Biden to split frozen Afghan funds for 9/ 11 victims, relief

By Aamer Madhani

The Associated Press

WASHINGTON » President Joe Biden was expected to issue an executive order Friday to move some $7 billion of the Afghan central bank’s assets frozen in the U.S. banking system to fund humanitarian relief in Afghanistan

By Liz Alderman

The New York Times

President Emmanuel Ma- cron announced a major buildup of France’s nuclear power program Thursday, pledging to construct up to 14 new-generation reactors and a fleet of smaller nuclear plants as the country seeks to slash planet-warming emissions and cut its reliance on foreign energy.

The announcement represented an about-face for Macron, who had previously pledged to reduce France’s reliance on nuclear power but has pivoted to burnishing an image as a pro-nuclear presi- and compensate victims of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, according to a U.S. o cial familiar with the decision. The order will require U.S. financial institutions to facilitate access to $3.5 billion of assets for the Afghan relief and basic needs. The other $3.5 billion would remain in the United States and be dent battling climate change as he faces a tough reelection bid in April.

“What our country needs is the rebirth of France’s nuclear industry,” Macron said at a nuclear turbine factory in the city of Belfort in eastern France. “The time has come for a nuclear renaissance,” he added.

Macron’s move is seen as a pivotal moment in a growing debate over nuclear power in Europe. The divide has taken on new dimensions as leaders pledge to avert a climate catastrophe and grapple with an energy crisis that has sent prices for natural gas and electricity surging to record

Setting the record straight

used to fund ongoing litigation by U.S. victims of terrorism, the o cial said. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity because the decision had not been formally announced.

International funding to Afghanistan was suspended and billions of dollars of the country’s assets abroad, highs — in part because nuclear energy production has fallen. The French plan is aimed at cementing the country’s position as Europe’s biggest atomic power producer and positioning Électricité de France, or EDF, to compete more aggressively against Chinese and U.S. companies in the growing global market for nuclear energy.

With an estimated starting price of 50 billion euros ($57 billion), Macron’s blueprint consists of constructing six mammoth next-generation pressurized water reactors at existing nuclear sites around France starting in 2028, with an option to that the conversation with Biden would be at the White House’s request; the White House spokesperson, speaking on condition of anonymity to describe private conversations, said the Kremlin had suggested a call Monday and the White House proposed a call sooner, on Saturday.

Russia’s foreign ministry dismissed U.S. talk of war as mere propaganda.

“A coordinated information attack is being conducted against Moscow,” the ministry said in a statement, along with a list of previous Western warnings of a possible imminent invasion. That messaging, it said, is “aimed at undermining and discrediting Russia’s fair demands for security guarantees, as

Explainer

well as at justifying Western geopolitical aspirations and military absorption of Ukraine’s territory.”

Maria Zakharova, the ministry spokesperson, wrote on the Telegram app: “The White House’s hysteria is as revealing as ever. The Anglo-Saxons need war at any price.”

Sullivan said, “Russia could choose in very short order to commence a major military action against Ukraine,” but added that officials could not be sure exactly when or if Putin may decide to invade. As he spoke, Biden was preparing to depart for Camp David for the weekend; the whir of Marine One’s blades could be heard in the White House briefing room.

Where could the revelations about Trump records lead?

By Eric Tucker

The Associated Press

WASHINGTON » Revelations that Donald Trump took government records with him to Mar-a-Lago are creating a political headache for the former president — and a potential legal one, too. House lawmakers have opened an investigation and the National Archives and Records Administration has reportedly asked the Justice Department to look into the matter. The Justice Department and the FBI have not yet said what, if anything, they’ll do.

A look at what could lie ahead:

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN

OTHER AGENCIES SEEK first reported this week that the archivist asked the Justice Department to investigate the discovery of 15 boxes of White House records recovered from Trump at his Mar-aLago resort in Palm Beach, Florida, and that the former president had a habit in o ce of tearing up records both “sensitive and mundane.” mostly in the United States, were frozen after the Taliban took control of the country in mid-August. The country’s long-troubled economy has been in a tailspin since the Taliban takeover. Nearly 80% of Afghanistan’s previous government’s budget came from the international community. consider building up to eight more by 2050.

A JUSTICE DEPARTMENT INVESTIGATION?

The Justice Department routinely receives referrals from Congress and other government agencies when those agencies come upon conduct they think might break the law.

WHAT MIGHT INVESTIGATORS LOOK FOR?

There are several issues potentially at play, including the Presidential Records Act, which was enacted in 1978 after former President Richard Nixon wanted to destroy documents related to the Watergate scandal.

Macron said France would also build a prototype small modular reactor — a new type of scaled-down nuclear power plant — by 2030, pitting the country against a growing number of others pushing out the technology.

Environmental groups denounced the plan, saying that Macron had not consulted Parliament or French citizens, and that nuclear power, which doesn’t produce direct carbon emissions but generates long-term radioactive waste, was a nonstarter in the fight against climate change.

A story published in the Local News section Wednesday, “O cials sticking with mask restrictions, for now,” incorrectly reported the number of COVID-19 cases Santa Clara County is experiencing. The county is averaging 2,400 cases a day. The Mercury News corrects all signi cant errors that are brought to the attention of the editors. If you believe we have made such an error, please send an email to: mncorrections@bayareanewsgroup.com

Sometimes those referrals result in investigations and even criminal charges, though in many other instances they do not. The Justice Department is generally not bound to take any action suggested to it by another agency.

The Washington Post

The law mandates that presidential records are the property of the U.S. government, rather than belonging to the president himself. Rep. Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y., the chair of the House Oversight Committee, said in a statement announcing the investigation that Trump was required under the law to turn over the documents to the National Archives before leaving o ce, and that lawmakers are seeking information about the contents of the boxes recovered from Mar-a-Lago.