International

Kamala Harris, the woman who could make history

Kamala Harris could make history as the first African-American woman and the first person of South Asian origin to reach the White House. He does so without hardly alluding to his gender or race and with the promise of opening a “new chapter” in the politics of the United States.

The career of Harris, 60 years old, has been marked by the first times: she was the first black district attorney and the first woman to serve as attorney general in California; the first Indian-American to reach the Senate and, when Joe Biden elected her, the first woman in the Vice Presidency.

However, he has preferred not to emphasize the historical nature of his possible arrival at the White House, in contrast to Hillary Clinton’s campaign in 2016.

In her biography, ‘The Truths We Hold’, she explains that she prefers to describe herself simply as “an American” and claims to feel comfortable with her identity as a mixed-race woman, despite Trump’s attacks, who has questioned whether she is African-American enough.

Harris is proud of her African-American and Indian heritage. Its name, which some Republicans pretend not to know how to pronounce to attack it, means “lotus flower”, a plant that emerges to the surface only when its roots are well anchored.

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Born on October 20, 1964 in Oakland (California), she is the eldest daughter of Shyamala Gopalan, a cancer researcher from India, and Donald Harris, a Jamaican economist, who divorced when she was seven years old.

His mother, who died in 2009, was a central figure in his life and the person he went to at a decisive moment for his future.

The path to politics

During her adolescence, her best friend from high school confessed to having been a victim of sexual abuse by her stepfather. Harris did not hesitate to call his mother so that his friend could move in with them.

That’s when she found her vocation and decided to dedicate herself to protecting victims of any crime, which pushed her to become a district attorney in San Francisco (2004-2011) and then a California attorney general (2011-2017).

In 2016 he won a seat in the Senate and quickly stood out for his incisive questions to members of the Trump Administration (2017-2021), as well as two judges nominated by him for the Supreme Court, including Brett Kavanaugh, accused of sexual abuse.

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In 2020 he launched to compete for the Democratic presidential nomination, but had difficulty defining his proposals. Biden ended up being the party’s candidate and elected her for the Vice Presidency.

Harris, married since 2014 to lawyer Douglas Emhoff, could barely shine in the White House. Biden commissioned him to tackle the “root causes” of migration in Central America, a cursed issue in US politics that has been unresolved for decades.

As part of that work, he traveled to Guatemala, where he starred in one of his most controversial moments by telling migrants who are trying to enter the United States: “Don’t come.”

Kamala Harris, to the election campaign

After a swee of criticism for the apparent lack of empathy, Harris withdrest from the public light. It came out again when the Supreme Court annulled the right to abortion at the federal level in June 2022, channeling the indignation of millions of women.

Thus, when Biden ended his electoral career in July of this year, Harris quickly built his candidacy around the concept of freedom: freedom for women to decide on their bodies and for every American to aspire to a better life.

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To the rhythm of Beyoncé’s song ‘Freedom’, she has traveled the country shouting “we are not going to back down” and proclaiming that the US must decide at the polls if it wants a country of “chaos” and “hate” like the one established by Trump or one of “freedom” and “hope.”

His promise has been to unite the nation after years of tension and for this he has resorted to patriotic symbols, filling his rallies with US flags and adding support from republican figures such as former congressman Liz Cheney, daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney (2001-2009).

Harris, who worked at a McDonald’s as a child, has positioned herself as the middle class candidate with the desire to reduce housing, food and drug prices.

It remains to be seen if the United States has heard its message and if that determination to change the course of the country convinces enough voters to make history.

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International

ICE to remain at airports amid DHS shutdown, Homan says

The U.S. “border czar,” Tom Homan, said Sunday that agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) will remain deployed at airports until operations return to “100% normal,” as the shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) continues.

“We will maintain ICE presence until airports feel they are fully back to normal operations,” Homan said during an interview on Face the Nation on CBS.

Homan justified the deployment on security grounds, noting that the measure was ordered by President Donald Trumpamid widespread absenteeism among agents of the Transportation Security Administration, who have gone without pay for over six weeks due to the DHS shutdown.

According to acting TSA administrator Ha Nguyen McNeill, at least 460 TSA agents have resigned during the shutdown, while daily absenteeism has averaged 11%, exceeding 50% at some airports.

Homan warned that if TSA staffing levels do not recover after the shutdown, ICE agents will continue filling the gap. “ICE is there to support our TSA brothers and sisters. We will remain as long as needed to ensure airport security,” he said.

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The DHS shutdown reached 44 days on Sunday, making it the longest government shutdown in U.S. history. The impasse stems from disagreements between Democrats and Republicans over ICE funding.

A recent bipartisan Senate proposal to fund DHS without including ICE failed after being blocked by House Republicans, who insist on full funding for the agency.

Amid the deadlock, Trump signed an executive order directing Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin to immediately pay TSA agents to address what he called an “emergency situation” and restore order at airports, with payments expected to begin Monday.

International

Oil prices surge again as Middle East tensions persist

Oil prices climbed again on Friday for a second consecutive session, as markets remained concerned about a prolonged conflict in the Middle East with no tangible diplomatic progress.

North Sea Brent crude for May delivery rose 4.22% to close at $112.57 per barrel.

Meanwhile, U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) approached the $100 mark, settling at $99.64, up 5.46%.

The decision by U.S. President Donald Trump to delay by ten days his ultimatum for the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz failed to reassure market participants.

“It means there will be ten additional days of disruptions in the Middle East for crude and refined product flows,” said Andy Lipow, of Lipow Oil Associates.

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“For prices to come down, a resolution to the conflict is necessary,” Lipow added. “And even in the event of a ceasefire, it is not certain that Iran would allow oil shipments to pass through the Strait of Hormuz.”

International

Young Spanish Woman Receives Euthanasia After Legal Battle, Sparking Debate

A 25-year-old Spanish woman, Noelia Castillo, received euthanasia on Thursday following a prolonged legal dispute with her father.

She passed away at a care center in Sant Pere de Ribes, about 40 kilometers from Barcelona, where she had been living for some time, according to Spanish media reports.

In an interview broadcast a day earlier on Antena 3, Castillo expressed her exhaustion after enduring prolonged suffering. She indicated that her decision was influenced by a combination of personal circumstances and health-related challenges, including family conflicts and a condition of paraplegia following a previous incident that left her with lasting physical consequences.

Spain legalized euthanasia in 2021, becoming one of the few countries that allow patients under strict conditions to seek medical assistance to end their lives in order to avoid what the law defines as unbearable suffering.

The case has reignited debate in Spain over the ethical, legal, and family dimensions surrounding euthanasia, as well as the broader issue of support for individuals in vulnerable situations.