🦸♀️🇲🇽 Mexican Migrants Over 65 Demand Pensión Bienestar from Sheinbaum's Government
🚀🏙️ SpaceX Aims to Turn Its Texas Launch Site Into a City to Streamline Growth 🐆🚧 Study to Explore Texas Border Wall's Impact on Mountain Lion Movement Across Border
🚀🏙️ SpaceX Aims to Turn Its Texas Launch Site Into a City to Streamline Growth
Berenice Garcia, The Texas Tribune.- SpaceX is pushing to incorporate its South Texas launch site, Starbase, into an official city. The company, heavily investing in the region, has submitted a petition for a special election in Cameron County. This move comes as SpaceX grows its operations in the area, housing hundreds of employees in portable homes and developing infrastructure. General Manager Kathryn Lueders explained that incorporating the site would allow for better management of local functions, such as roads, utilities, and medical care. With plans for Starbase to serve as the “Gateway to Mars,” the shift would also support SpaceX’s long-term goals of establishing a world-class spaceport. However, the proposal faces scrutiny from environmental groups, and the county previously denied a request from SpaceX to subdivide residential areas. The new city would echo historical company towns like Sugar Land if successful.
🐆🚧 Study to Explore Texas Border Wall's Impact on Mountain Lion Movement Across Border
Ariana Garcia, The Houston Chronicle.- Researchers from the Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute are launching a study to assess whether the Texas-Mexico border wall is obstructing the movement of mountain lions. Funded by U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Fish and Wildlife Service, the study will monitor mountain lion habitat, gene flow, and population density through GPS collars and camera traps. Researchers will also evaluate the effectiveness of wildlife openings in the wall, which are intended to allow animal movement but may not be strategically located. A recent Arizona study found that border wall sections blocked migration for animals such as mountain lions, black bears, and deer. This new research is vital as Texas enforces new regulations on hunting and trapping mountain lions, raising concerns about the future of wildlife corridors in the region.
🦅🔴 Ronald Johnson's Pragmatic Approach: From El Salvador to Mexico with Trump’s New Mission
Elías Camhaji and Bryan Avelar, El País.- Ronald Johnson, the former U.S. ambassador to El Salvador, is now set to be President-elect Donald Trump's man in Mexico. Johnson’s tenure in El Salvador, marked by a close personal relationship with President Nayib Bukele, focused on security collaboration, particularly combating gangs and controlling migration. His pragmatic approach, honed during his military and CIA career, earned him trust in the region. However, his tenure ended with tensions following Biden's rise to power, particularly over Bukele's controversial policies. Now, Johnson is poised to address U.S. interests in Mexico, including tackling migration and the illegal drug trade. Trump positions him as a key figure in his administration’s Latin American strategy. His political pragmatism and experience in intelligence may serve him well as Mexico faces growing pressure from the U.S. on issues like narcotrafficking and migration control.
🦸♀️🇲🇽 Mexican Migrants Over 65 Demand Pensión Bienestar from Sheinbaum's Government
Almudela Barragán, El País.- The National Day Laborer Organizing Network (NDLON) has called on the Mexican government to extend its Pensión Bienestar program to the nearly two million Mexican migrants over 65 living in the United States, including half a million undocumented individuals. These migrants, many of whom have worked for decades in the U.S. but lack retirement benefits, face financial hardships and struggle with high rent and medical conditions. The requested pension, amounting to $300 every two months, would provide essential support. While the Pensión Bienestar is reserved for those living in Mexico, recent constitutional reforms include social welfare programs as inalienable rights. The new government of President Claudia Sheinbaum is under pressure to address this gap, with discussions ongoing in the Mexican legislature.
📻🗣️ Trump Appoints Kari Lake as Head of Voice of America Broadcasting Network
Will Weissert and Jonathan J. Cooper, Associated Press.- President-elect Donald Trump announced that Kari Lake, a former Arizona journalist and gubernatorial candidate, will be appointed the new director of Voice of America (VOA), the U.S. government-funded broadcaster responsible for global independent news. Lake, known for her staunch Trump support and controversial stance on issues such as immigration and COVID-19, will oversee VOA’s global operations and ensure that American values of "Freedom and Liberty" are accurately represented, according to Trump’s statement. Lake’s appointment comes after years of Trump criticizing VOA's coverage, particularly during the coronavirus pandemic. The VOA, founded during World War II, is tasked with providing independent news to international audiences. Lake's political career gained national attention after her failed gubernatorial run in Arizona, where she contested the election results and echoed Trump’s narrative on election fraud.