US to close costly Texas immigration detention center and reroute funds
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) will close a costly Texas detention center and reallocate the funds to increase overall detention capacity as the agency ramps up operations to implement new U.S. border restrictions.
In a memo to U.S. lawmakers on Monday, ICE said it would shutter the South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley, Texas, freeing up money to expand detention bed space elsewhere.
Biden, a Democrat seeking another term in Nov. 5 elections, rolledoutapolicylastweekthatbarsmost migrants who cross the U.S.-Mexico border illegally from claiming asylum. The new asylum ban aims to quickly process migrants for potential deportation, which could strain ICE's detention space.
As of June 6, the agency held around 37,000 people, close to its funded capacity of 41,500, ICE figures show.
US industry groups sue to block 'forever chemical' drinking-water rule
U.S. manufacturing and chemical industry groups have filed a lawsuit seeking to block a federal rule announced this year setting the first-ever drinking water standard to protect people against toxic "forever chemicals."
The rule is intended to reduce exposure to the group of 15,000 chemicals known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) for approximately 100 million people. It would avoid deaths that have been linked to PFAS, according to the EPA.
Dubbed "forever chemicals" because they do not easily break down in the human body or environment, PFAS are found in hundreds of consumer and commercial products, including non-stick pans, cosmetics, firefighting foams and stain-resistant clothing.
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Biden administration touts quick Baltimore channel reopening
This week's reopening of Baltimore's main shipping channel - less than three months after the Key Bridge collapse - was due to expertise gained from a COVID-era task force, a highway overpass collapse andthe2021infrastructurelaw,governmentofficials said.
The deadly March 26 collision of the cargo ship Dali into the Francis Scott Key Bridge had paralyzed a major transportation artery for the U.S. Northeast.
Within hours, President Joe Biden directed aides to get the channel reopened, the bridge rebuilt and vowed the federal government would cover the full costs. His administration has previously faced criticism for its initial response to the 2023 derailment of a train in Ohio.
Federal officials said on Monday that full access to the channel had been restored after the removal of 50,000tonsofdebris.OnWednesday,MarylandGov. Wes Moore and other officials are holding a press event to mark its reopening.
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https://www.reuters.com/world/us/biden-administration-touts-quick-baltimore-
US weekly jobless claims at 10month high; inflation cooling
The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits increased to a 10-month high last week, suggesting the labor market was losing momentum and keeping hopes of a September interest rate cut from the Federal Reserve alive.
That was reinforced by other data from the Labor Department on Thursday showing producer prices unexpectedly falling in May. The largest decline in prices at the factory gate since October followed news on Wednesday that consumer prices were unchanged in May for the first time in nearly two years.
The U.S. central bank on Wednesday kept its benchmark overnight interest rate in the current 5.25%-5.50% range, where it has been since last July. Fed officials pushed out the start of rate cuts to perhaps as late as December, with policymakers projecting only a single quarterpercentage-point reduction for this year. But economists remained optimistic that the Fed would reduce borrowing costs twice this year, starting in September.
About 4% of US adults age 65 and older have a dementia diagnosis,
survey finds
Some 4% of U.S. adults aged 65 and older say they have been diagnosed with dementia, a rate that reached 13% for those at least 85-years old, according to a report of a national survey released on Thursday.
The report issued by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) was based on the 2022 National Health Interview Survey, a nationally representative sample of U.S. adults aged 18 and older. The survey in 2019 added the option to report dementia, including Alzheimer's disease, to its questions on doctor-diagnosed health conditions.
The CDC said 1.7% of adults ages 65 to 74 reported a dementia diagnosis, a rate that increased with age. For those ages 75 to 84, the reported dementia rate was 5.7%
The agency conducted in-person or telephone interviews with 8,757 people age 65 and older who were asked whether they have been diagnosed with some form of dementia.
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https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/about-4-us-adultsage-65-older-have-dementia-diagnosis-survey-finds-2024-06-13/