A federal judge on Thursday ordered the Kennedy Center to provide 30 days’ notice before making any major physical changes to the building, including demolishing it, as President Donald Trump has threatened.
asserted
Trump → order → it
Trump said Wednesday that without his efforts to restore the aging building, “it’s going to close.
asserted
it → say → building
It’ll end up being ripped down.”
asserted
It → end → ?
Earlier on Thursday, a top official at the Kennedy Center said he closed the iconic performing arts center temporarily due to “acute risks to public safety resulting from continued structural deterioration” of the building.
asserted
he → say → building
The temporary closure occurred without notice Wednesday and was separate from a vote a day earlier by the Kennedy Center’s board to close the performing arts center indefinitely for repairs, officials said.
asserted
officials → occur → repairs
Trump is withdrawing his nomination of Lance Schroyer to lead U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the White House said Thursday.
asserted
House → withdraw → Enforcement
The former Oklahoma state trooper has little experience with immigration.
asserted
trooper → have → immigration
The step ensures that an agency at the forefront of Trump’s domestic agenda will remain without a Senate-confirmed leader for at least a while longer.
asserted
agency → ensure → leader
US piles more pressure on Iran to disrupt sanctions evasion efforts
The Trump administration is stepping up efforts to combat Iranian attempts to circumvent U.S. sanctions.
asserted
administration → pile → sanctions
The U.S. is now going after digital currency networks it says are illegally providing sanctioned Iranian entities with access to the international financial system.
asserted
it → go → system
The Treasury and State Departments announced on Thursday that they had targeted two companies and three individuals who have played a role in helping Iran evade sanctions.
asserted
Iran → announce → sanctions
The companies are Bitbank and the Pishtaz Simorgh Electronic Trade Company and three associates of BitBank’s previously sanctioned chief Babak Zajani.
asserted
companies → sanction → chief
The move freezes any assets those affected may have in U.S. jurisdictions or that come into contact with U.S. financial institutions, bar Americans from doing business with them and could result in criminal action against foreign entities that violate the sanctions.
uncertain
that → freeze → sanctions
Data centers figure prominently in former interior secretary’s campaign for New Mexico governor
Data centers are emerging as a flashpoint in New Mexico’s governor’s race with both major party candidates staking out positions on the rapidly growing industry.
asserted
candidates → figure → industry
Former U.S. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland vowed Thursday to place a moratorium on new large-scale data center construction in New Mexico if elected governor.
“The bottom line is we don’t have water to waste,” the Democrat said in Albuquerque.
asserted
Democrat → vow → Albuquerque
Haaland’s campaign said her proposed moratorium would not affect projects already underway but would remain until “strong, clear” regulations are enacted.
asserted
regulations → say → projects
Campaign finance filings showed companies and executives tied to a massive Project Jupiter data center planned in southern New Mexico donated tens of thousands of dollars to Haaland’s campaign.
asserted
companies → show → campaign
Those interests didn’t donate to GOP nominee Gregg Hull in the same period.
asserted
interests → donate → period
Hull opposes a moratorium, arguing the state should compete to attract data center investment while regulating its environmental and other impacts.
asserted
state → oppose → impacts
Man accused of ties to bin Laden has 20-year Guantanamo detention reviewed
A man initially accused of being a high-profile al-Qaida figure appeared at a hearing Thursday at the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, where he’s been held without charges for 20 years.
asserted
he → accuse → years
A U.S. government official said at the detention review hearing that Abu Zubaydah had “probably” served as one of Osama bin Laden’s most trusted facilitators.
asserted
Zubaydah → say → facilitators
The brief hearing offered a rare glimpse into the secretive military court proceedings of a suspect who had been tortured at CIA black sites during the U.S. war on terrorism.
asserted
who → offer → terrorism
His case remains unresolved 25 years after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks.
asserted
case → remain → attacks
The man’s private attorney, Annika Conrad, acknowledged he had known bin Laden.
asserted
he → acknowledge → Laden
But she said he never belonged to the militant group of the 9/11 mastermind.
asserted
he → say → mastermind
She argued Zubaydah poses no security threat to the U.S. and should be transferred out of Guantanamo.
asserted
Zubaydah → argue → Guantanamo
▶ Read more
White House slams finding from UN human rights body
The White House issued a scathing statement after experts commissioned by the U.N.’s top human rights body say they found “reasonable grounds” to believe the United States committed war crimes in two strikes in Iran.
asserted
States → read → Iran
“The UN Human Rights Council has accomplished nothing for human rights while spouting unserious nonsense for decades,” White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly said Thursday.
asserted
Kelly → accomplish → decades
She added: “The only party in this conflict that has committed war crimes is the Iranian regime, which has murdered thousands of its own people, killed Americans overseas, executed acts of terrorism in the Strait of Hormuz, and launched indiscriminate attacks against its neighbors in the region.”
asserted
which → add → region
US approves visas for top Iranian officials for UN meetings in New York
The State Department says it had approved visas for Iran’s “core delegation” and essential staffers.
asserted
it → approve → delegation
The core delegation includes President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, according to U.S. officials who spoke on condition of anonymity due visa privacy laws.
uncertain
who → include → laws
The move is unusual due to the ongoing conflict between Iran and the United States and no sign that agreements to reopen the Strait of Hormuz or return to talks on Iran’s nuclear program are close.
asserted
agreements → reopen → program
And, according to the U.S. government, Iran remains the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism.
uncertain
Iran → accord → terrorism
Senate blocks House-passed measure on data centers
The Senate has blocked a House-passed bill that aims to have data centers pay for their substantial energy needs.
asserted
centers → block → needs
Republican Sen. Jon Husted of Ohio sought to pass the measure through unanimous consent.
asserted
Husted → seek → consent
He’s been facing attack ads on the issue as he seeks reelection and as people gather signatures in his state for a referendum to outright ban their construction.
asserted
people → face → construction
The legislation that Husted sought to pass would require state utility regulators to consider a standard ensuring that data centers pay the full cost of the infrastructure needed to serve them.
asserted
centers → seek → them
“If you create the costs you should pay the costs,” Husted said.
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Husted → create → costs
But Democratic Sen. Martin Heinrich of New Mexico objected.
asserted
Heinrich → object → Mexico
Heinrich says the bill falls short of what’s needed.
asserted
what → say → ?
…and 103 more, not listed.
The Aporia
