Author: CNN

CNN
 — 

And so, it all comes down to this. On Monday evening, either the Georgia Bulldogs or the Texas Christian University (TCU) Horned Frogs will be crowned college football’s best team.

After five months of grueling action – and two extraordinary semifinals – one team will etch their name into college football history at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles.

For Georgia, this is a chance to enter the record books. As defending champion, Georgia can become the first team to win consecutive national titles since the competition reformatted in 2014.

With Stetson Bennett at the helm, the Bulldogs have once again leaned on their stout defense to go undefeated this year. This is a team peppered with future NFL talent, notably defensive tackle Jalen Carter, tight end Brock Bowers and corner back Kelee Ringo.

For TCU, this year’s success has been much more of a surprise. With a first-year head coach – Sonny Dykes – at the helm, TCU became the first team to play for a national championship after entering the season unranked.

Max Duggan at quarterback has been a big reason for the team’s success, coming second in the Heisman Trophy voting this season, finishing with 3,546 passing yards, 32 passing touchdowns and six interceptions, as well as 461 rushing yards and eight rushing touchdowns this year as he helped TCU to the fifth highest scoring defenses.

And with Tre’Vius Hodges-Tomlinson at cornerback – one of college football’s top defensive backs – and Dylan Horton heating up, the TCU defense has also shown its resilience.

The two college team have not faced off since 2016 – when Georgia won 31-23 – but if they can replicate the excitement they both brought to the semifinals, fans are in for a treat.

Georgia Bulldogs vs. TCU Horned Frogs: Monday, January 9, at 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN

CNN
 — 

Pentagon officials have held multiple high-level meetings in recent months in preparation for a barrage of Republican-led House investigations into issues varying from the US withdrawal from Afghanistan withdrawal to what conservative lawmakers have deemed “woke” military policies, according to a senior defense official.

House Republicans have long signaled their intent to launch a series of probes if and when they gained the majority. Some of those priorities were flagged by Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee in November last year, when they released a 1,000 page report on what they said was the politicization of the Justice Department and FBI, complete with dozens of letters sent to various government officials – current and former – detailing inquiries about various DOJ and FBI investigations.

After finally winning a protracted battle to be named House speaker in the early hours of Saturday, Rep. Kevin McCarthy suggested the Pentagon would come under scrutiny.

“We will hold the swamp accountable, from the withdrawal of Afghanistan, to the origins of covid and to the weaponization of the FBI,” McCarthy said.

Pentagon leaders are well aware that the investigations could begin soon after House members are sworn in.

Asked about the potential probes on Thursday, Pentagon spokesman Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder said that the Defense Department “respects Congress’s important oversight role and as always will continue to work closely with Congress and respond appropriately to legitimate congressional inquiries.”

The Biden administration’s withdrawal from Afghanistan has been a top investigative target for Republicans since its chaotic conclusion in August 2021, underscored by the killing of 13 US service members at Kabul’s international airport in the closing days of America’s longest war.

A series of key decisions including the early closure of Bagram Air Base, a perceived lack of security at Hamid Karzai International Airport, the evacuation of the US embassy in Kabul, relations with the Taliban – will likely be examined in an investigation that goes beyond the Defense Department to the State Department and the White House.

Texas Republican Rep. Michael McCaul, who is slated to take over as the House Foreign Affairs Committee chairman, told CNN on Thursday that the Republican majority will “continue to demand answers to why the withdrawal from Afghanistan was such a disaster.”

“The American people deserve transparency from this administration,” McCaul said, “especially when it comes to national security, and we will work to deliver that to them.”

Led by McCaul, Republicans on the committee prepared their own investigation into the withdrawal, released one year after the fall of Kabul. The report, which has yet to be released in its entirety, alleges a severe shortage of State Department personnel at the Kabul airport to process Afghan evacuees.

But the Defense Department has faced questions about Afghanistan already, albeit from a friendly Democratic House that faced criticism for not digging deep enough. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Mark Milley have testified to Congress about the withdrawal, as has former commander of Central Command, Gen. Frank McKenzie, who openly said that he opposed a complete withdrawal.

Now it will be re-litigated by more hostile GOP-led House committees.

The White House is likely to stick to its position that the withdrawal from Afghanistan was the only feasible option after the Trump administration signed the Doha Agreement with the Taliban a year earlier. Administration members maintain that if the US had stayed longer it would have violated the agreement and would have invited attacks from a resurgent Taliban and other militant organizations.

Republicans may also investigate the effectiveness of the military’s so-called over-the-horizon options in Afghanistan, which officials promised would be a way of tracking and, if necessary, striking terrorist organizations.

FBI Director Christopher Wray said this summer that he was “worried about the potential loss of sources and collection over there.” Some intelligence officials have derided the over-the-horizon strategy as “over-the-rainbow.”

