Amish Shah Wins Arizona Democratic Primary in Key U.S. House Race 
UN Rights Chief Volker Turk Faces Opposition Over Second Term Bid 
Canada Vows Trade Fight as Trump Imposes 50% Tariffs 
Trump Orders Section 301 Probe Into EU Tech Fines, Signals New Tariffs 
Trump Education Department Removes Disparate Impact Rules, Sparking Civil Rights Backlash 
US-Mexico USMCA Talks Advance as Auto Rules Remain Major Sticking Point 
Trump Administration Monitors OpenAI Incident as Lawmakers Push AI Kill Switch Bill 
Arizona Primaries Set High-Stakes Governor and House Battles Ahead of Midterm Elections 
Zelenskiy Says Ukraine-U.S. Drone Deal Includes American Factory for Advanced UAV Production 
Trump Says No Decision on Major Iran Strikes as U.S.-Tehran Talks Intensify 
Trump Praises Nigeria’s Tinubu, Signaling Stronger U.S.-Nigeria Security Ties 
Russian Bomb Strikes Hit Zaporizhzhia, Sloviansk, Injuring Dozens in Eastern Ukraine 
Maduro U.S. Drug Trafficking Trial Set for June 2027 as Immunity Defense Looms 
Trump Signals More Iran Strikes While Leaving Door Open to Nuclear Deal 
Global Leaders Push Back as Trump Imposes New Forced Labor Tariffs 
Russian Missile Strike on Kyiv Region Kills 10, Sparks Probe Into Defense Industry Event 
Rubio Rejects AI ‘Kill Switch’ Claims as U.S. Defends American Technology Abroad 
Prior to Joe Biden’s inauguration, Donald Trump sped up executions of inmates on death row. As Biden begins his term as the new Commander-in-Chief, he is now facing calls by Democratic lawmakers for sentence commutations on the remaining inmates on death row.
35 Congressional Democrats, led by congresswomen Ayanna Presley and Cori Bush, have sent Biden a letter asking to commute the sentences of the remaining 49 inmates that are still on death row. This also comes as the Trump administration pushed through with the executions of 13 death row prisoners in the last few weeks of the term. A few days before Biden was inaugurated, Dustin Higgs was the last to get executed as Trump lifted the moratorium on federal executions. According to the Death Penalty Information Center, 21 of the remaining death row inmates are white, 20 are black, seven are Latino, and one is Asian.
“Commuting the death sentences of those on death row and ensuring that each person is provided with an adequate and unique re-sentencing process is a crucial step in remedying this grave injustice,” said the group. “By exercising your clemency power, you can ensure that there would be no one left on death row to kill.”
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki assured that Biden remains opposed to the death penalty as he has stated in the past, but did not offer any further details as to what Biden may decide to do. The other Congressional Democrats that have co-signed the letter include Karen Bass, Rashida Tlaib, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
Meanwhile, Biden and his administration have already begun talks with moderate Democratic and Republican lawmakers on COVID-19 relief for Americans. The administration has now pushed for a higher relief package amounting to $1.9 trillion. Republicans have expressed concerns about incurring higher budget deficits while Democrats have urged the president not to focus too much on bipartisanship. Around a dozen Senators met with senior White House officials and White House National Economic Council director Brian Deese via video call to discuss the aid.
Many have hoped that this would be done before the impending impeachment trials for Donald Trump at the upper chamber. Maine Senator Angus King expressed optimism regarding the opening talks about COVID-19 relief. “There was not a hint of cynicism or lack of commitment to at least trying to work something out,” said King.
