International

Trump leads in all key states and Harris’ options fade

The Republican candidate for the White House, Donald Trump, won in North Carolina and Georgia and, although the count continues, leads the recount in the other five key states, a situation that greatly complicates the options of Democrat Kamala Harris, who even decided to suspend the speech she was going to offer during the election night.

Shortly after midnight and after the defeat in these two important states became known, the US vice president and Democratic candidate for the White House canceled the message she was scheduled to offer from Howard University, in Washington.

In Florida, members of the Trump campaign and supporters gathered at the West Palm Beach convention center wait for the Republican to appear to sing victory tonight.

“I have won,” the former president said to his followers when he arrived at that party, although there were still no definitive results.

After winning in North Carolina and Georgia, it would only need to win in Pennsylvania, although it would also need the results of Alaska and a delegate in Maine, traditionally republican states but still lagging behind in the count.

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Of the seven key states, for the moment the winner has been announced in North Carolina and Georgia, while in Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, Arizona and Nevada the ballot continues but the former president remains in the lead in all of them.

Trump is at the advantage of Kamala by almost 40 delegates

In the presidential race, for the moment, the Republican is ahead of the Democratic Vice President by 247 delegates compared to 210, according to projections from the main US media.

Trump has managed to win, in addition to North Carolina (16), Indiana (11), Kentucky (8), South Carolina (9), West Virginia (4), Ohio (17), Alabama (9), Florida (30), Mississippi (6), Missouri (10), Oklahoma (7), Tennessee (11), Arkansas (6), Kansas (6), Louisiana (8), North Dakota (3), South Dakota (3), Texas (40), Wyoming (3), Montana (4), Utah (6), Idaho (4), Georgia (16) and 4 delegates from Nebraska.

While Harris has Vermont (3), Connecticut (7), Delaware (3), the District of Columbia (3), Illinois (19), Maryland (10), Massachusetts (11), New Jersey (14), Rhode Island (4), Colorado (10), New York (28), California (54), Oregon (8), Washington (12), New Mexico (5), Virginia (13), Hawaii (4), a delegate from Nebraska and another from Maine.

The Republicans have also managed to take control of the upper house, after they have managed to snatch two seats from the Democrats, according to media projections.

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At the Democratic headquarters, installed at Howard University in Washington, where Harris studied as a young man, the initial optimism was mitigated with an increasingly evident seriousness as the night lengthened and many people began to leave the place.

Large screens and national flags decorate a campus surrounded by a strong deployment of security and that has mainly welcomed students and alumni, all pending key states.

Meanwhile, tycoon Elon Musk, Eduardo Bolsonaro and British politician Nigel Farage are some of the guests at the dinner held in Mar-a-Lago, in southern Florida, where the Republican candidate has been following the election results.

Americans do not decide by popular vote who will be their next president, but they designate a number of voters in each state who make up the Electoral College and who are responsible for electing the next tenant of the White House.

The Electoral College is a body made up of 538 delegates who elect the states according to their population. The winning candidate in each state, even by a single vote, takes all his compromises with the exception of Nebraska and Maine. The candidate who reaches 270 wins the election.

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International

Ninth Victim Recovered After Deadliest U.S. Avalanche in Decades

Rescue teams in California on Saturday recovered the body of the ninth and final victim of a deadly avalanche in the Sierra Nevada mountains, according to the local sheriff’s office.

The avalanche struck a group of 11 skiers and four guides on Tuesday as they were returning from a three-day backcountry trip near Castle Peak, a 2,777-meter (9,111-foot) mountain and popular tourist destination on the U.S. West Coast.

Six people were rescued alive on Tuesday. Authorities said the incident marks the deadliest avalanche in the United States since 1981.

“All nine individuals who lost their lives in the February 17 Castle Peak avalanche have been safely recovered from the mountain,” the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.

“There are no words that can truly capture the magnitude of this loss, and our hearts grieve alongside the families affected by this catastrophic event,” Sheriff Shannan Moon said.

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Officials had warned on Thursday that search operations would likely continue through the weekend due to severe weather conditions in the area.

Survivors were able to call for help shortly after the avalanche occurred. However, near-zero visibility and the risk of additional snow slides prevented rescue teams from reaching them for several hours.

International

Trump Defies Supreme Court With New 10% Global Tariff

Defiant in the face of a judicial setback, Donald Trump on Friday imposed a new across-the-board 10% tariff after the Supreme Court of the United States ruled that he does not have the authority to levy customs duties under the guise of a national emergency.

The Republican president signed the order in the Oval Office and announced on social media that the measure would take effect “almost immediately.” According to a statement from the White House, the decree will formally enter into force on February 24 for a period of 150 days.

It remains unclear whether the new tariff will apply to countries that have already negotiated trade agreements establishing rates higher than 10%.

Earlier in the day, the conservative-majority court ruled that a 1977 law cited by Trump to abruptly impose tariffs on individual countries — disrupting global trade — “does not authorize the president to impose tariffs.”

Trump said he was “deeply disappointed” by the decision and accused some justices of being influenced by “foreign interests.”

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Although he has made variable tariffs a cornerstone of his foreign policy, Trump acknowledged that it is uncertain whether the government will have to refund revenue already collected. A study by the University of Pennsylvaniaestimated that the amount at stake could reach as much as $175 billion.

“That issue was not addressed by the Court,” Trump told reporters, warning that the legal battle could drag on for “years.”

Justice Brett Kavanaugh, who dissented from the Court’s 6–3 majority opinion, cautioned that the legal process could become a “mess.”

Trump denied any error or haste in using tariffs as a policy tool, arguing instead that the six justices who ruled against him were motivated by “political correctness.” Vice President JD Vance wrote on X that the Court had acted “outside the law.”

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International

U.S. Targets Members of Outgoing Boric Administration With Visa Revocations

The United States government announced on Friday the revocation of visas for three Chilean officials—whose identities were not initially disclosed—citing activities that allegedly “undermined regional security,” an accusation that Chile denies.

In a statement, the U.S. Department of State did not provide specific details about the individuals involved but criticized the outgoing administration of leftist President Gabriel Boric.

“The legacy of the Boric government will be further tarnished by actions that undermine regional security to the ultimate detriment of the Chilean people,” the statement read. It was signed by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

Chile’s Minister of Transport, Juan Carlos Muñoz, later confirmed in a video message to the press that he is among those sanctioned.

“I was recently informed that my visa to enter the United States has been revoked by that country, which I deeply regret,” Muñoz said.

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The U.S. statement also noted that Washington hopes to “advance shared priorities, including those that strengthen security in our hemisphere, with the upcoming Kast government.”

The electoral victory of ultraconservative leader José Antonio Kast was welcomed in Washington, which has been building alliances with like-minded governments in the region to reinforce its diplomatic and economic agenda—particularly in response to China’s growing investment presence in Latin America.

“We remain committed to promoting accountability for Chilean individuals who deliberately work to destabilize our hemisphere,” the statement concluded.