The Biden administration can point to the precision strike that killed al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri in downtown Kabul in August as proof of the viability of the over-the-horizon strategy. But tracking one high-value target is far different than tracking the growth of al-Qaeda throughout the country, and the Republicans may seize on that gap.

Republicans have promised to focus on so-called “woke” initiatives and policies in the military, to include diversity and inclusion efforts and service academy literature and discussions.

The military has at times struggled to find its footing in how best to confront complaints over “wokeness”, as the institution attempts to stay out of politics. That was put on display in October when Army Secretary Christine Wormuth addressed the complaints at the annual Association of the US Army meeting in Washington, DC, saying that the Army had to stay “out of the culture wars” because “we have got to be able to have a broad appeal.”

“When only 9% of kids are interested in serving, we have got to make sure that we are careful about not alienating wide swaths of the American public to the Army,” Wormuth said.

But staying out of the conversation has become increasingly difficult as lawmakers and media pundits alike have pushed officials to respond.

Republican lawmakers have grilled defense officials including Austin and Milley on policies on diversity and inclusion, saying they are negatively impacting retention and recruitment and interfering with the military’s focus on the defense of the nation. Pentagon leaders have rejected that argument as a distraction from the military’s primary function, however, and have not cited “wokeness” as one of the main challenges to recruiting.

Wormuth and Chief of Staff Gen. James McConville, for example, said in a July memo last year that the recruiting shortage – most severe for the Army – was due to a declining number of young Americans who are qualified to serve, Covid-19-related education restraints, and a lack of trust in American institutions.

And in March 2021, Fox News’ Tucker Carlson was rebuked by military officials after mocking women in uniform during his show. Carlson complained that new uniforms meant to fit women properly and updated hair standards made “a mockery of the US military.” Service leaders and Pentagon officials alike pushed back on the rhetoric, pointing instead to honorable service of women around the military.

“They are beacons of freedom and they prove Carlson wrong through determination and dedication,” tweeted Gen. Paul Funk, head of the Army Training and Doctrine Command. “We are fortunate they serve with us.”

The tension over the topic of wokeness in the military resulted in a heated exchange between Milley and Republican lawmakers in 2021, after he was questioned about “critical race theory.” Milley said it was “offensive that we are accusing the United States military, our general officers, our non-commissioned officers of being ‘woke’ or something else because we’re studying some theories that are out there.”

Milley discussed his frustrations with lawmakers’ politicization of the military while being interviewed by the House January 6 Committee. According to the transcript of his interview, Milley acknowledged that he has “become a lightning rod for the politicization of the military,” along with several other senior military officials.

“Some of it is comments that I made in testimony about critical race theory and white rage. You know, so 90 seconds with Congressmen Gaetz and Waltz result in, you know, four, five, six months of this constant drumbeat that is very damaging, in my view, personally, to the health of the Republic, because there is a deliberate attempt, in my view, to smear the general officer corps and the leaders of the military and to politicize the military, for whatever reasons that they think that that’s valuable.”

Republican Rep. Michael Waltz, a member of the House Armed Services Committee, told Politico in November that the Biden administration is pushing a “progressive, socially-driven agenda that is being forced on the military” and that lawmakers will “provide oversight” and “legislate it.”

And just two months earlier, Rep. Mike Gallagher of Wisconsin, ranking member of the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Military Personnel, said in a statement that Republicans would “expose” diversity and inclusion ideology at the military service academies.

“I guarantee you,” Gallagher said, “when Congress is controlled by Republicans, as it will be in the new year, we’re going to push back on this and expose this ideology for the distraction from war fighting that it is.”

Republicans have promised a harder line on US aid to Ukraine, questioning the large amount and the ability of the administration to effectively oversee the massive quantities of weapons and equipment flowing to Kyiv. Since the start of the war, the administration has given more than $24 billion in aid to Ukraine, including the largest ever package of $2.85 billion announced Friday.

In October, before it was clear Republicans had taken control of the House, Rep. Kevin McCarthy vowed there would be no “blank check” for Ukraine. Last month, McCaul, who supports ongoing weapons shipments and aid to Ukraine, said there was still a need for “oversight and accountability.”

But some House Republicans have taken a far harder line on Ukraine, vowing to oppose the high-value weapons packages the Biden administration has been sending.

The Defense Department has a small group of personnel in Kyiv under who carry out inspections of weapons and equipment provided to Ukraine. Though the team cannot visit the volatile front lines, the Pentagon says it has seen no indication that US weapons have been siphoned away from Ukrainian forces and ended up on the black market or elsewhere.

“We have no indication that there has been any type of illicit spread,” said Pentagon press secretary Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder in November.

The $40 billion Ukraine aid package passed in May also contained requirements for oversight of weapons shipments, including from the DoD Inspector General. The package also requires periodic reports from the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of State to the oversight committees. Last month, the omnibus spending bill dedicated $6 million for oversight and inspections.

