Hurricane Ernesto drops torrential rain on Puerto Rico, pummels northeast Caribbean

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TOA BAJA, Puerto Rico — Hurricane Ernesto dropped torrential rain on Puerto Rico and knocked out power for nearly half of all customers in the U.S. territory Wednesday as it threatened to grow into a major hurricane en route to Bermuda.

The storm was over open water about 1,110 kilometers south-southwest of Bermuda late Wednesday, with maximum sustained winds of 130 kph and moving northwest at 26 kph.

A hurricane watch was issued for Bermuda, while tropical storm warnings were discontinued for Puerto Rico and its outlying islands of Vieques and Culebra and for the U.S. and British Virgin Islands.

“I know it was a long night listening to that wind howl,” U.S. Virgin Islands Gov. Albert Bryan Jr. said at a news conference.

An islandwide blackout was reported on St. Croix, and at least six cellphone towers were offline across the U.S. territory, said Daryl Jaschen, emergency management director.

Schools and government agencies were closed in the U.S. and British Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, where heavy flooding was reported in several areas, forcing officials to block roads, some of which were strewn with trees. More than 140 flights were canceled to and from Puerto Rico.

“A lot of rain, a lot of rain,” Culebra Mayor Edilberto Romero said in a phone interview. “We have trees that have fallen on public roads. There are some roofs that are blown off.”

Flash flood warnings remained up because of continuing rain.

In the north coastal town of Toa Baja, which is prone to flooding, dozens of residents moved their cars to higher areas.

“Everyone is worried,” Víctor Báez said as he sipped beer with friends and watched the rain fall. He only briefly celebrated that he had power. “It’s going to go out again,” he predicted.

Ernesto, a Category 1 hurricane, was forecast to gain power in the coming days and possibly reach the strength of a major Category 3 hurricane by Friday, and its center was expected to pass near Bermuda on Saturday.

“Residents need to prepare now before conditions worsen,” Bermuda’s National Security Minister Michael Weeks said. “Now is not the time for complacency.”

Forecasters also warned of heavy swells along the U.S. East Coast.

“That means that anybody who goes to the beach, even if the weather is beautiful and nice, it could be dangerous … with those rip currents,” said Robbie Berg, warning coordination meteorologist with the National Hurricane Center.

Between 10 and 15 centimeters of rain had been forecast for the U.S. and British Virgin Islands and 15 to 20 centimeters in Puerto Rico, with up to 25 centimeters in isolated areas.

More than 640,000 customers lost power in Puerto Rico, and 23 hospitals were operating on generators, Gov. Pedro Pierluisi said Wednesday. He added that crews were assessing damage and it was too early to tell when electricity would be restored.

“We are trying to get the system up and running as soon as we can,” said Juan Saca, president of Luma Energy, the company that operates transmission and distribution of power in Puerto Rico.

Luma Energy said earlier Wednesday that its priority was to restore power to hospitals, the island’s water and sewer company and other essential services. More than 300,000 customers were without water as a result of power outages, Pierluisi said.

Puerto Rico’s power grid was razed by Hurricane Maria in 2017 as a Category 4 storm, and it remains frail as crews continue to rebuild the system.

“It’s just frustrating that this many years later, we continue to see something like a storm cause such widespread outages in Puerto Rico, particularly given the risk that these outages can cause for vulnerable households in Puerto Rico,” said Charlotte Gossett Navarro, the Hispanic Federation’s chief director for Puerto Rico.

Not everyone can afford generators on the island of 3.2 million people with a more than 40% poverty rate.

“People already prepared themselves with candles,” said Lucía Rodríguez, a 31-year-old street vendor.

Rooftop solar systems are scarce but keep growing in Puerto Rico, where fossil fuels generate 94% of the island’s electricity. At the time María hit, there were 8,000 rooftop installations, compared with more than 117,000 currently, according to the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis.

Ernesto is the fifth named storm and the third hurricane of this year’s Atlantic hurricane season. Since 1966, only four other years have had three or more hurricanes in the Atlantic by mid-August, according to Philip Klotzbach, Colorado State University hurricane researcher.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has predicted an above-average Atlantic hurricane season this year because of record warm ocean temperatures. It forecast 17 to 25 named storms, with four to seven major hurricanes.
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As Colorado River states await water cuts, they struggle to agree on longer-term plans

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WASHINGTON — The federal government is expected to announce water cuts soon that would affect some of the 40 million people reliant on the Colorado River, the powerhouse of the U.S. West. The Interior Department announces water availability for the coming year months in advance so Western cities, farmers and others can plan.

