A year after Haiti’s acting Prime Minister Ariel Henry called for an international force to protect against growing gang violence in the country, the United Nations Security Council approved the deployment of a force to Haiti led by Kenya, in a one-year mission. China and Russia abstained in the vote.
(“Can New Intervention Do Right by Haiti,” Foreign Policy, Oct. 6, 2023; “A Foreign Armed Force to Fight Gangs Makes Many in Haiti Celebrate,” Associated Press, Oct. 3, 2023)
Union Pacific, the nation’s largest freight rail carrier was recently criticized by the Federal Railway Administration for poor train maintenance and for furloughing workers who preform maintenance. The letter from the rail industry regulatory agency was issued in mid-September and came after inspections of a Union Pacific railyard in North Platte, Nebraska over the summer.
(“Regulators Blast Union Pacific for Running Unsafe Trains,” ProPublica, Sept. 11, 2023)
As Republican controlled-states continue to roll back voting rights and pass voter suppression laws, disabled persons are facing new roadblocks to casting their ballots, including long lines and the lack of curbside service. In These Times reports that as of 2016, only 17 percent of U.S. polling locations were fully accessible.
(“The Majority of Polling Places Are Inaccessible. A Disabled Voters Bill of Rights Could Change That,” In These Times, Sept. 27, 2023)
This week’s News Summary was narrated by Anna Manzo.