The larger and more expensive systems, such as the HIMARS rocket launchers, are easier to track on the battlefield. All of them remain in service and accounted for, according to a defense official. More difficult to track are the lower-cost, high-volume items the US has sent, such as small arms and ammunition or thousands of Javelin anti-tank missiles and Stinger shoulder-launched anti-aircraft missiles.

While lawmakers at times included the military’s Covid-19 vaccine mandate in their criticisms of “woke” initiatives and policies, the fight over that particular complaint appears settled as the requirement was repealed in the new National Defense Authorization Act.

Republicans have said that the vaccine mandate had a negative impact on recruitment, which was a significant challenge for the services last year. Marine Corps Commandant Gen. David Berger also said in December that there are “still myths and misbeliefs about the backstory” of the vaccine, which was impacting recruitment in “parts of the country.”

However, a Marine Corps spokesman later clarified that Berger was not referencing specific data, and Austin said at a press conference that he has not “seen any hard data that directly links the Covid mandate to an effort on our recruiting.”

It’s unclear what lawmakers would investigate in regards to the mandate, though Indiana Republican Rep. Jim Banks, chairman of the Republican Study Committee, told Military.com last year that “[cleaning] up the mess the administration has made with the excessive and dangerous Covid mandates on our troops” would be one of Republicans’ “very top priorities.”

CNN
 — 

President Joe Biden visited the US-Mexico border on Sunday for the first time as president, but he did not appear to see or meet with migrants, including during a trip to a migrant respite center.

Biden spent several hours in El Paso in his first visit to the southern border as president, following growing outcry and criticism that he had not yet seen the crisis created by the record number of migrants trekking to the border first hand. But that brief visit appeared largely focused on enforcement issues and speaking with border enforcement personnel. Reporters on the ground did not see any migrants at the respite center during the president’s visit there, nor along the motorcade routes throughout the afternoon.

Asked to explain the thinking behind having Biden visit this specific center and ultimately not meeting or interacting with any migrants there, a senior administration official told CNN, “There just weren’t any at the center when he arrived. Completely coincidental. They haven’t had any today.”

Biden’s visit was scheduled at a time when border crossings had already dropped drastically in El Paso. Still, CNN’s Rosa Flores reported on Sunday that hundreds of migrants, including children, were living on the street after crossing into the United States in El Paso. And nearly 1,000 additional migrants were in federal custody in detention facilities in El Paso on Sunday, according to the City of El Paso’s migrant dashboard.

The trip came following relentless calls from Republicans who believe the trip is overdue. In addition to Republicans, some border-district Democrats in Congress and even Democratic mayors have criticized Biden for failing to address record levels of border crossings.

Upon arriving, the president’s motorcade drove along a highway that parallels the Rio Grande and the border. An iron-slatted fence with barbed wire at the top was to the left as the motorcade went down the highway. At a quick stop, Biden stood for several minutes along the iron fence separating the US and Mexico as he spoke with officers in green uniforms. The group then walked along the gravel road that abuts the fence. Biden responded to a few questions from reporters, saying that the government would provide every resource needed at the border.

He then visited a migrant processing center, where he did not appear to meet with any migrants, but did discuss the work underway there with several different workers from that facility.

Biden shook each person’s hand and chatted quietly but reporters were unable to hear the exchange. Biden then observed kits containing socks, toothpaste and soap that are given to migrants. He asked if he could wave a wand to help the organizations, what they would look for and the answer appeared to be funding, but reporters covering the visit had trouble hearing him.

With his visit to El Paso, Texas, on Sunday, Biden seized on an issue that’s been a political liability for his administration after calling on Congress to overhaul the US immigration system to meet current needs.

But the patchwork of policies put in place by the administration to manage the border so far has often put Biden at odds with his own allies who argue that the administration’s approach is too enforcement heavy.

“It’s enraging and sad to see a Democratic administration make it harder for vulnerable people to seek asylum all because they’re scared of angry MAGA voters on this issue,” a member of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus told CNN, responding to the latest policy announcements.

The president’s flight was met by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, a persistent critic of Biden and his administration for the federal response to migration on the US southern border. The Republican governor confirmed to reporters that he gave Biden a letter outlining what he described as “chaos” on the border.

The letter, which has been published online by the governor’s office, reiterates Abbott’s previous criticisms, urges Biden to visit other border communities and includes five steps the Texas governor believes the Biden administration should take. CNN has reached out to the White House for comment on the letter. Biden told reporters he had not yet read the letter.

Escobar, who represents El Paso, insisted that Biden’s visit to the city would not serve solely as a photo opportunity for the president.