Behind the scenes, however, more elusive plans are being hashed out: how the basin will share water from the diminishing 2,334-kilometer river after 2026, when many current guidelines that govern it expire.

The Colorado River supplies water to seven Western states, more than two dozen Native American tribes, and two states in Mexico. It also irrigates millions of acres of farmland in the American West and generates hydropower used across the region. Years of overuse combined with rising temperatures and drought have meant less water flows in the Colorado today than in decades past.

That’s made the fraught politics of water in the West particularly deadlocked at times. Here’s what you need to know about the negotiations surrounding the river.

What are states discussing?

Plans for how to distribute the Colorado River’s water after 2026. A series of overlapping agreements, court decisions and contracts determine how the river is shared, some of which expire at the end of 2025.

In 2007, following years of drought, the seven U.S. states in the basin — Arizona, Nevada, California, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming — and the federal government adopted rules to better respond to lower water levels at Lake Mead and Lake Powell. Those are the river’s two main reservoirs that transfer and store Colorado River water, produce hydropower and serve as barometers of its health.

The 2007 rules determine when some states face water cuts based on levels at Lake Mead. That’s why states, Native American tribes, and others are drafting new plans, which anticipate even deeper water cuts after 2026 based on projections of the river’s flow and climate modeling of future warming in the West.

“The ultimate problem is that watershed runoff is decreasing due to an ever-warming climate,” said Jack Schmidt, professor of watershed sciences at Utah State University, and director of the Center for Colorado River studies. “The proximate problem is we’ve got to decrease our use.”

How are these talks different from expected cuts this month?

Sometime this month, the federal government will announce water cuts for 2025 based on levels at Lake Mead. The cuts may simply maintain the restrictions already in place. Reclamation considers factors like precipitation, runoff, and water use to model what levels at the two reservoirs will look like over the following two years. If Lake Mead drops below a certain level, Arizona, California, Nevada and Mexico are subject to cuts, though California has so far been spared because of its senior water rights.

In recent years, Arizona has faced the bulk of these cuts, while Mexico and Nevada also saw reductions. But these are short-term plans, and the guidelines surrounding them are being renegotiated for the future.

What are states already doing to conserve water?

Arizona, Nevada and Mexico faced federal water cuts from the river in 2022. Those deepened in 2023 and returned to 2022 levels this year. As the crisis on the river worsened, Arizona, California and Nevada last year agreed to conserve an additional 3 million acre-feet of water until 2026, with the U.S. government paying water districts and other users for much of that conservation.

Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming — the state’s so-called Upper Basin — don’t use their full 7.5 million acre-foot allocation from the river, and get a percentage of the water that’s available each year.

An acre-foot is enough water to serve roughly two to three U.S. households in a year.

Have these efforts worked?

Yes, for now. A wet 2023 plus conservation efforts by Lower Basin states improved the short-term outlook for both reservoirs. Lake Powell is at roughly 39% capacity while Mead is at about 33%.

Climate scientists and hydrologists say that higher temperatures driven by climate change will continue to reduce runoff to the Colorado River in coming years, and cause more water to be lost to evaporation, so future plans should prepare for less water in the system. Brad Udall, a senior water and climate scientist at Colorado State University, said predicting precipitation levels is harder to do.

The short-term recovery in the Colorado River basin should be viewed in the context of a more challenging future, he added.

“I would push back heartily against any idea that our rebound over the last couple of years here is some permanent shift,” Udall said.

What can’t states agree on?

What to do after 2026. In March, Upper and Lower Basin states, tribes and environmental groups released plans for how the river and its reservoirs should be managed in the future.

Arizona, California and Nevada asked the federal government to take a more expansive view of the river management and factor water levels in seven reservoirs instead of just Lake Powell and Lake Mead to determine the extent of water cuts. If the whole system drops below 38% capacity, their plan said, deeper cuts should be shared evenly with the Upper Basin and Mexico.

“We are trying to find the right, equitable outcome in which the Upper Basin doesn’t have to take all of the pain from the long-term reduction of the river, but we also can’t be the only ones protecting Lake Powell,” said Tom Buschatzke, director of Arizona’s Department of Water Resources and the state’s lead negotiator in the talks.

Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming called for addressing shortages based on the combined capacity of Lake Powell and Lake Mead, as opposed to just Lake Mead. It proposed more aggressive cuts that would affect California, Arizona and Nevada sooner when the major reservoir levels fall. Their plan doesn’t call for reductions in how much water is delivered to Upper Basin states.

Becky Mitchell, the lead negotiator for the state of Colorado, said the Upper Basin’s plan focuses more on making policy with an eye on the river’s supply, rather than the demands for its water.

“It’s important we start acknowledging that there’s not as much water available as folks would like,” Mitchell said.

Where does it go from here?

The federal government is expected to issue draft regulations by December that factor in the different plans and propose a way forward. Until then, states, tribes and other negotiators will continue talking and trying to reach agreement.
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State Fair of Texas bans firearms, drawing threats from state AG

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DALLAS — The State Fair of Texas is laying down a new rule before millions of visitors flock through the gates for corn dogs, deep-fried delights and a friendly wave from a five-story cowboy named Big Tex: No guns allowed.

But that decision by fair organizers — which comes after a shooting last year on the 112-hectare fairgrounds in the heart of Dallas — has drawn outrage from Republican lawmakers, who in recent years have proudly expanded gun rights in Texas. On Wednesday, the state’s attorney general threatened a lawsuit unless the fair reversed course.

“Dallas has 15 days to fix the issue,” Republican Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said in a statement, “otherwise I will see them in court.”

Tensions over where and how gun owners can carry firearms in public are frequent in Texas, but the standoff with one of the state’s most beloved institutions has moved the fight onto unusual turf. The fair has not backed down since cowboy hat-wearing organizers announced the new policy at a news conference last week.

The fair, which reopens in September and lasts for nearly a month, dates back to 1886. In addition to a maze of midway games, car shows and the Texas Star Ferris wheel — one of the tallest in the U.S. — the fairgrounds are also home to the annual college football rivalry between the University of Texas and University of Oklahoma. And after Big Tex, the towering cowboy that greets fairgoers, went up in flames in 2012 due to an electrical short, the fair mascot was met with great fanfare upon its return.

But a shooting near the rows of food booths last year dampened the revelry.

Investigators said one man opened fire on another, injuring three people and resulting in police clearing the fairgrounds. Videos posted on social media showed groups of people running along sidewalks and climbing barriers as they fled.

Defending the new policy Wednesday, fair spokesperson Karissa Condoianis acknowledged it has attracted “both criticism and praise.” She noted that the fair previously allowed gun owners to carry concealed weapons “even after virtually all other public events ceased to allow the same.”

“This is the right decision moving forward to ensure a safe environment and family-friendly atmosphere,” Condoianis said.

Republican lawmakers urged the fair to reconsider in a letter signed by more than 70 legislators, arguing that the ban made the fairgrounds less safe and was “anything but a celebration of Texas.”

In a separate letter to the City of Dallas, Paxton argued that the ban infringes on the rights of Texas gun owners. The city owns Fair Park, where the annual fair takes place; Paxton argued that gun owners can carry on property owned or leased by the government unless otherwise prohibited by state law.

A city spokesperson said in a statement Wednesday that they were reviewing Paxton’s letter “and will respond accordingly.”

Condoianis said Wednesday that the fair, which is a private, not-for-profit organization, “is not a government entity nor is it controlled by a government entity.” She said they are aware of Paxton’s letter to the city, and that it appears he’s “seeking clarification” on the city’s relationship with the fair and its use of Fair Park under the long-term lease agreement between the two parties.

Condoianis also disagreed that the ban makes the fair less safe, saying the policy is similar to rules at large community gatherings such as sporting events and concerts. She also noted that 200 uniformed and armed Dallas police officers and fair safety team members will be patrolling the fairgrounds. The fair said on its website that attendees go through a screening process before entering.

The fair is a “microcosm of the kind of mystique that comes with Texas,” said Brian Franklin, associate director of the Center for Presidential History at Southern Methodist University in Dallas. The fair, he said, speaks to Texans’ desire to emphasize the state’s rural cowboy heritage and being on the cutting edge of technology.

