Trump Names James McDonald as New SDNY U.S. Attorney 
Lebanon Resists Iran Pressure as Israel-Hezbollah Ceasefire Talks Stall 
South Korea Ex-President Yoon Suk Yeol Sentenced to 30 Years Over Martial Law Plot 
Xi’s North Korea Visit Strengthens Ties and Elevates Kim Jong Un’s Global Standing 
Kremlin Says New EU Sanctions Won’t Hurt Russian Banks 
U.S.-Iran Peace Framework Nears as Strait of Hormuz Reopening Takes Center Stage 
US Appeals Court Keeps Trump’s 10% Global Tariff in Effect During Ongoing Legal Battle 
Senior Haitian Security Official Kidnapped as Gang Violence Escalates in Port-au-Prince 
Taiwan Launches Intelligence Tip Website Targeting Chinese Informants 
North Korea Slams U.S. Missile Sale to South Korea, Warns of Rising Regional Tensions 
KMT Chair Cheng Li-wun Defends Taiwan-China Engagement During U.S. Visit 
Trump Signals Possible Iran Peace Deal as Markets Rally 
South Korea Ballot Shortage Sparks Protests, Election Fraud Claims, and Calls for Rerun 
Trump Signals Possible U.S.-Iran Peace Deal as Hormuz Reopening Nears 
Trump Nominates Jay Clayton as DNI Amid FISA Surveillance Dispute 
Trump Administration Plans Deportation of Iranian Migrants to Central African Republic Under New Third-Country Deal 
FBI Faces Historic Security Challenge Ahead of 2026 FIFA World Cup 
Since taking office in January, US President Joe Biden has had a record number of firsts made under his presidency, from legislation to nominations. Over the weekend, Biden marks another first, issuing a proclamation to commemorate Indigenous Peoples’ Day.
The White House released Biden’s proclamation of making October 11 the day to commemorate the country’s indigenous peoples, highlighting their contributions to the country. Biden also noted the painful history that the country’s indigenous peoples have suffered at the hands of European settlers and colonizers. Biden becomes the first president to make such a proclamation on a national level, following cities and states that have already replaced Colombus Day with Indigenous Peoples’ Day.
“On Indigenous Peoples’ Day, our Nation celebrates the invaluable contributions and resilience of Indigenous peoples, recognizes their inherent sovereignty, and commits to honoring the Federal Government’s trust and treaty obligations to Tribal nations,” wrote Biden.
“It is a measure of our greatness as a Nation that we do not seek to bury these shameful episodes of our past -- that we face them honestly, we bring them to the light, and we do all we can to address them,” wrote the US leader.
Over 100 cities such as Seattle, Denver, Los Angeles, Phoenix, and San Francisco, among others, have already celebrated Indigenous Peoples’ Day in place of Colombus Day. Minnesota, Alaska, Vermont, Illinois, and Oregon have also done the same. The city of Berkeley, California was the first city to commemorate Indigenous Peoples’ Day back in 1992.
In other news, Biden has officially raised the refugee admissions cap for the fiscal year to 125,000. This follows a low record of refugee admissions for the 2021 fiscal year, with only 11,400 refugees admitted into the US despite the cap being at 62,500. The fiscal year for 2022 began on October 1.
Biden raised the cap to 62,500 back in May after backlash for sticking with the Trump administration’s refugee admissions cap. The breakdown of refugees allocated per region showed 40,000 from Africa, 15,000 from East Asia, 10,000 from Europe and Central Asia, 15,000 from Latin America and the Caribbean, and 35,000 from the Near East and/or South Asia.
There is an additional 10,000 from an unallocated reserve that would be distributed to regional ceilings if needed.
