Biden officials press Congress on chips bill as progress stalls
WASHINGTON — The Biden administration and congressional Democrats are trying to break a deadlock on legislation aimed at enhancing U.S. competitiveness with China and boosting the domestic semiconductor industry, which has been stalled since Senate GOP leader Mitch McConnell threatened to scuttle the bill.
Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo and Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines are among the administration officials briefing senators Wednesday on the national security implications of the legislation, which includes a widely supported provision providing $52 billion in grants and incentives for domestic semiconductor manufacturing.
“It would be malpractice not to get this to the president’s desk,” Democratic Sen. Mark Warner, one of the original sponsors of the chip provision, said in an interview. “Not only because of the investment but the fact that companies are making decisions right now.”
McConnell has threatened to block the legislation, despite having voted for the Senate’s version, if Democrats go through with their plan for a separate package of tax hikes and climate measures. The House and Senate had been working for months to resolve the differences between their bills, but those negotiations have effectively stopped since McConnell made his threat.
—Bloomberg News
UCF removes departments’ anti-racism statements
ORLANDO, Fla. —The University of Central Florida has removed anti-racism statements from several academic department websites, prompting renewed concern by some that a new law championed by Gov. Ron DeSantis is leading to censorship at the university.
UCF’s decision to take down the statements came less than a week after the English department briefly “suspended” its version, claiming it now violated state law. The university later said department did so without “direction” from school leaders, who did not think the statements conflicted with any laws.
But university leaders apparently decided to wipe the statement from the English department’s web page this week. Similar statements also were removed from the web pages for at least a handful of other departments, including anthropology, philosophy and physics.
University spokesman Chad Binette said the school removed the statements because they “could be seen as potentially inconsistent with our commitment to creating a welcoming environment,” which he described as “one where faculty objectively engage students in robust, scholarly discussions that expand their knowledge and empower them to freely express their views and form their own perspectives.”
—Orlando Sentinel
Family breakfast came before capsized boat tragedy on Hudson River
NEW YORK — The group of a dozen relatives, some visiting from Colombia and Miami, gathered for a New Jersey breakfast before heading for a chartered boat ride on the Hudson River.
Family friend Albeiro Orozco recalled giving 7-year-old Julian Vasquez a lollipop as the crew departed his Elizabeth, New Jersey, restaurant for their Tuesday adventure. The youngster, along with fellow passenger Lindelia Vasquez, 47, died less than three hours later after their boat capsized in a horrifying mishap that left two others relatives in critical condition.
“We never imagined what ended up happening,” said Orozco, the owner of local eatery Brisas. “This visit to New York ended in tragedy. It’s very sad.”
Investigators believed the private 27-foot vessel was overloaded, and police sources said the wake from a passing ferry sent the passengers into the river. Orozco said Lindelia Vasquez was eager to show her visitors the Big Apple with a view from the Hudson when they headed out.
—New York Daily News
UN chief sees 'ray of hope' in talks to unblock Ukraine grain exports
ISTANBUL/NEW YORK — Major progress has been achieved in the dispute over the unblocking of badly needed grain exports from Ukraine's Black Sea ports, U.N. Secretary General António Guterres said Wednesday.
A "critical step forward" was taken at talks between representatives of the United Nations, Ukraine, Russia and Turkey in Istanbul, Guterres told reporters in New York.
"Today at last we have a ray of hope," he said.
Guterres did not share details of the plan to get the grain out of Ukraine. He said "more technical work" remained but that the momentum to reach a deal had accelerated.
Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar meanwhile announced agreements on technical issues such as joint inspections of arrivals and departures from ports, the Anadolu news agency reported.
He also said common ground had been reached on ensuring "navigation safety." In addition, a coordination center with representatives from all sides is to be established on the Bosphorus Strait in Istanbul.
—dpa