“You can go to the hall where it’s all the most amazing new cars and maybe other exhibits about technology,” he said, “and then you can also go and see the show cows.”
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Botswana, US address challenges facing women in military

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Gaborone, Botswana — U.S. and Botswanan military personnel took part in a workshop focusing on better integrating women into the African country’s army, addressing issues such as sexual harassment and the need for tailored equipment.

The three-day workshop was part of a larger program wrapping up Thursday intended to strengthen relations between the two countries and build local forces’ capacity.

Major Teisha Barnes, military operations officer of the U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa, which has an initiative to better address the role of women serving their countries, said women in the military face challenges that could limit their opportunities.

“One of the big challenges is not letting women broaden their horizons and putting them in a box,” Barnes said, adding that “not many women rise to the occasion.”

“We have made several changes in the U.S. over the last 10 to 15 years to accommodate women based on body type and changes to uniform just to help women feel more comfortable within the military,” she said.

Barnes elaborated on the U.S. Army’s challenges regarding uniforms and equipment, saying, “In the U.S. we also had issues with the proper fit in the wear of our vest when it came to shooting and injuring females instead of helping us. Another issue we had was the learning that women did not weigh enough to actually break in boots.

“By giving lessons to Botswana,” she said, “we hope they will learn from our mistakes to prevent injuries to women.”

Botswana Defense Forces Major P. Sergio acknowledged that women in the army still face challenges and voiced hope that interactions with the U.S. Army will prove helpful.

“In our culture, men believe that women cannot join the army because it is tough and we are soft, we are not masculine,” Sergio said. “People are not quick to change; it will take time for people to accept that women have joined the army and are doing well.”

U.S. Ambassador to Botswana Howard Van Vranken said it is essential to afford women equal opportunities in the military.

“It is [a] kind of approach to problem solving that incorporates everyone’s strength and enables us to bring everyone into the equation on an equal basis,” he said. “It’s absolutely essential that in order to tackle the problems that we face in the 21st century in security, we need everyone to contribute.”

The U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa, or SETAF-AF, workshop coincides with a broader initiative known as Southern Accord 2024, which is aimed at strengthening bilateral military capabilities.

The SETAF-AF deputy commanding general, Brigadier General John LeBlanc, said this year’s Southern Accord exercise, which drew 700 military personnel, has been a success. The bilateral exercises end Thursday.
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Growing number of Chinese now call Japan home

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Washington — Sun Lijun, a 42-year-old semiconductor engineer, says worries about the quality of air and living, childhood education and the overall economic trajectory in China are some of the reasons he and his wife first started talking about moving to Japan almost a decade ago.

In 2021, they did just that, leaving their life in China behind and relocating with their two children to Okinawa.

Moving to Japan on a business management visa was a first step to “start over and then lead another lifestyle,” he told VOA.

Largest pool of residents

Sun is not alone. He is one of hundreds of thousands of Chinese nationals who have relocated to Japan, where they are now the largest group of immigrants.

According to data from the Japanese Immigration Service Agency, at the end of last year, 821,838 Chinese nationals were living in Japan, a 13% increase from 2022. Trends of Chinese immigration follow a broader increase in the number of foreigners relocating to Japan, which reached a record high of 3,410,992 people in 2023.

With an aging population and widespread labor shortages, Japan has been rolling out immigration reforms in a bid to attract more foreign nationals to the country.

Beginning in 2019, the Japanese government pushed to loosen qualifications that previously inhibited foreigners from establishing residence in the country. Now, those applying for business management visas and residency can bypass the country’s previously strict standards for special skills, education and residence qualifications.

Chinese demand

The changes in Japanese immigration policy have come with consequences. In the case of Chinese nationals, new residents have driven up housing prices and the rate of real estate development across the country.

Daniel Cheng, president of Wan Guo Jin Liang Company, told VOA that real estate developers in Tokyo often use Chinese sales teams, and that many Chinese-owned real estate companies focus on business with Chinese living in Japan or other places overseas.

Tokyo has attracted many middle-class and wealthy Chinese immigrants, and that has pushed up the average price of newly built central city apartments by nearly 40% from 2022, to around $780,000, according to a report issued by the Tokyo-based Real Estate Economic Institute. That’s much higher than the average price in the capital’s greater metropolitan area, which is about $550,000 for an apartment.