“We’ve worked with the White House to make sure that all the folks who are actually doing the work on the ground day-to-day are the ones that the president will meet with,” she said in an interview on CBS’ “Face the Nation” on Sunday. “He needs to hear about how over time, the challenges that we have faced as a country on immigration, on border issues, they have grown exponentially.”

She blamed the Trump-era public health rule known as Title 42 for the rise in border crossings. The restriction allows federal authorities to expel migrants quickly, citing the Covid-19 pandemic.

Escobar predicted, based on her conversations with Department of Homeland Security officials, that the administration would eventually move toward the move punitive Title 8, which allows US authorities to process and remove migrants who do not have a legal basis to be in the country.

“All of these executive branch efforts really are just temporary Band-Aids. Whether it’s Title 8, whether it’s Title 42, we need to make sure Congress acts,” she said. “The administration, in the absence of any legislation from the Congress, has very few tools available.”

Mass movement across the Western Hemisphere has posed an urgent challenge for Biden, who in his first few months in office faced a surge of unaccompanied migrant children at the border and later, the abrupt arrival of thousands of Haitian migrants.

Since 2021, there have been more than 2.4 million arrests along the US-Mexico border, according to US Customs and Border Protection data. That includes people who have attempted to cross more than once. Many have also been turned away under Title 42.

The arrival of thousands of migrants has strained border communities, including El Paso. The city has prided itself on being a welcoming place for migrants but has been overwhelmed in recent months with the sudden arrival of thousands of migrants, straining local resources and prompting pleas for federal assistance.

Anxiety about the scheduled end of Title 42 prompted thousands of migrants in recent weeks to turn themselves in to border authorities or to cross into the United States illegally in a very short period.

The policy was scheduled to lift last month, but a Supreme Court ruling kept the rule in place while legal challenges play out in court.

Federal data shared with CNN indicates that migrant encounters in El Paso have dropped drastically since December, when thousands crossed on a daily basis.

There have been less than 700 daily encounters on average over the last few days, compared to nearly 2,500 at its peak in December, according to the Department of Homeland Security.

DHS said it deployed 100 additional personnel to the El Paso region in December, and this week, the department will open another temporary facility to process migrants. Shelters in Juarez, Mexico, just across the border from El Paso, have also seen a decrease in migrants, DHS said.

Biden has said he wanted to wait until he knew an outcome in the Title 42 legal machinations before traveling to the border and accused Republicans calling for him to travel there of playing political games.

“They haven’t been serious about this at all,” he said.

El Paso has been at the center of the immigration debate dating back to the Trump administration, which piloted the controversial family separation policy in the region.

While Biden has condemned Trump-era immigration policies, his own administration has wrestled with striking a balance between enforcement and holding up its humanitarian promises.

In El Paso, Biden was faced with the history of his predecessor and the challenges he faces as the administration tries to stem the flow of mass migration in the hemisphere.

In recent months, the El Paso sector has surpassed the Rio Grande Valley sector in migrant arrests. RGV has historically been one of the busiest sectors for border crossings. The El Paso sector patrols 268 miles of international border.

Last November, border authorities encountered more than 53,000 migrants in the El Paso sector, according to the latest available data from US Customs and Border Protection.

Last year, El Paso – whose mayor, Leeser, is a Democrat – began sending migrant buses to New York City, following in the footsteps of Republican governors, to try to get people to their destination and decongest the city. That effort has since stopped.

Ahead of Biden’s border visit, the administration also announced plans to expand the policy and include Haitians, Nicaraguans and Cubans while it remains in place. Title 42 has so far largely applied to migrants from Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras and Venezuela.

The announcements Biden made Thursday reflect the administration’s effort to prepare for the end of Title 42, along with putting in place programs to manage the surge of migrants that have coincided with the anticipated end of the rule.

The administration will now accept up to 30,000 migrants per month from Nicaragua, Cuba, Haiti, and Venezuela under a humanitarian parole program geared toward those nationalities. Those who do not come to the US under that program may be expelled to Mexico under Title 42.

The announcement drew criticism from immigrant advocates and Democrats who argued the policies will put migrants who are seeking asylum in harm’s way.

“The expansion of Title 42 to include Cubans, Haitians, and Nicaraguans is a broken promise,” said Dylan Corbett, executive director of Hope Border Institute, in a statement. Hope Border Institute has been assisting migrants who have arrived in El Paso.

“Border communities will continue to work hard to pick up the broken pieces of our nation’s immigration system and show that our future lies not with expulsion and deportation, but with humanity and hope,” he added.

Members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus grilled top Biden officials, including Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, over the newly announced border policies in a call Thursday, according to two sources in attendance.

Members felt blindsided by the new policies and frustrated with the lack of engagement prior to their rollout, the sources said.

“It was really heated,” one source said, adding that members were “livid” that the administration didn’t consult with them ahead of time. The call included officials with the Department of Homeland Security and the White House.

