Judge orders Texas to remove floating migrant barriers

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Thursday 09.07.23

Painfully long strikes have left Hollywood at a standstill, with many in the entertainment industry wondering how long this period of uncertainty will last. More than 11,000 writers have been on strike since May 2, and about 160,000 actors joined the picket lines on July 14. Negotiations are underway, but with no resolution in sight, a growing number of artists in the industry are pivoting their careers entirely. Here's what else you need to know to Get Up to Speed and On With Your Day.

By Alexandra Meeks

Migrants try to cross the border between Piedras Negras, Mexico and Eagle Pass, Texas, last month.

Immigration

A federal judge has ordered Texas to remove floating barriers aimed at deterring migrants in the Rio Grande and barred the state from placing additional buoys in the river. The buoys have been a hot-button immigration issue and have been criticized by Democrats and the Justice Department as an unlawful security initiative — one that Mexico's president called "inhumane." Meanwhile, new data shows at least 60,000 migrant children this year crossed the Darien Gap, a treacherous stretch of mountainous rainforest that connects South and Central America. It is a crucial 66-mile hike used by migrants hoping to reach the US and Canada, and widely known as one of the most perilous walks on Earth. Almost 250,000 people made the crossing in 2023, fueled by economic and humanitarian disasters.

Hurricane Lee

Hurricane Lee brewing in the Atlantic is expected to rapidly intensify as it approaches the Caribbean in the coming days. Forecasts show it will likely become a major storm by early Friday and could reach near Category 5 strength. Currently a Category 1 storm, Lee is packing maximum sustained winds of 80 mph as it churns around 1,000 miles east of the northern Leeward Islands. There is increasing confidence that the center of the storm will pass to the north of the Leeward Islands, the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. However, swells generated by Lee are likely to cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions in the region. It's still too soon to know whether this system will directly impact the US mainland.

Manhunt

The manhunt continues for convicted murderer Danelo Cavalcante, who escaped from a Pennsylvania prison eight days ago. Newly released surveillance video from the prison shows him "crab walking" between two walls before climbing out of the camera's view. Authorities said the escape was not seen by a guard in a tower overlooking the group of prisoners playing basketball nor by whoever was monitoring the 160 cameras at the correctional facility in eastern Pennsylvania, about 30 miles from Philadelphia. The tower guard was placed on administrative leave and their actions are being investigated. The search area has also expanded, leaving several areas in eastern Pennsylvania on lockdown until the inmate is caught.

Ukraine

The deadliest Russian missile attack in months killed at least 17 people and injured dozens at a market in the eastern town of Kostiantynivka on Wednesday. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called the strike "utter inhumanity." Russian missile attacks regularly hit civilian areas but tolls this high are unusual. A strike on an apartment block in the central city of Uman killed 23 people, including children, in April, and a similar strike on Dnipro in the southeast killed 40 in January. The area that was hit Wednesday is close to the front lines around Bakhmut and frequently crowded with military personnel. Zelensky branded the Russian attack as "the brazenness of wickedness" and "the audacity of evil."

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Hunter Biden

A special counsel intends to seek an indictment against President Joe Biden's son, Hunter Biden, relating to gun charges by the end of the month, the Justice Department said Wednesday. Hunter Biden's gun-related legal troubles are connected to a firearm he purchased in October 2018. While buying a revolver at a Delaware gun shop, he lied on a federal form when he swore that he was not using, and was not addicted to, any illegal drugs — even though he was struggling with crack cocaine addiction at the time of the purchase. It's a federal crime to lie on that ATF form or to possess a firearm as a drug user. Hunter Biden had previously reached a deal involving a felony gun possession charge that would have allowed him to avoid prosecution. But, after his plea deal to resolve two tax charges fell apart in court, the future of the gun deal has been in limbo.

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$153 billion

That's about how far apart the US House and Senate currently stand on funding levels for the federal government. Tensions are building as the two chambers face an end-of-the-month deadline to reach an agreement on funding or face a government shutdown on October 1.

No company is too big to play by the rules, including Google.

— Five attorneys general, issuing a joint statement after reaching a tentative settlement with Google over its alleged conduct in the Google Play Store. According to court filings, several states accused Google of monopolistic practices and inflating prices for paid apps in the Android app market to stifle competition. The lawsuit was led by New York Attorney General Letitia James and attorneys general from California, North Carolina, Tennessee and Utah.

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