USA: Virginia Abolishes the Death Penalty – Politics

Democrat Joe Biden has been the new president of the United States since Jan.20 – and is throwing off the legacy of his predecessor, Donald Trump. He left the White House. An overview of all news and developments:

Virginia abolishes the death penalty

Mon, February 23 at 3:37 am: The US state of Virginia will abolish the death penalty. Both state houses of parliament voted in favor of the repeal, leaving only the signature of Governor Ralph Northam missing. His approval is confirmed.

“This is an important step forward in ensuring that our criminal justice system is fair and equitable,” Northam said on Monday in a joint statement with House Speaker Ellen Feller Korn and Senate Majority Leader Dick Saslow.

In the United States, 22 of the 50 states have abolished the death penalty so far. “In Virginia’s long history, this state has executed more people than any other state,” the statement said. “It is time to put an end to this mechanism of death.” She argued that the death penalty is not a fair and effective tool of criminal justice. Since 1976 there has been According to the Death Penalty Information Center (DPIC) 113 executions in the state.

In general, the death penalty is on the decline in the United States. In many places, this is related to changing public opinion, but also with the increasing difficulties of obtaining materials for lethal injection. In addition, the death penalty leads to long and costly legal disputes.

According to DPIC, a total of 17 people were executed in the United States by five states and the federal government in 2020. The federal government has not implemented the death penalty for nearly two decades. However, the administration of former President Donald Trump pushed through with its reintroduction. New President Joe Biden opposes the death penalty.

New sanctions against the military leadership in Myanmar

Monday February 23 at 3:00 am: After the coup in Myanmar, the US government imposed sanctions on two other military leaders. US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said the generals should stop suppressing peaceful protests, release people wrongly arrested, and return to democracy. Therefore, the sanctions are directed against Lieutenant General Mo Myint Ton and General Maung Maung Kyaw, who are part of the new command apparatus. In early February, the United States had already imposed sanctions on ten leaders of the coup.

Due to the sanctions, all property belonging to the individuals and companies involved in the United States will be frozen. US companies and individuals are also prohibited from doing business with them. If the sanctioned people do not have any property in the United States, then any international business will become more difficult for them, among other things because Western banks are now likely to avoid doing business.

The Biden government is preparing to impose new sanctions on Nord Stream 2

Saturday, February 20 4:13 am: The administration of the new US President Joe Biden is preparing for more sanctions against the construction of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline to the Baltic Sea. In a report to Congress on Friday, the State Department identified two supporters of the project who could now be punished. This is the ship Fortuna And its owner is KVT-RUS, as explained by conference staff.

The two have already been sanctioned through an action by Biden’s predecessor Trump to support the construction of Nord Stream 2. Opponents of the project in Congress appreciated that the move by the Biden government hardly helped halt work on the project.

The United States is refusing to build the 1,200 km pipeline on the grounds that it will make Europe more dependent on Russian natural gas. However, the United States also wants to sell its gas in Europe. Russian energy company Gazprom owns the majority in the pipeline project. Financial partners are Wintershall Dea and Uniper from Germany as well as Austrian OMV, Royal Dutch Shell and Engie.

Right-wing militia members have been indicted after Capitol Storm

Saturday Feb.20 12:32 a.m.: More than six weeks after supporters of former President Donald Trump stormed the US Capitol, the Justice Department indicted six other suspects. All men and women have links to or are members of the right-wing militia, the “oath guards”. Allegations include conspiracy. The defendants are said to have agreed to block certification of the US presidential election results, according to a statement issued by the Attorney General’s office on Friday.

The six arrested this week in Florida, North Carolina and Ohio are said to have worked with three other suspects who were already indicted in January. Seven men and women were reported to have donned paramilitary equipment on 6 January and climbed the stairs of the Congress building in a tactical military unit style, breaking through a door and breaking into the building.

One of the defendants, who describes himself as the leader of the “department guards” in Florida, according to investigators, wrote in a message on Facebook in late December: “Trump said it would be wild !!!!!! It would have been brutal !! !!!!! He wants us to go to the wilderness .. This is what he says .. He called all of us to the Capitol and he wants us to go to the wilderness !!! Sir, yes sir !!! ”Another suspect allegedly organized firearms and combat training for himself and the others before January 6th.

The United States allowed the first group of 25 asylum seekers to cross the Mexican border

Friday, February 19 at 10:10 p.m.: After changing the direction in immigration policy, the US government allowed an initial group of asylum seekers to cross the border. 25 people crossed the border from Tijuana, Mexico, to the US city of San Diego on Friday, an official from the Mexican Immigration Authority INM confirmed to Deutsche Presse-Agentur. In the coming days, it is expected that more refugees with ongoing asylum procedures will come to the United States to attend their court hearings and remain in the United States for the duration of their procedures.

The new administration of US President Joe Biden is violating the restrictive immigration policy of his predecessor, Donald Trump. Until now, asylum seekers in Mexico had to await a decision on their claims. As a result, some people have lived in camps south of the US border for more than a year. According to the US Department of Homeland Security, about 25,000 people are still affected by the previous policy. Immigrants with pending procedures must register online from the beginning of next week, after which they will be informed of the time and place of their potential border crossing.

On Friday, however, there was initially confusion about the procedure. Between 150 and 200 people arrived at the El Chaparral border crossing between Tijuana and San Diego and were hoping to enter the United States. At least some of them did not apply for asylum in the United States and thus did not have the opportunity to enter.