One of the sources of tension during the call was a new asylum regulation that could bar migrants who are seeking asylum in the United States from doing so if they passed through another country on their way to the US-Mexico border. The restrictions are reminiscent of limits rolled out during the Trump administration, though officials have rejected the comparison.

This story has been updated with additional information.

CNN
 — 

Former Paris-Saint-Germain and Cameroon midfielder Modeste M’Bami has died aged 40 after suffering a heart attack, PSG said in a statement on Saturday.

M’Bami won two Coupes de France with the Parisian club, in 2004 and 2006, as well as an Olympic gold medal with Cameroon at the 2000 Sydney Games.

At those Olympics, M’Bami secured his place within Cameroonian footballing history as he scored a “golden goal” in extra time to seal the Indomitable Lions’ victory over Ronaldinho’s Brazil in the quarterfinals.

After beginning his career at Académie Kadji Sport, followed by Dynamo Douala in Cameroon, M’Bami joined PSG in 2003 where he stayed for three seasons.

He then spent three seasons at French side Olympique de Marseille, which was among those paying tribute to the Cameroonian, expressing its “great sadness.”

Tributes flooded in from all corners of the footballing world, including from former teammates and FIFA President Gianni Infantino.

“Such sad news,” Infantino said in an Instagram story underneath a black and white photo of M’bami. “RIP Modeste M’bami.”

His Cameroonian teammate George Elokobi said on Twitter, “Devastating news. RIP my friend Modeste Mbami, gone too soon. Thank you for your warm welcome and a good roommate.”

“My sincerest condolences and prayers go out to your family and friends. Thank you for all your contributions to the Cameroon National Team.”

As well as his time at French clubs, M’Bami spent time playing at clubs in Spain, China, Saudi Arabia and Colombia before he returned to France to end his playing career at Le Havre in Ligue 2.

After retiring at the age of 35, he went back to Cameroon and organized recruitment days for footballers in Africa.

“We are deeply saddened to hear the passing of the former Cameroonian footballer Modeste M’bami,” the Confederation of African Football said on Twitter.

“All our condolences and thoughts go to his family and friends at this difficult time. May he Rest In Peace.”

CNN
 — 

A man was arrested and is facing negligent homicide charges after failing to restrain his pit bull terrier, which attacked and killed a 7-year-old girl in Louisiana on Friday, authorities said.

Erick Lopez, 20, of East Baton Rouge told deputies his dog would often roam unrestrained through the neighboring property where the child was attacked, according to the arrest report obtained by CNN.

On January 6, the dog wandered into the neighbor’s property where Sadie Davila was playing in the yard, the report read.

The dog “viciously attacked” Sadie and continued to maul her despite a relative’s attempts to stop the attack by hitting the dog with a walking cane, according to the report.

Sadie, who was in the first grade, was transported to a hospital where staff said the child “sustained numerous dog bites to her face and substantial damage to her skull, ultimately resulting in her death,” the report said.

Sadie’s mother, Haley Anselmo, told CNN “nothing will be the same” after her daughter’s death.

“She was the light in all our lives,” Anselmo said. “She thought more about others needs before her own. She had a big imagination and so much spunk. She wanted everyone to be happy. She was my mini me.”

Animal control officials captured the dog, which they found with blood around its face and mouth. It is unclear what will happen to the dog.

Lopez admitted to not being present during the attack, according to the report. He was arrested and booked into the Baton Rouge Parish Prison.

“This is an awful, heartbreaking tragedy,” East Baton Rouge Sheriff Sid Gautreaux said in a statement on Facebook. “My heart goes out to this family, and they will remain in my prayers.”

CNN
 — 

A hiker was found dead on New Year’s Eve in Texas’ Guadalupe Mountains National Park, according to the park service.

Other hikers discovered the unresponsive person on the Guadalupe Peak Trail and notified park staff after trying to revive them, the park said in a Friday release.

There were wind gusts of more than 50 miles per hour and wind chills were “well below freezing” that day, according to the release.

“At nearly 9,000 feet above sea level, Guadalupe Peak is a mountain environment with associated risks not found elsewhere in Texas,” the park said, noting that the hike is a “very strenuous, 8.4 mile round trip hike with a 3,000 foot elevation gain” to the highest point in the state.

The park did not release the person’s identity or other details related to the death.

“Guadalupe Mountains National Park staff are saddened by this loss, and our entire park community extends sincere condolences to the hiker’s family and friends,” Superintendent Eric Leonard said in the release.

Guadalupe Mountains National Park, one of the least-visited of US national parks, has the four highest peaks in Texas.

Hikers should stick together when hiking in a group, the park said, and postpone hikes when the weather is bad.

“You should prioritize your own safety above all else in windy conditions,” the release said.

