Want to catch up with the news quickly? Here are the top stories from Monday, September 25, 2023.
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1. Biden Administration expands Temporary Protected Status
The Biden administration announced last week that it will grant work permits and temporary relief from deportation to nearly half a million Venezuelans already in the United States.
Venezuelans who were in the country by July 31 can sign up for Temporary Protected Status. Homeland Security officials estimate that around 242,700 Venezuelans are currently covered by TPS, and that over 472,000 more will now be eligible for work permits.
2. California uses artificial intelligence to fight against wildfires
The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection has a new tool to stop wildfires before they start – artificial intelligence.
Cal Fire has partnered with the University of California at San Diego to use the college's Alert California program and its network of over 1,000 cameras across the state. The cameras, many of which are located in the mountains for a higher vantage point, constantly scan their surroundings in 2-minute rotations to spot fires early, even when no humans are around to see.
3. United States pledges $65 million to Haiti in crackdown on crime
Amid crippling gang violence in the Caribbean country, the United States on Friday unveiled $65 million in aid for Haiti's police, as well as called for the the United Nations Security Council to deploy a multinational security mission.
Haiti's government asked for help last year to combat that gangs that have largely overrun the capital Port-au-Prince. A multinational police deployment, proposed by the U.S., could be voted on later this week.
4. A government shutdown is on the horizon — what happens next
Government funding expires at the end of the day on Saturday, September 30. If Congress fails to pass a budget agreement by that deadline, the federal government will shut down at midnight.
The full effects of a shutdown would begin at the start of the work week on Monday. Government services deemed essential such as border protection, federal law enforcement, and air traffic control will continue, but nonessential services such as national parks could close.
