International

Wittenberg University in Springfield takes extreme precautions after threats of shooting

After several schools and buildings in Springfield, Ohio, had to close last week due to bomb threats, and following Donald Trump’s amplification of false claims against Haitians during his debate with Kamala Harris, Wittenberg University has announced “extreme precautions” this weekend due to new threats.

In a message posted on its website, Wittenberg University reported that on Saturday, an email was received threatening a potential shooting on campus on Sunday, September 15. The message was “targeted at Haitian members” of the community.

The email claimed that another local campus received the same threat. These incidents are being investigated by the Wittenberg Police, Springfield Police, and the FBI.

In response to the threats, all students, faculty, and staff have been advised to “take extreme precautions and remain alert to their surroundings,” while all weekend activities and sporting events have been canceled.

“The university administrators acknowledge that the city of Springfield has experienced an increase in threats against local government, businesses, and schools over the past week,” the statement concluded.

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These threats come after several prominent Republicans, including former President Donald Trump and his running mate, Ohio Senator JD Vance, promoted racist and false claims that Haitian immigrants are killing and eating pets.

Despite a lack of evidence and local officials denying these claims and calling for the rumors to stop as they endanger the community, the rumors persist.

In a CNN interview on Sunday, Vance did not retract his statements, asserting that the claims are based on what his constituents are telling him “firsthand.” He also claimed to have evidence that “immigrants are capturing geese from the local park pond and eating them.”

Regarding the threats the city is facing as a result of being mentioned in the debate, Vance stated that what is putting Springfield residents at risk is not being able to afford housing and that hospitals are overwhelmed because “Kamala Harris allowed 20,000 Haitian immigrants to be brought to a small town in Ohio.”

Located in southwestern Ohio with around 60,000 residents, Springfield has seen the arrival of approximately 10,000 Haitians in recent years seeking work.

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In a media briefing this week, Trump stated that if elected president, his plan to carry out the “largest deportation (of immigrants) in the country’s history” would start in Springfield, Ohio, and head to Venezuela.

“This is what you can say: We will carry out mass deportations from Springfield. We will remove those people. We will send them back to Venezuela,” he declared in a press conference at his golf club in Palos Verdes, California.

He believes that “illegal Haitians” are destroying the way of life for the local residents.

International

Marco Rubio warns Venezuela against military action against Guyana

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned Venezuela on Thursday that a military attack on Guyana would be “a big mistake” and “a very bad day for them,” expressing his support for Georgetown in its territorial dispute with Caracas.

“It would be a very bad day for the Venezuelan regime if they attacked Guyana or ExxonMobil. It would be a very bad day, a very bad week for them, and it would not end well,” Rubio emphasized during a press conference in Georgetown alongside Guyanese President Irfaan Ali.

International

Ecuador oil spill worsens as containment dam collapses

The collapse of a containment dam holding back part of the 25,000+ barrels of oil spilled from a pipeline rupture nearly two weeks ago has worsened the environmental crisis in northwestern Ecuador, contaminating rivers and Pacific beaches.

The Ecuadorian government attributed the March 13 pipeline rupture—which led to the spill of 25,116 barrels of crude—to an act of sabotage. The spill affected three rivers and disrupted water supplies for several communities, according to authorities.

On Tuesday, due to heavy rains that have been falling since January, a containment dam on the Caple River collapsed. The Caple connects to other waterways in Esmeraldas Province, a coastal region bordering Colombia, state-owned Petroecuador said in a statement on Wednesday.

Seven containment barriers were installed in the Viche River, where crews worked to remove oil-contaminated debris. Additional absorbent materials were deployed in Caple, Viche, and Esmeraldas Rivers, which flow into the Pacific Ocean.

Authorities are also working to protect a wildlife refuge home to more than 250 species, including otters, howler monkeys, armadillos, frigatebirds, and pelicans.

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“This has been a total disaster,” said Ronald Ruiz, a leader in the Cube community, where the dam was located. He explained that the harsh winter rains caused river levels to rise, bringing debris that broke the containment barriersthat were holding the accumulated oil for extraction.

International

Federal court blocks Trump’s use of Enemy Alien Act for deportations

A federal appeals court upheld the block on former President Donald Trump’s use of the Enemy Alien Act on Wednesday, preventing him from using the law to expedite deportations of alleged members of the transnational criminal group Tren de Aragua.

With a 2-1 ruling, a panel from the Washington, D.C. Court of Appeals affirmed previous decisions by two lower court judges, maintaining the legal standoff between the White House and the judiciary.

On March 14, Trump invoked the 1798 Enemy Alien Act, a law traditionally used during wartime, to deport hundreds of Venezuelans whom he accused of belonging to Tren de Aragua, a criminal organization that originated in Venezuelan prisons.

The centuries-old law grants the president the power to detain, restrict, and expel foreign nationals from a country engaged in a “declared war” or an “invasion or predatory incursion” against the United States, following a public proclamation.