 years.
Ahead of him, and with a considerable advantage, Hurricane Katrina tops the list, which with 1,392 deaths attributed is among the five most lethal tropical cyclones in the history of the United States, according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC) of this country.
These are the deadliest hurricanes that have impacted the continental United States in the last 50 years:
- Katrina (2005).- The immense hurricane Katrina hit the US coast of the Gulf of Mexico in August 2005. It made landfall first at Keating Beach, Florida, like a category 1 cyclone, and then reached Louisiana and Mississippi with category 3. The highest number of deaths was reported in the city of New Orleans (Louisiana), which recorded catastrophic floods due to the storm surge.
According to NHC records, Katrina is surpassed by the hurricane known as Great Galveston, in Texas, from 1900 and which is estimated to have claimed at least 8,000 lives, as well as Lake Okeechobee, in Florida, from 1928 and responsible for about 2,500 deaths.
- Helene (2024).- She entered through northwest Florida, in the area known as Big Bend, on the night of September 26 with category 4 on the Saffir-Simpson scale (of a maximum of 5) and from there left a tra trile of at least 800 kilometers of devastation by six states in the southeast of the United States. In North Carolina, the death toll amounts to almost a hundred, especially in the area south of the Appalachian Mountains, but the authorities do not rule out that the number will increase in the coming days.
- Ian (2022).- The powerful Hurricane Ian entered the United States through the west coast of Florida and, like Helene, did it with category 4. It left 156 deaths mainly in Florida, in addition to North Carolina and Virginia. After destroying more than 19,000 homes and buildings in Lee County, where Fort Myers is settled, Ian landed again in South Carolina.
- The “superstorm” Sandy (2012).- It produced at least 147 direct deaths and a catastrophic storm surge on the coasts of New York and New Jersey, where it made landfall at the end of October as a gigantic posttropical cyclone.
- Harvey (2017).- It produced rains of historical records in Houston, Texas, a state whose central coast facing the Gulf of Mexico it made landfall on August 25, as a category 4 hurricane. The death toll reached 103 and caused destruction in that state and in Louisiana.
Other noteworthy hurricanes are Agnes (1972), which claimed 128 lives, especially in the states of Pennsylvania, New York, Virginia and Maryland, where significant floods were recorded after the cyclone made landfall in northwest Florida as a category 1 hurricane.
Similarly, Hurricane Audrey, which made landfall in Louisiana in June 1957 with category 3, and was responsible for more than 400 deaths after registering a storm surge of up to 3.5 meters (12 feet) in areas of that state and Texas.
And finally, Hurricane Maria, category 4, which devastated Puerto Rico in September 2017 and is considered the most destructive in the recent history of the Caribbean island, which was almost entirely without electricity. Although at first 67 deaths were attributed to him, a subsequent study by George Washington University commissioned by the Government of Puerto Rico, raised the number of fatalities to 2,975.
International
King Charles III Says U.S.-UK Alliance Is “Irreplaceable and Unbreakable”
King Charles III of the United Kingdom reaffirmed the strength of the British-American relationship on Tuesday during a speech before the United States Congress, describing the alliance between the two nations as “irreplaceable and unbreakable.”
The address, delivered at the Capitol, marked the first speech by a British monarch before Congress since Queen Elizabeth II in 1991 and comes at a time of political tensions between Donald Trump’s administration and the Labour government of Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
“As President Trump himself observed during his state visit to Britain last autumn, the bond of kinship and identity between the United States and the United Kingdom is invaluable and eternal. It is irreplaceable and unbreakable,” the king said.
While reflecting on the upcoming 250th anniversary of U.S. independence, which will be commemorated this year, Charles III stated that the partnership between the two countries “was born out of disagreement, but is no less strong because of it.”
The monarch emphasized the democratic values shared by both nations and noted that major global changes have occurred whenever the two allies found common ground.
“When we have found that way to agree, great changes have taken place not only for the benefit of our peoples, but for all peoples,” he said.
King Charles also quoted British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who recently described the relationship as “an indispensable alliance.”
Concluding his speech, the monarch described the shared history of the United States and the United Kingdom as “a story of reconciliation, renewal, and an extraordinary partnership.”
He added that Washington and London have forged “one of the most consequential alliances in human history.”
“I pray with all my heart that our alliance continues to defend our shared values, together with our partners in Europe, the Commonwealth, and around the world, and that we ignore calls urging us to become increasingly isolationist,” Charles III stated.
The king ended by urging both nations to “recommit to one another in selfless service to our peoples and to all peoples of the world.”
International
Trump Administration Considers Denying Green Cards Over Political Views
The administration of President Donald Trump is evaluating new immigration guidelines that could deny permanent residency to immigrants based on their political views, according to a report published by The New York Times.
The proposed measures, outlined in internal Department of Homeland Security documents, would instruct immigration officials to take applicants’ public expressions and ideological positions into account when reviewing green card applications.
According to the report, cases involving “possible anti-American and/or antisemitic conduct or ideologies” would need to be referred to higher authorities for additional review.
Even if applicants have not violated any laws, authorities could still reject residency requests if they determine that individuals have “endorsed, promoted, or supported anti-American views.”
Among the factors listed in the guidelines are participation in pro-Palestinian activities, actions considered antisemitic, and the burning of the U.S. flag.
The documents reportedly describe such actions as “heavily negative” factors in immigration evaluations, potentially blocking applicants from obtaining permanent residency and, eventually, U.S. citizenship.
The directives also place particular attention on demonstrations held on university campuses following the 2023 Hamas attacks against Israel.
However, flag burning has previously been recognized by the U.S. Supreme Court as a form of protected free speech under the Constitution.
The proposal has sparked criticism from immigrant advocacy organizations, including the New York Immigration Coalition.
Its president, Murad Awawdeh, warned that the policies could pose a threat to fundamental rights and freedoms.
International
Mexico Arrests CJNG Leader “El Jardinero” in Nayarit
Mexican authorities arrested Audias Flores, known as “El Jardinero,” on Monday during a naval operation in the western state of Nayarit, delivering another major blow to the Cártel Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG).
Flores was considered one of the top regional leaders within the cartel and had reportedly overseen criminal operations along Mexico’s Pacific coast. Security analysts viewed him as a potential successor to slain drug kingpin Nemesio Oseguera.
The arrest was carried out by Mexico’s Navy Special Forces in a planned operation, according to Security Minister Omar García Harfuch.
The United States Department of the Treasury had previously identified Flores as a “significant foreign narcotics trafficker,” while U.S. authorities offered a reward of up to $5 million for information leading to his capture and extradition.
A U.S. grand jury indicted Flores in 2021 on charges including conspiracy to distribute cocaine and heroin.
His capture comes months after the reported death of “El Mencho,” an operation that Mexican authorities considered a priority due to the cartel leader’s alleged involvement in a 2020 assassination attempt against García Harfuch.
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