Chin JouSen’s real estate agency, Yuzawa, focuses on the Chinese market. He said that when looking at buying property in Japan, China’s wealthy mainly focus on preserving the value of their investment, whereas middle-class families are looking for a variety of choices that allow them to minimize the cost of living.

Cheng said that Japan’s stable political environment, good medical and social insurance, and property ownership rights are a key draw for Chinese. In China, by contrast, individuals may not own land.

Water Lee, a consultant with InterDots, a company that provides immigration services to people from Hong Kong, told VOA that Hong Kongers are also among those relocating to Japan — given the changes in the political environment in the port city in recent years.

Integration into Japan

Despite the impact of the surge of new foreign residents, the rising cost of housing in Japan’s capital, and the geopolitical rivalry between Tokyo and Beijing, Chinese migrants say public sentiment in Japan toward immigrants is positive.

Chin JouSen recently founded his real estate business in Japan. He said that integrating into Japanese society is the most important thing an immigrant can do. And based on his experience, the Japanese are friendly and accepting, Chin said.

However, while most Japanese people are friendly to foreigners, Tokyo-based aromatherapy business owner Michelle Takahashi, who is originally from Taiwan, told VOA that immigrants can sometimes feel subtle differences in how they are treated.

“Japanese thinking on service work can sometimes make foreigners feel like they are being treated specially or differently. This can be a challenge for foreigners who don’t speak Japanese,” she said.

The Japanese government provides new immigrants with specialists to help them adapt to the new language and culture.

Kazuhiko Isozaki founded Beru Corporation in 2017. The company invests in unused, vacant houses, renovates them and rents them out to disadvantaged groups at low prices. He fully welcomed the influx of foreign capital, especially Chinese capital, into Japan.

“The rise in land and housing prices has a positive impact on the economy, and foreign capital helps to drive up land prices,” he said.

“As Japan’s population continues to decline and incomes within the country fall, it makes sense from an economic perspective to more effectively assist overseas capital and people in entering Japan.”

He said he hopes to engage in business helping foreigners buy real estate in Japan in the future, mainly through education and support services, to reduce the barriers for foreigners to buy houses in Japan.

A slower, happier life

As for Sun and his family, they have settled in Okinawa, Japan’s sparsely populated island south of the main island. Sun says he enjoys the climate, slower pace of life and the internationalism he has found there.

For a while, Sun operated a coin laundry before transitioning to property management. His two daughters are learning Japanese in school.

“After immigrating to Japan, my quality of life and overall happiness of my family increased significantly,” Sun said.

VOA’s Katherine Michaelson contributed to this report.
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US Rep. Ilhan Omar, member of progressive ‘Squad,’ wins Democratic primary in Minnesota

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MINNEAPOLIS — Democratic U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar, one of the progressive House members known as the “Squad” and a sharp critic of how Israel has conducted the war in Gaza, has won her primary race in Minnesota.

Omar successfully defended her Minneapolis-area 5th District seat against a repeat challenge from former Minneapolis City Council member Don Samuels, a more centrist liberal whom she only narrowly defeated in the 2022 primary.

Speaking to supporters in Minneapolis, Omar echoed some of the themes of the Harris-Walz presidential campaign.

“We run the politics of joy,” she said. “Because we know it is joyful to fight for your neighbors. … We know it is joyful to make sure housing is a human right. We know it is joyful to fight for health care to be a human right. We know it is joyful to want to live in a peaceful and equitable world.”

Omar avoided the fate of two fellow Squad members. Rep. Cori Bush lost the Democratic nomination in her Missouri district last week, and Rep. Jamaal Bowman of New York lost his primary in June. Both faced well-funded challengers and millions of dollars in spending by the United Democracy Project, a super political action committee affiliated with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, which appeared to sit out the Minnesota race.

Samuels had criticized Omar’s condemnation of the Israeli government’s handling of the Israel-Hamas war. While Omar has also criticized Hamas for attacking Israel and taking hostages, Samuels said she’s one-sided and divisive. He also stressed public safety issues in Minneapolis, where a former police officer murdered George Floyd in 2020.

Samuels said he was “very disappointed” with his loss.

“What I was hoping is that a strong ground game and an attention to the details of folks who felt left out would trump an overwhelming superiority in dollars,” he said in an interview. “Clearly money matters a little more in politics than I had hoped.”

Omar reported raising about $6.2 million. Samuels raised about $1.4 million.