CNN
 — 

The US Coast Guard says it repatriated 273 Cuban migrants Sunday after intercepting a number of boats off the Florida coast on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day.

The migrants were returned to Cuba aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Mohawk, according to a news release.

“The Coast Guard continues to interdict and rescue migrants from grossly overloaded, unseaworthy vessels,” said Lt. Cmdr. John Beal of Coast Guard District Seven.

“These illegal voyages are always dangerous and often deadly. We are working closely with partner agencies to save lives and prevent illegal entry to the United States via our southeast maritime border,” Beal said.

The migrants were intercepted on several occasions on December 31, 2022 and January 1, 2023, the release said.

One of the vessels had capsized when a “good Samaritan” alerted the Coast Guard to its presence in waters about 35 miles north of Havana, it said.

According to the Coast Guard, once the migrants were aboard a Coast Guard cutter, they received food, water, shelter and basic medical attention.

The Coast Guard said its crews interdicted 4,795 Cubans since October 1, 2022, compared to 6,182 Cuban migrants in all of fiscal year 2022, 838 Cuban migrants in fiscal year 2021 and 49 Cuban migrants in fiscal year 2020.

On Friday, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed an executive order activating the state’s National Guard and directing law enforcement and other state agencies to provide resources to support local governments responding to the influx of migrants, his office said in a news release.

Last week, the National Park Service announced it was temporarily closing Dry Tortugas National Park in the Florida Keys to the public due to an influx of migrants from Cuba.

In a news release, the service said the park would be closed for several days “while law enforcement and medical personnel evaluate, provide care for and coordinate transport to Key West for approximately 300 migrants who arrived in the park over the past couple of days.”

The park is about 70 miles (113 kilometers) west of Key West and is only accessibly by boat or seaplane.

“Like elsewhere in the Florida Keys, the park has recently seen an increase in people arriving by boat from Cuba and landing on the islands of Dry Tortugas National Park,” the park service said.

The park’s closure “is necessary for the safety of visitors and staff because of the resources and space needed to attend to the migrants,” the park service said.

The agency announced Sunday the park would reopen at 8 a.m. Monday January 9.

Mexico City
CNN
 — 

Two trains collided on Mexico City’s subway system Saturday, killing at least one person and injuring 57 others, the city’s mayor said.

In a news conference, Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum said a train driver was in a serious condition following the incident at the La Raza and Potrero stations on metro line 3.

Four other people were hospitalized after they were rescued in an operation involving the Defense Ministry, Navy and the Civil Protection agency, the mayor said.

“As always, our priority is the victims and also that justice will be done,” she said.

Mexico City’s prosecutor’s office wrote on Twitter that it has started a government-authorized investigation into the collision.

The city’s subway is one of the busiest public transit systems in the world, serving a metropolitan area home to an estimated 20 million people in the densely populated capital.

The collision is the latest deadly incident to hit the Mexico City metro following the May 2021 collapse of subway Line 12 that killed 26 people and left dozens injured.

According to a 2021 report by the city’s government, construction flaws led to that collapse.

The investigation suggested that deficient welding of metal studs, which apparently were not well connected to steel beams supporting a concrete slab and the elevated train rails, was among a number of issues that contributed to the incident.

The report said missing metal studs in some sections of the structure, different kinds of concrete used for the slab and unfinished or badly welded joints were some of the other factors that caused the raised railway to buckle, sending two subway carriages plummeting to the streets below.

CNN
 — 

A Los Angeles County traffic stop in which a local rapper was approached by a deputy who threatened that the man would “take one to the chest” if he failed to comply with exiting his parked vehicle is now under investigation, according to police.

Rapper Feezy Lebron was detained by two Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department patrol deputies on New Year’s Eve while sitting in his car in a South Los Angeles parking lot, according to his social media posts.

“If you don’t listen, you’re done,” the deputy can be heard saying on video from a body worn camera, which was released Friday by the sheriff’s department, along with a statement.

“During the contact, the deputies ordered the man to exit his car. One deputy displayed pepper spray, then drew his firearm and used unprofessional language, which later resulted in a complaint filed by that community member,” the LASD statement said.

“Sheriff (Robert) Luna has made it clear that he expects Department personnel to treat all members of the public with dignity and respect, and that personnel who do not uphold our training standards will be held accountable,” the statement said.

CNN has reached out to Lebron’s attorney for further comment.

It’s unclear what happened before the bodycam recording picks up, but LASD said in a release, “while on the scene, their attention was drawn to a man sitting in a car in the parking lot.”

In the video, one deputy is already at the driver’s open car door and can be seen leaning in toward the driver. When the deputy whose bodycam video was released approached, he initially threatened to spray the driver with pepper spray if the man did not get out of the car, and warned the first deputy to move out of the way.

Almost immediately, the deputy can be seen trading the spray for his weapon, pointing it at the driver, at which point he says, “if you take off in this car, I’m gonna shoot you. If you put this car in drive, you’re getting one right to the chest.”

