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UPI
5 days ago
- UPI
20 parrots found during border crossing, U.S. agents in Texas say
July 8 (UPI) -- Birds of a feather flock together, and now 20 parrots do so at a Texas zoo after U.S. border agents intercepted the undocumented birds from someone attempting to enter the United States. Officials of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency, with the help of agriculture specialists, found 20 undeclared parrots on Monday at the Hidalgo Port of Entry in Texas after a 22-year-old female American citizen applied for re-entry into the United States. "Our frontline CBP officers and agriculture specialists continue to maintain resolute vigilance amid heavy holiday weekend traffic and that mission dedication led to the interception of 20 parrots," said Hidalgo's Port Director Carlos Rodriguez. It occurred at the Hidalgo International Bridge. But the type of parrot species was not immediately clear. The unidentified woman driver, operating a 2022 Chevy Traverse, was referred by CBP officers for a secondary inspection where border officials spotted the birds hidden inside the vehicle in a bag. The driver was arrested and the parrots transported by state game wardens to Gladys Porter Zoo in Brownsville. The import of parrots to U.S. shores is regulated by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the species is protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. In 2017, some 93 exotic birds were found in Los Angles stuffed inside the luggage of a man who arrived from Vietnam with 50 still alive at time of inspection. Meanwhile, a criminal investigation into Monday's incident in Texas was initiated by Homeland Security Investigations and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. America's border agency "remains committed to preventing the exploitation of protected animals and the spread of animal diseases," the Hidalgo port chief added Tuesday.
Ammon
13-04-2025
- Business
- Ammon
Trump spares smartphones, computers, other electronics from China tariffs
Ammon News - U.S. President Donald Trump's administration granted exclusions from steep reciprocal tariffs to smartphones, computers and some other electronics imported largely from China, providing a big break to tech firms like Apple that rely on imported products. In a notice to shippers the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency published a list of tariff codes excluded from the import taxes, with retroactive effect from 12:01 a.m. EDT (0401 GMT) on April 5. It featured 20 product categories, including the broad 8471 code for all computers, laptops, disc drives and automatic data processing. It also included semiconductor devices, equipment, memory chips and flat panel displays. Reuters
Arabian Business
13-04-2025
- Business
- Arabian Business
Trump exempts smartphones, computers from new tariffs
The Trump administration has granted exclusions from steep reciprocal tariffs for smartphones, computers and certain other electronics, primarily imported from China. This decision provides significant relief to technology firms such as Apple that depend on imported products. According to a notice to shippers published by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency, a list of tariff codes has been excluded from the import taxes, with retroactive effect from 12:01 a.m. EDT on April 5. Trump grants tariff exclusions for key electronics categories The exclusions cover 20 product categories, including the comprehensive 8471 code for computers, laptops, disc drives and automatic data processing. Semiconductor devices, equipment, memory chips and flat panel displays were also included in the exemptions. This late-night exclusion brings relief to major technology companies including Apple, Dell Technologies and numerous other importers. Trump's action also exempts the specified electronics from his 10 percent 'baseline' tariffs on goods from most countries apart from China, reducing import costs for semiconductors from Taiwan and Apple iPhones manufactured in India. When questioned about his reasoning for the exemptions and plans for semiconductors on Saturday, Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One: 'I'll give you that answer on Monday. We'll be very specific on Monday … we're taking in a lot of money, as a country, we're taking in a lot of money,' Reuters reported. The full details of the administration's plans regarding semiconductor policy are expected early next week.
New York Times
04-04-2025
- Politics
- New York Times
Chinese Woman Detained in Arizona Border Station Dies by Suicide
A Chinese woman detained by U.S. border officers for overstaying a visitor visa died by suicide while being held at a border patrol station in Arizona, a Democratic congresswoman said. The woman had been taken into custody in California after officers determined that she had overstayed a visitor visa, Representative Pramila Jayapal of Washington said in a statement, citing the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency. She was transferred to a patrol station in Yuma, Ariz., the statement said. Ms. Jayapal, a ranking member of the House subcommittee overseeing immigration, said initial reports from the agency had raised concerns about whether officers had properly conducted welfare checks on the woman. While welfare checks were logged, officials at the agency investigating the death could not verify whether the checks had actually happened, Ms. Jayapal said. 'There is no excuse for why agents cannot verify if some of the necessary welfare checks occurred — or why some of the documented welfare checks were incorrectly reported,' Ms. Jayapal said, adding that she was concerned about the conditions in facilities where immigrants are detained. 'Another preventable death only increases that concern,' she said. The woman had been in the country on a B-1/B-2 visa, according to the statement, a temporary visa for people visiting the United States for tourism or business. The Customs and Border Protection agency did not immediately respond to a request for comment. A spokesman for the agency confirmed the death of a 52-year-old woman to The Tucson Sentinel, and said that the woman had become 'unresponsive in a cell' at the Yuma Border Patrol Station. Border Patrol staff provided medical assistance to the woman, the spokesman said in a statement to The Sentinel, and emergency medical services transported her to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead. An office overseeing the agency's conduct was investigating the incident, the statement said, and the agency also reported the death to the Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General. The exact circumstances around the woman's initial detainment were not immediately clear. Border Patrol officials for the Yuma sector, which includes parts of California and Arizona, said last week on social media that they had arrested two Chinese people, one of them a 52-year-old woman, in Needles, Calif., on March 26. According to the post, agents searched a minivan during a vehicle stop and discovered that two Chinese nationals were 'illegally present in the U.S.' The agency had planned to charge the two people under a law that makes certain people ineligible to receive a visa or enter the country, including on the grounds of suspected money laundering or other criminal activity. More than $220,000 in cash was also seized from the van, and the agency said it believed the cash was linked to illegal activity. But it was not immediately clear on Friday whether the woman arrested in Needles was the same woman who died while in custody.
Express Tribune
19-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
Semisonic Condemns White House for Using ‘Closing Time' in Deportation Video
The band Semisonic has denounced the Trump administration for using their 1998 hit Closing Time in a White House social media post about deportations. The video featured a handcuffed man being searched at an airport while the song's lyrics, 'You don't have to go home, but you can't stay here,' played in the background. The U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency retweeted the post, adding: 'It's closing time. We are making America safe again.' However, Semisonic quickly responded, criticizing the video and its message. 'We did not authorize or condone the White House's use of Closing Time in any way,' the band wrote on Facebook. 'And no, they didn't ask. The song is about joy, possibilities, and hope—they have missed the point entirely.' White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt defended the post, stating on Monday that 'our entire government clearly is leaning into the message of this president.' Closing Time, a Grammy-nominated track from the band's album Feeling Strangely Fine, was a commercial success, peaking at No. 43 on the Billboard 200. Semisonic joins a long list of artists who have objected to the Trump administration's unauthorized use of their music. Rihanna, Bruce Springsteen, Phil Collins, and Céline Dion have all spoken out against similar incidents. In some cases, artists like Steven Tyler and Neil Young have even issued cease-and-desist letters. This latest controversy highlights ongoing tensions between musicians and political figures over the unauthorized use of music to push partisan messages.