Omar will face Republican Dalia Al-Aqidi, an Iraqi American journalist and self-described secular Muslim who calls Omar pro-Hamas.

Meanwhile, conservative populist and former NBA player Royce White defeated Navy veteran Joe Fraser in Minnesota’s primary election for the Republican nomination to challenge Democratic U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar in November.

And former federal prosecutor Joe Teirab, supported by former President Donald Trump, House Speaker Mike Johnson and the National Republican Congressional Committee, won a contested GOP primary for Minnesota’s 2nd District seat held by Democratic Rep. Angie Craig.

His opponent, defense attorney Tayler Rahm, won the endorsement at the district convention with support from grassroots conservatives.

While Rahm announced in July that he was suspending his campaign and would instead serve as a senior adviser for Trump’s Minnesota campaign, he remained on the ballot.

Teirab will face Craig in what’s expected to be Minnesota’s most competitive House race in November.

“Tonight’s definitive results send a clear message that Republicans are united and ready for change,” Teirab said in a statement. “We are ready to support candidates who will strengthen our economy, secure the border, and restore safety in our communities.”

Craig issued a statement calling him “a guy who recently moved to the district because he saw a political opportunity.”

“He’s a guy who has spent months doing anything to win the support of Washington Republicans,” Craig said. “And he’s a guy who has made it his life’s mission to take away reproductive freedoms from families and give those decisions to politicians.”

In the U.S. Senate race, White — an ally of imprisoned former Trump aide Steve Bannon and conspiracy theorist Alex Jones — shocked many political observers when he defeated Fraser at the party convention for the GOP endorsement.

White’s social media comments have been denounced as misogynistic, homophobic, antisemitic and profane. His legal and financial problems include unpaid child support and questionable campaign spending, including $1,200 spent at a Florida strip club after he lost his primary challenge to Omar in 2022. He argues that, as a Black man, he can broaden the party’s base by appealing to voters of color in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area and others disillusioned with establishment politics.

Following his win, White said in a post on the social platform X: “Bring it on commies… The People Are Coming.”

Democratic leaders denounced him as a far-right extremist.

“While Royce White’s language and policies seek to divide Minnesotans, Senator Amy Klobuchar is focused on bringing people together to get things done, and she is consistently ranked as one of the most bipartisan and effective legislators in the Senate,” Ken Martin, the state Democratic Party chair, said in a statement. “The choice this November could not be more clear.”

Fraser said earlier that White’s confrontational style and message won’t attract the moderates and independents needed for a competitive challenge against Klobuchar, who’s seeking a fourth term. He said he offered a more mainstream approach, stressing fiscal conservativism, a strong defense, world leadership and small government. Fraser has also highlighted his 26 years in the Navy, where he was an intelligence officer and served a combat tour in Iraq.

Neither had anywhere near the resources that Klobuchar has. White last reported raising $133,000, while Fraser took in $68,000. Klobuchar, meanwhile, has collected about $19 million this cycle and has more than $6 million available to spend on the general election campaign. She faced only nominal primary opposition.

Another clash between establishment and grassroots Republicans played out in western Minnesota’s 7th District. Trump-backed GOP Rep. Michelle Fischbach, considered one of the most conservative members of Congress, defeated small businessman Steve Boyd. Boyd ran to her right on a religious platform and blocked her from getting endorsement at the district convention. Boyd reported spending $170,000, while Fischbach spent over $1 million.

Among the legislative primaries on the ballot Tuesday, Democrats picked former state Sen. Ann Johnson Stewart to face Republican Kathleen Fowke in a high-stakes race that will determine not only which party controls the state Senate, but whether Democrats maintain their narrow “trifecta” control of both chambers and the governor’s office. Democrats used that power to pass an ambitious agenda over the last two years that helped put Gov. Tim Walz on the radar of Vice President Kamala Harris before she picked him to be her running mate.

It will be the only state Senate seat in the November ballot. The seat in the western Minneapolis suburbs had been held by Democrat Kelly Morrison, who will face Republican Tad Jude for Minnesota’s 3rd Congressional District seat.
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Для захисту прикордоння України Сили оборони створюють «зону безпеки» на території РФ – Верещук

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Тому силами українських військових планується, серед іншого, проведення гуманітарних операцій з метою підтримки цивільних осіб у межах зазначеної зони
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