“You’re gonna shoot me?” Lebron asked.

“Absolutely. Absolutely,” the unnamed deputy replied.

Throughout the interaction, the driver continually asks what he’s being detained for and whether he’s under arrest.

“It’s already been explained to you,” the deputy is heard telling Lebron. The deputy also stated that Lebron was being detained for refusing to comply. 

Once out of the car, the man is placed in handcuffs and asked if he’s on probation or parole, to which he answers no. The deputy accuses him of smoking marijuana in his car and the man defiantly says that he did not smoke weed in his car, but does have weed in his vehicle, which is legal.

Eventually, the man was cited for a missing license plate, the LASD said.

James Wheeler, president of the Association for Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs, a union representing officers at the department, said in a statement that their objectives “are to ensure there is a thorough investigation” and “to preserve due process for those involved.”

“Our values are straightforward and universal, applying to the public and our members alike, regardless of the nature of the allegation. Regarding this specific encounter, ALADS has only secondhand information and an edited audio recording that doesn’t capture the incident in its entirety, and we are therefore currently unable to offer a definitive comment,” the statement said. “The Sheriff’s Department is conducting an investigation into this matter and we are awaiting the outcome of that investigation.”

(CNN) — Xiongjie Dai, a freelance software engineer living in the Chinese city of Suzhou, dreams about his first big trip post-Covid-19.

The 32-year-old says destinations like South Korea, Europe, Japan, New Zealand and Australia rank high on the list. But he has his eyes set on the US.

“When I have enough money, I’d like to visit America first,” he tells CNN Travel. “America is the leader in both the computer science and IT industries, so I want to visit Silicon Valley and famous universities like MIT, Stanford and so on.”

“We are optimistic about the tourism outlook,” Wendy Min, head of media and executive communications at the Trip.com Group, tells CNN Travel.

“The latest policy announcement is encouraging, and we expect strong pent-up demand and increasing consumer confidence.”

Where to first?

Singapore is a top destination for Chinese travelers, according to Trip.com Group data.

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The most popular destinations so far are Singapore, South Korea, Hong Kong, Japan and Thailand, based on Trip.com Group bookings. For long-haul destinations, the US, UK and Australia lead the pack.

“The trend we have seen is that short-haul flights are popular due to (lower) prices. Singapore, South Korea and Japan have always been quite popular with Chinese travelers, even pre-Covid,” says Min.

It makes sense for regional travel to recover first, says Dr. Wolfgang Georg Arlt, CEO of the China Outbound Tourism Research Institute (COTRI), since it is easier and less expensive to visit nearby destinations.

But the first quarter of 2023 will be almost exclusively urgent non-leisure travel, such as business trips, family reunions, student travel or healthcare needs, he adds.

The first wave of leisure travel

According to Arlt, leisure travel will start to pick up in the second quarter of the year when things like passport and visa approval processes are running smoothly, and flights have fully resumed.

“Some leisure travelers will be very motivated to get a passport, visa and affordable ticket. Others will wait and see what stories the ‘pioneers’ have when they return,” he tells CNN Travel.

“The government spent three years making people in China feel afraid of the outside world, so some will still be anxious about whether it’s safe to travel.”

Throughout the pandemic, Chinese state media and the ruling Communist Party have repeatedly highlighted high death tolls in places like the US and UK compared to relatively low figures in China, as proof of the superiority of China’s authoritarian system.

As consumer confidence builds through the first quarter, Arlt expects to see more Chinese travelers taking regional getaways that prioritize well-being, relaxation and nature, probably around April.

Sienna Parulis-Cook is the director of marketing and communications at the Dragon Trail International digital marketing agency. She points to the Maldives as a beach destination of choice for affluent travelers in 2023.

“The Maldives appeals especially to the luxury market and those looking for a beautiful beach getaway — it’s also a destination that seemed to recover from the impact of Covid relatively quickly compared to other places in the world, so this might play into its popularity now,” she says.

Others will plan trips around hobbies, like mountain biking, hiking, wine-tasting, cooking and calligraphy.

“A lot of Chinese people have had time to develop their special interests (during the past three years),” says Arlt. “The pandemic has proven how fragile and short life can be, so doing meaningful things has become that much more important.”

The most desirable destinations

Luxury lovers have long been drawn to the Maldives.

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Based on COTRI data projections, overseas trips could reach 115 million — a rebound of about three-quarters — by the end of the year, including trips to the Chinese territories of Hong Kong and Macau.

Many of the same destinations will resume their top positions as travel rebounds, Parulis-Cook says.

In 2019, Thailand was the No. 1 most-visited destination by Chinese travelers, welcoming around 11 million Chinese tourists — over a quarter of the country’s overseas arrivals.

