Amna Nawaz:
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said the cease-fire over the weekend came — quote — “in the spirit of peace.” Pakistan denies that it backs the militants who carried out a massacre on more than two dozen tourists in India-administered Kashmir last month that kicked off this latest conflict.
The Trump administration is officially ending so-called temporary protected status, or TPS, for thousands of Afghans living in the U.S. That includes those evacuated after America’s chaotic 2021 withdrawal. In a statement, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said that — quote — “Afghanistan has had an improved security situation and its stabilizing economy no longer prevent them from returning to their home country.”
The United Nations has said that the situation in the Taliban-run nation continues to deteriorate. Some 9,000 Afghans currently fall under TPS, which allows those facing war or climate disasters at home to live and work in the U.S. The termination takes effect on July 12.
Here at home, the Justice Department says Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche will take over as the new acting librarian of Congress. Blanche is a former federal prosecutor who represented Donald Trump during his New York hush money trial last year. He replaces longtime librarian Carla Hayden, who was fired last week amid a broader push by the Trump administration to remove officials who it perceives as opposing its agenda in some way.
At Newark Airport, flight disruptions entered a new week today with dozens of delays and cancellations. That comes as the Federal Aviation Administration announced it will soon propose flight cuts at the airport, citing air traffic controller staffing, runway construction and equipment issues. Newark has suffered a number of radar outages in recent weeks. Just yesterday, the airport halted flights for around 45 minutes following a problem with the telecommunications line.
At a news conference today, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said he’s fast-tracking technology fixes at the airport, but the work could take as long as two weeks to complete.
California Governor Gavin Newsom is putting pressure on local governments across the state to clear homeless encampments. His administration announced a template for a new local ordinance that would allow cities and towns to outlaw the growing number of makeshift camps in public spaces. The model is not mandatory. But it comes as Newsom’s office is releasing $3.3 billion in funds to expand housing and treatment options for homeless residents.
More than 187,000 Californians lack housing. That’s about one-third of the nation’s entire homeless population.
Pope Leo XIV called on journalists to reject divisive language today in his first address with the media as pontiff.
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