Biden administration to begin processing asylum seekers
The Biden administration will allow 25,000 asylum seekers from Mexico into the country starting Feb. 19, the administration said on Friday.
The migrants originally sought asylum under former President Donald Trump but were denied based on the former president’s “Remain in Mexico” policy, according to NBC News.
Many asylum seekers have been forced to wait at the border in poor conditions before being allowed to make their case for asylum. Starting Feb. 19, about 600 per day will be allowed to live in the U.S.
While immigrants await their court date in the United States, officials said they will be kept on “alternatives to detention.”
133 vehicles involved in deadly pileup
Officials said that 133 vehicles were involved in the pileup crash early Thursday morning that left six dead, FOX 4 reports. Freezing rain and sleet fell overnight, causing slick conditions on roads across North Texas.
“The scene we saw today is really, probably, unlike anything any of us have seen, and we pray to God we never see it again. Our hearts, our thoughts, our prayers go out to everyone negatively affected by this tragic incident,” Fort Worth Police Chief Neil Noakes said.
First responders rescued people from their vehicles. Temperatures and the conditions only added to the challenges they faced.
A driver caught in the wreckage spoke to FOX 4 and said, “Once you start getting hit, you just hope for the best at that point.”
CDC releases roadmap for schools to reopen safely
The CDC provided a roadmap for how to safely reopen schools during the pandemic, according to ABC News. The long-awaited guidelines say vaccination of teachers is important but not mandatory for reopening.
Other precautions the update emphasized were mask wearing, social distancing and contact tracing.
The update comes after President Joe Biden promised to reopen the majority of schools by the end of his first 100 days in office. While many agree in-person learning is more effective for young students, some teachers unions say the schools have not offered enough protections.
Democrats argue over whether to move on from Trump or seek other punishment after impeachment trial
Congressional Democrats are debating whether to look into punishing former president Donald Trump via censure after the Senate likely acquits him in his second impeachment trial, according to CNN.
Punishing Trump via censure could receive more support from congressional Republicans attempting to distance themselves politically from the former president.
Other Democrats suggested a well-structured censure resolution could also ban Trump from running for office again under the 14th Amendment.