“The destinations that were popular before the pandemic are likely to resume their popularity when China reopens. The Chinese travel industry, and Dragon Trail, definitely expect destinations in Greater China (Hong Kong and Macau), Southeast, and East Asia to recover first,” says Parulis-Cook.

“They’re the closest to China, they have the most-recovered flight connectivity so far, and they are likely to seem safest and easiest for a first post-Covid outbound trip.”

Emerging hotspots and experiences

Chinese travelers have had three years to dream about where they want to go and swap stories with friends, says Arlt, and there’s growing interest in discovering less conventional destinations.

Trip.com’s Min is a case in point.

“I am definitely ready to restart my travel adventures. I typically visited five new countries per year pre-Covid,” she says. “Now that connection and mobility are coming back, I’m looking forward to some solo backpacking and experiencing the world through my own eyes again.”

The travel enthusiast has ambitious plans to explore Cyprus, Oman, Iraq, Rwanda, Madagascar and Namibia in 2023.

“I’ve thought about Central America too but will have to see what time I have,” she says.

Min’s desire to explore less-trodden destinations reflects a larger trend among experienced travelers.

Georgia offers travelers a unique mix of experiences.

Lukas Bischoff/iStockphoto/Getty Images

For example, Arlt says countries like Albania or Georgia are of interest.

Before the pandemic, Albania was just starting to appear on the radar for Chinese travelers. The country has centuries-old villages and authentic rural settings, which appeal to seasoned travelers, he says.

Georgia, meanwhile, attracts with its diverse mix of experiences: an urban adventure in the capital Tbilisi, skiing in the mountains, Black Sea beaches and ancient architecture.

“These are places that are still being discovered,” says Arlt, who will publish a book on the next wave of China’s outbound tourism later this month.

“Paris isn’t impressive anymore. If you tell your friends you’ve been to Albania, they will think you’re very special. That you have taste and a sense of adventure.”

Shifts in travel styles

According to Trip.com Group, Chinese travelers are gravitating towards small groups and independent travel, rather than large tours, and paying more attention to sustainability.

Arlt has observed the same trends.

“There are big changes in the demand and expectations of Chinese outbound travelers,” he says. “Young people in China are very interested in sustainability and green topics, as China is also suffering under the consequences of climate change.”

According to a 2022 Dragon Trail survey, 48.3% of prospective travelers said they would choose accommodation with environmentally friendly operations, 45.5% will choose cruelty-free ways to see wild animals and 37.9% will personally contribute to the local environment by picking up trash or cycling instead of driving.

What’s more, the top reasons to travel overseas were to “try local food” (60.8%), “experience local life” (56%) and “visit beach and sea” (51.8%).

But not everything has changed when it comes to what Chinese travelers want.

“Many post-pandemic trends and preferences in Chinese travel show continuity with (those) developing before the pandemic. Nature and outdoor activities, self-driving (renting cars for road trips), and a shift from large group tours to independent travel are all examples of this,” says Parulis-Cook.

“Seeking out open spaces and nature has been very popular during the pandemic — driven by the desire to get out of cities or away from crowds — but that was a major draw for Chinese outbound tourists before Covid, too.”

For example, a chance to stargaze or experience the aurora (or polar lights) was something that attracted Chinese travelers to places like Norway, Peru, Canada and New Zealand before the pandemic.

Given its popularity in China, Parulis-Cook would not be surprised if travelers try glamping in places like Japan or Thailand, where local operators have already been advertising to netizens on Chinese social media.

There’s also an appetite for more long-term travel, such as living, studying or pursuing a career abroad, says Arlt.

“A lot of people will travel to different places to decide if they want to move to Singapore, London, Toronto or Sydney. These people probably will be (among the first to travel again).”

Hurdles to entry

In response to the travel restrictions/screenings, International Air Transport Association Director General Willie Walsh issued a statement on January 4, admonishing countries for reinstating measures that have “proven ineffective” while “the virus is already circulating widely within their borders.”

“We have the tools to manage Covid-19 without resorting to ineffective measures that cut off international connectivity, damage economies and destroy jobs,” he says.

Parulis-Cook also expressed concerns about the consequences of targeted entry requirements.

“When travel restrictions are country-specific — travelers from China, India or South Africa, to give some examples from the past years — rather than universal, they are much more effective in creating stigma than preventing the spread of Covid,” she says.

“Chinese travelers will have a lot of choices for their first outbound trip, and destinations without any entry restrictions will appeal to them as friendlier and easier to travel to.”

Arlt offers a different perspective.

“I see all this discussion that Chinese travelers will feel uncomfortable having to do a test before departure to many destinations and will prefer destinations which do not ask for a test,” he says.

“Actually, they are not only used to testing and getting tests for free in China, they will also be happy to know that all the other passengers in their airplane have tested negatively as well.”